diff --git a/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/persistent/PersistentStickyKeyDispatcherMultipleConsumers.java b/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/persistent/PersistentStickyKeyDispatcherMultipleConsumers.java
index 299f54578e6e5..596c9c7092ed3 100644
--- a/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/persistent/PersistentStickyKeyDispatcherMultipleConsumers.java
+++ b/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/persistent/PersistentStickyKeyDispatcherMultipleConsumers.java
@@ -176,8 +176,12 @@ protected void sendMessagesToConsumers(ReadType readType, List<Entry> entries) {
         for (Entry entry : entries) {
             int stickyKeyHash = getStickyKeyHash(entry);
             Consumer c = selector.select(stickyKeyHash);
-            groupedEntries.computeIfAbsent(c, k -> new ArrayList<>()).add(entry);
-            consumerStickyKeyHashesMap.computeIfAbsent(c, k -> new HashSet<>()).add(stickyKeyHash);
+            if (c != null) {
+                groupedEntries.computeIfAbsent(c, k -> new ArrayList<>()).add(entry);
+                consumerStickyKeyHashesMap.computeIfAbsent(c, k -> new HashSet<>()).add(stickyKeyHash);
+            } else {
+                entry.release();
+            }
         }
 
         AtomicInteger keyNumbers = new AtomicInteger(groupedEntries.size());