diff --git a/hoodie-client/src/main/java/com/uber/hoodie/HoodieWriteClient.java b/hoodie-client/src/main/java/com/uber/hoodie/HoodieWriteClient.java
index 846db2b40..0e63ac167 100644
--- a/hoodie-client/src/main/java/com/uber/hoodie/HoodieWriteClient.java
+++ b/hoodie-client/src/main/java/com/uber/hoodie/HoodieWriteClient.java
@@ -1286,9 +1286,12 @@ public class HoodieWriteClient<T extends HoodieRecordPayload> implements Seriali
         HoodieCommitMetadata commitMetadata = HoodieCommitMetadata
             .fromBytes(table.getActiveTimeline().getInstantDetails(lastInstant
                 .get()).get(), HoodieCommitMetadata.class);
-        rollingStatMetadata = rollingStatMetadata
-            .merge(HoodieCommitMetadata.fromBytes(commitMetadata.getExtraMetadata()
-                .get(HoodieRollingStatMetadata.ROLLING_STAT_METADATA_KEY).getBytes(), HoodieRollingStatMetadata.class));
+        Optional<String> lastRollingStat = Optional.ofNullable(commitMetadata.getExtraMetadata()
+            .get(HoodieRollingStatMetadata.ROLLING_STAT_METADATA_KEY));
+        if (lastRollingStat.isPresent()) {
+          rollingStatMetadata = rollingStatMetadata
+              .merge(HoodieCommitMetadata.fromBytes(lastRollingStat.get().getBytes(), HoodieRollingStatMetadata.class));
+        }
       }
       metadata.addMetadata(HoodieRollingStatMetadata.ROLLING_STAT_METADATA_KEY, rollingStatMetadata.toJsonString());
     } catch (IOException io) {
diff --git a/hoodie-client/src/main/java/com/uber/hoodie/table/HoodieMergeOnReadTable.java b/hoodie-client/src/main/java/com/uber/hoodie/table/HoodieMergeOnReadTable.java
index b7d7a5080..77e6ddf4f 100644
--- a/hoodie-client/src/main/java/com/uber/hoodie/table/HoodieMergeOnReadTable.java
+++ b/hoodie-client/src/main/java/com/uber/hoodie/table/HoodieMergeOnReadTable.java
@@ -307,10 +307,13 @@ public class HoodieMergeOnReadTable<T extends HoodieRecordPayload> extends
       if (lastInstant.isPresent()) {
         HoodieCommitMetadata commitMetadata = HoodieCommitMetadata.fromBytes(
             this.getActiveTimeline().getInstantDetails(lastInstant.get()).get(), HoodieCommitMetadata.class);
-        HoodieRollingStatMetadata rollingStatMetadata = HoodieCommitMetadata
-            .fromBytes(commitMetadata.getExtraMetadata().get(HoodieRollingStatMetadata.ROLLING_STAT_METADATA_KEY)
-                .getBytes(), HoodieRollingStatMetadata.class);
-        return rollingStatMetadata;
+        Optional<String> lastRollingStat = Optional.ofNullable(commitMetadata.getExtraMetadata()
+            .get(HoodieRollingStatMetadata.ROLLING_STAT_METADATA_KEY));
+        if (lastRollingStat.isPresent()) {
+          HoodieRollingStatMetadata rollingStatMetadata = HoodieCommitMetadata
+              .fromBytes(lastRollingStat.get().getBytes(), HoodieRollingStatMetadata.class);
+          return rollingStatMetadata;
+        }
       }
       return null;
     } catch (IOException e) {
diff --git a/hoodie-client/src/test/java/com/uber/hoodie/table/TestMergeOnReadTable.java b/hoodie-client/src/test/java/com/uber/hoodie/table/TestMergeOnReadTable.java
index 92c40e7e8..ed68e5857 100644
--- a/hoodie-client/src/test/java/com/uber/hoodie/table/TestMergeOnReadTable.java
+++ b/hoodie-client/src/test/java/com/uber/hoodie/table/TestMergeOnReadTable.java
@@ -911,7 +911,14 @@ public class TestMergeOnReadTable {
     HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient = new HoodieTableMetaClient(jsc.hadoopConfiguration(), basePath);
     HoodieTable table = HoodieTable.getHoodieTable(metaClient, cfg, jsc);
 
-    String commitTime = "000";
+    // Create a commit without rolling stats in metadata to test backwards compatibility
+    HoodieActiveTimeline activeTimeline = table.getActiveTimeline();
+    String commitActionType = table.getMetaClient().getCommitActionType();
+    HoodieInstant instant = new HoodieInstant(true, commitActionType, "000");
+    activeTimeline.createInflight(instant);
+    activeTimeline.saveAsComplete(instant, Optional.empty());
+
+    String commitTime = "001";
     client.startCommitWithTime(commitTime);
 
     HoodieTestDataGenerator dataGen = new HoodieTestDataGenerator();
@@ -936,7 +943,7 @@ public class TestMergeOnReadTable {
     }
     Assert.assertEquals(inserts, 200);
 
-    commitTime = "001";
+    commitTime = "002";
     client.startCommitWithTime(commitTime);
     records = dataGen.generateUpdates(commitTime, records);
     writeRecords = jsc.parallelize(records, 1);