diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/HMaster.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/HMaster.java
index ddef3e27b405..0dc5b61cba8c 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/HMaster.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/HMaster.java
@@ -2728,16 +2728,20 @@ protected void run() throws IOException {
           MasterQuotaManager quotaManager = getMasterQuotaManager();
           if (quotaManager != null) {
             if (quotaManager.isQuotaInitialized()) {
-              SpaceQuotaSnapshot currSnapshotOfTable =
-                QuotaTableUtil.getCurrentSnapshotFromQuotaTable(getConnection(), tableName);
-              if (currSnapshotOfTable != null) {
-                SpaceQuotaStatus quotaStatus = currSnapshotOfTable.getQuotaStatus();
-                if (
-                  quotaStatus.isInViolation()
-                    && SpaceViolationPolicy.DISABLE == quotaStatus.getPolicy().orElse(null)
-                ) {
-                  throw new AccessDeniedException("Enabling the table '" + tableName
-                    + "' is disallowed due to a violated space quota.");
+              // skip checking quotas for system tables, see:
+              // https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/HBASE-28183
+              if (!tableName.isSystemTable()) {
+                SpaceQuotaSnapshot currSnapshotOfTable =
+                  QuotaTableUtil.getCurrentSnapshotFromQuotaTable(getConnection(), tableName);
+                if (currSnapshotOfTable != null) {
+                  SpaceQuotaStatus quotaStatus = currSnapshotOfTable.getQuotaStatus();
+                  if (
+                    quotaStatus.isInViolation()
+                      && SpaceViolationPolicy.DISABLE == quotaStatus.getPolicy().orElse(null)
+                  ) {
+                    throw new AccessDeniedException("Enabling the table '" + tableName
+                      + "' is disallowed due to a violated space quota.");
+                  }
                 }
               }
             } else if (LOG.isTraceEnabled()) {
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/quotas/TestQuotaAdmin.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/quotas/TestQuotaAdmin.java
index c577e9aceace..817f135f0c95 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/quotas/TestQuotaAdmin.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/quotas/TestQuotaAdmin.java
@@ -994,4 +994,15 @@ public int getQuotaSettingCount(Admin admin) throws IOException {
     }
     return quotaSettingCount;
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testQuotaTableDisableAndEnable() throws Exception {
+    final Admin admin = TEST_UTIL.getAdmin();
+    admin.disableTable(QuotaUtil.QUOTA_TABLE_NAME);
+    try {
+      admin.enableTable(QuotaUtil.QUOTA_TABLE_NAME);
+    } catch (Exception ex) {
+      fail("Got an exception while enabling table: " + QuotaUtil.QUOTA_TABLE_NAME);
+    }
+  }
 }