diff --git a/conf/livy.conf.template b/conf/livy.conf.template
index 7566971..e99251d 100644
--- a/conf/livy.conf.template
+++ b/conf/livy.conf.template
@@ -195,3 +195,8 @@
 # Enable to allow custom classpath by proxy user in cluster mode
 # The below configuration parameter is disabled by default.
 # livy.server.session.allow-custom-classpath = true
+
+# value specifies interval to check safe mode in hdfs filesystem
+# livy.server.hdfs.safe-mode.interval = 5
+# value specifies max attempts to retry when safe mode is ON in hdfs filesystem
+# livy.server.hdfs.safe-mode.max.retry.attempts = 10
diff --git a/server/src/main/scala/org/apache/livy/LivyConf.scala b/server/src/main/scala/org/apache/livy/LivyConf.scala
index 31b6872..720aa4e 100644
--- a/server/src/main/scala/org/apache/livy/LivyConf.scala
+++ b/server/src/main/scala/org/apache/livy/LivyConf.scala
@@ -252,6 +252,12 @@
   // how often to check livy session leakage
   val YARN_APP_LEAKAGE_CHECK_INTERVAL = Entry("livy.server.yarn.app-leakage.check-interval", "60s")
 
+  // value specifies interval to check safe mode in hdfs filesystem
+  val HDFS_SAFE_MODE_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS = Entry("livy.server.hdfs.safe-mode.interval", 5)
+
+  // value specifies max attempts to retry when safe mode is ON in hdfs filesystem
+  val HDFS_SAFE_MODE_MAX_RETRY_ATTEMPTS = Entry("livy.server.hdfs.safe-mode.max.retry.attempts", 12)
+
   // Whether session timeout should be checked, by default it will be checked, which means inactive
   // session will be stopped after "livy.server.session.timeout"
   val SESSION_TIMEOUT_CHECK = Entry("livy.server.session.timeout-check", true)
diff --git a/server/src/main/scala/org/apache/livy/server/recovery/FileSystemStateStore.scala b/server/src/main/scala/org/apache/livy/server/recovery/FileSystemStateStore.scala
index 826a2fb..6fee7f0 100644
--- a/server/src/main/scala/org/apache/livy/server/recovery/FileSystemStateStore.scala
+++ b/server/src/main/scala/org/apache/livy/server/recovery/FileSystemStateStore.scala
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import java.io.{FileNotFoundException, IOException}
 import java.net.URI
 import java.util
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
 
 import scala.reflect.ClassTag
 import scala.util.control.NonFatal
@@ -28,6 +29,8 @@
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs._
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Options.{CreateOpts, Rename}
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.permission.{FsAction, FsPermission}
+import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.DistributedFileSystem
+import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.protocol.HdfsConstants
 
 import org.apache.livy.{LivyConf, Logging}
 import org.apache.livy.Utils.usingResource
@@ -42,6 +45,8 @@
     this(livyConf, None)
   }
 
+  private val fs = FileSystem.newInstance(livyConf.hadoopConf)
+
   private val fsUri = {
     val fsPath = livyConf.get(LivyConf.RECOVERY_STATE_STORE_URL)
     require(fsPath != null && !fsPath.isEmpty,
@@ -57,6 +62,8 @@
     // Only Livy user should have access to state files.
     fileContext.setUMask(new FsPermission("077"))
 
+    startSafeModeCheck()
+
     // Create state store dir if it doesn't exist.
     val stateStorePath = absPath(".")
     try {
@@ -134,4 +141,42 @@
   }
 
