diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 232a860da9..a645516812 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 1.2.17
+ * Errors in FlushRunnable may leave threads hung (CASSANDRA-7275)
  * reduce failure detector initial value to 2s (CASSANDRA-7307)
  * Fix problem truncating on a node that was previously in a dead state (CASSANDRA-7318)
  * Don't insert tombstones that hide indexed values into 2i (CASSANDRA-7268)
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/Memtable.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/Memtable.java
index b6fcedaa1a..90f0466652 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/Memtable.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/Memtable.java
@@ -380,11 +380,17 @@ public class Memtable
 
         protected void runWith(File sstableDirectory) throws Exception
         {
-            assert sstableDirectory != null : "Flush task is not bound to any disk";
+            try
+            {
+                assert sstableDirectory != null : "Flush task is not bound to any disk";
 
-            SSTableReader sstable = writeSortedContents(context, sstableDirectory);
-            cfs.replaceFlushed(Memtable.this, sstable);
-            latch.countDown();
+                SSTableReader sstable = writeSortedContents(context, sstableDirectory);
+                cfs.replaceFlushed(Memtable.this, sstable);
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                latch.countDown();
+            }
         }
 
         protected Directories getDirectories()