diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
index e75096c6c06..74911f23066 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
@@ -289,6 +289,9 @@ Release 2.1.0-beta - UNRELEASED
 
     YARN-686. Flatten NodeReport. (sandyr via tucu)
 
+    YARN-737. Throw some specific exceptions directly instead of wrapping them
+    in YarnException. (Jian He via sseth)
+
   OPTIMIZATIONS
 
     YARN-512. Log aggregation root directory check is more expensive than it
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/TestRPC.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/TestRPC.java
index c34e64773dc..b5a5141cee5 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/TestRPC.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/TestRPC.java
@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@ public StartContainerResponse startContainer(StartContainerRequest request)
 
       try {
         tokenId = newContainerTokenIdentifier(containerToken);
-        tokenId = new ContainerTokenIdentifier();
       } catch (IOException e) {
         throw RPCUtil.getRemoteException(e);
       }
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/ContainerManagerImpl.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/ContainerManagerImpl.java
index 7cdba1e532a..71de5fcafa9 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/ContainerManagerImpl.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/ContainerManagerImpl.java
@@ -394,9 +394,9 @@ public StartContainerResponse startContainer(StartContainerRequest request)
       throws YarnException, IOException {
 
     if (blockNewContainerRequests.get()) {
-      throw RPCUtil.getRemoteException(new NMNotYetReadyException(
+      throw new NMNotYetReadyException(
           "Rejecting new containers as NodeManager has not" +
-          " yet connected with ResourceManager"));
+          " yet connected with ResourceManager");
     }
 
     ContainerLaunchContext launchContext = request.getContainerLaunchContext();
@@ -424,8 +424,7 @@ public StartContainerResponse startContainer(StartContainerRequest request)
       String msg = "\nContainer "+ containerIDStr
           + " rejected as it is allocated by a previous RM";
       LOG.error(msg);
-      throw RPCUtil
-        .getRemoteException(new InvalidContainerException(msg));
+      throw new InvalidContainerException(msg);
     }
 
     LOG.info("Start request for " + containerIDStr + " by user "
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/InvalidContainerException.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/InvalidContainerException.java
index d7613261620..bbed578b4a4 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/InvalidContainerException.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/InvalidContainerException.java
@@ -18,12 +18,13 @@
 
 package org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.containermanager;
 
-import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.YarnRuntimeException;
+import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.exceptions.YarnException;
+
 
 /**
  * This Exception happens when NM is rejecting container requests from RM
  */
-public class InvalidContainerException extends YarnRuntimeException {
+public class InvalidContainerException extends YarnException {
 
   private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
 
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/NMNotYetReadyException.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/NMNotYetReadyException.java
index d63bd2ef6d5..df20b6309ff 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/NMNotYetReadyException.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/NMNotYetReadyException.java
@@ -18,13 +18,13 @@
 
 package org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.containermanager;
 
-import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.YarnRuntimeException;
+import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.exceptions.YarnException;
 
 /**
  * This exception happens when NM starts from scratch but has not yet connected
  * with RM.
  */
-public class NMNotYetReadyException extends YarnRuntimeException {
+public class NMNotYetReadyException extends YarnException {
 
   private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
 
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/TestNodeManagerResync.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/TestNodeManagerResync.java
index 3765198b0fe..51bae7cbe84 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/TestNodeManagerResync.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/TestNodeManagerResync.java
@@ -293,10 +293,8 @@ public void run() {
               Assert.assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains(
                 "Rejecting new containers as NodeManager has not" +
                 " yet connected with ResourceManager"));
-              // TO DO: This should be replaced to explicitly check exception
-              // class name after YARN-142
-              Assert.assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains(
-                NMNotYetReadyException.class.getName()));
+              Assert.assertEquals(NMNotYetReadyException.class.getName(), e
+                .getClass().getName());
             } catch (IOException e) {
               assertionFailedInThread.set(true);
             }
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/TestContainerManager.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/TestContainerManager.java
index dbda9fb114c..5fb88121646 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/TestContainerManager.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/TestContainerManager.java
@@ -528,10 +528,8 @@ public void testContainerLaunchFromPreviousRM() throws IOException,
       catchException = true;
       Assert.assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains(
         "Container " + cId1 + " rejected as it is allocated by a previous RM"));
-      // TO DO: This should be replaced to explicitly check exception
-      // class name after YARN-142
-      Assert.assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains(
-        InvalidContainerException.class.getName()));
+      Assert.assertEquals(InvalidContainerException.class.getName(), e
+        .getClass().getName());
     }
 
     // Verify that startContainer fail because of invalid container request
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/RMAppManager.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/RMAppManager.java
index 28449241bda..e8f68fbbaf4 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/RMAppManager.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/RMAppManager.java
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ protected void submitApplication(
       } catch (InvalidResourceRequestException e) {
         LOG.warn("RM app submission failed in validating AM resource request"
             + " for application " + applicationId, e);
-        throw RPCUtil.getRemoteException(e);
+        throw e;
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/MiniYARNCluster.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/MiniYARNCluster.java
index 7d4bbefbbd3..dc1d3519492 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/MiniYARNCluster.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/MiniYARNCluster.java
@@ -363,10 +363,10 @@ public NodeHeartbeatResponse nodeHeartbeat(
                   NodeHeartbeatResponse.class);
               try {
                 response = rt.nodeHeartbeat(request);
-              } catch (YarnException ioe) {
+              } catch (YarnException e) {
                 LOG.info("Exception in heartbeat from node " + 
-                    request.getNodeStatus().getNodeId(), ioe);
-                throw RPCUtil.getRemoteException(ioe);
+                    request.getNodeStatus().getNodeId(), e);
+                throw e;
               }
               return response;
             }
@@ -379,10 +379,10 @@ public RegisterNodeManagerResponse registerNodeManager(
                   newRecordInstance(RegisterNodeManagerResponse.class);
               try {
                 response = rt.registerNodeManager(request);
-              } catch (YarnException ioe) {
+              } catch (YarnException e) {
                 LOG.info("Exception in node registration from "
-                    + request.getNodeId().toString(), ioe);
-                throw RPCUtil.getRemoteException(ioe);
+                    + request.getNodeId().toString(), e);
+                throw e;
               }
               return response;
             }