   private def absPath(key: String): Path = new Path(fsUri.getPath(), key)
+
+  /**
+   * Checks whether HDFS is in safe mode.
+   *
+   * Note that DistributedFileSystem is a `@LimitedPrivate` class, which for all practical reasons
+   * makes it more public than not.
+   */
+  def isFsInSafeMode(): Boolean = fs match {
+    case dfs: DistributedFileSystem =>
+      isFsInSafeMode(dfs)
+    case _ =>
+      false
+  }
+
+  def isFsInSafeMode(dfs: DistributedFileSystem): Boolean = {
+    /* true to check only for Active NNs status */
+    dfs.setSafeMode(HdfsConstants.SafeModeAction.SAFEMODE_GET, true)
+  }
+
+  def startSafeModeCheck(): Unit = {
+    // Cannot probe anything while the FS is in safe mode,
+    // so wait for seconds which is configurable
+    val safeModeInterval = livyConf.getInt(LivyConf.HDFS_SAFE_MODE_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS)
+    val safeModeMaxRetryAttempts = livyConf.getInt(LivyConf.HDFS_SAFE_MODE_MAX_RETRY_ATTEMPTS)
+    for (retryAttempts <- 0 to safeModeMaxRetryAttempts if isFsInSafeMode()) {
+      info("HDFS is still in safe mode. Waiting...")
+      Thread.sleep(TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(safeModeInterval))
+    }
+
+    // if hdfs is still in safe mode
+    // even after max retry attempts
+    // then throw IllegalStateException
+    if (isFsInSafeMode()) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("Reached max retry attempts for safe mode check " +
+        "in hdfs file system")
+    }
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/server/src/test/scala/org/apache/livy/server/recovery/FileSystemStateStoreSpec.scala b/server/src/test/scala/org/apache/livy/server/recovery/FileSystemStateStoreSpec.scala
index 082a80a..1ee1a2f 100644
--- a/server/src/test/scala/org/apache/livy/server/recovery/FileSystemStateStoreSpec.scala
+++ b/server/src/test/scala/org/apache/livy/server/recovery/FileSystemStateStoreSpec.scala
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs._
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Options.{CreateOpts, Rename}
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.permission.FsPermission
+import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.DistributedFileSystem
 import org.hamcrest.Description
 import org.mockito.ArgumentMatcher
 import org.mockito.Matchers.{any, anyInt, argThat, eq => equal}
-import org.mockito.Mockito.{atLeastOnce, verify, when}
+import org.mockito.Mockito.{atLeastOnce, spy, verify, when}
 import org.mockito.internal.matchers.Equals
 import org.mockito.invocation.InvocationOnMock
 import org.mockito.stubbing.Answer
@@ -53,6 +54,14 @@
       conf
     }
 
+    def makeConfWithTwoSeconds(): LivyConf = {
+      val conf = new LivyConf()
+      conf.set(LivyConf.RECOVERY_STATE_STORE_URL, "file://tmp/")
+      conf.set(LivyConf.HDFS_SAFE_MODE_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS, new Integer(2))
+      conf.set(LivyConf.HDFS_SAFE_MODE_MAX_RETRY_ATTEMPTS, new Integer(2))
+      conf
+    }
+
     def mockFileContext(rootDirPermission: String): FileContext = {
       val fileContext = mock[FileContext]
       val rootDirStatus = mock[FileStatus]
@@ -188,5 +197,29 @@
 
       verify(fileContext).delete(pathEq("/key"), equal(false))
     }
+
+    it("set safe mode ON and wait") {
+      val fileContext = mockFileContext("700")
+      val provider = spy(new FileSystemStateStore(makeConf(), Some(fileContext)))
+      val dfs = mock[DistributedFileSystem]
+      provider.isFsInSafeMode()
+      assert(!provider.isFsInSafeMode(dfs))
+    }
+
+    it("provider throws IllegalStateException when reaches 'N' " +
+      "max attempts to access HDFS file system") {
+      val provider = new SafeModeTestProvider(makeConfWithTwoSeconds(),
+        Some(mockFileContext("700")))
+      provider.inSafeMode = true
+      intercept[IllegalStateException](provider.startSafeModeCheck())
+    }
   }
+
+  private class SafeModeTestProvider(conf: LivyConf, context: Option[FileContext])
+    extends FileSystemStateStore(conf, context) {
+    var inSafeMode = true
+
+    override def isFsInSafeMode(): Boolean = inSafeMode
+  }
+
 }