diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
index 36f5965f6da..b9c63020a3d 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
@@ -196,6 +196,9 @@ Release 0.23.6 - UNRELEASED
     YARN-204. test coverage for org.apache.hadoop.tools (Aleksey Gorshkov via
     bobby)
 
+    YARN-251. Proxy URI generation fails for blank tracking URIs (Tom White
+    via jlowe)
+
 Release 0.23.5 - UNRELEASED
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/rmapp/attempt/RMAppAttemptImpl.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/rmapp/attempt/RMAppAttemptImpl.java
index eebbecba873..da8a6ed6719 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/rmapp/attempt/RMAppAttemptImpl.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/rmapp/attempt/RMAppAttemptImpl.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantReadWriteLock;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantReadWriteLock.ReadLock;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantReadWriteLock.WriteLock;
 
+import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration;
@@ -399,7 +400,7 @@ public class RMAppAttemptImpl implements RMAppAttempt {
       final String trackingUriWithoutScheme) {
     this.readLock.lock();
     try {
-      URI trackingUri = trackingUriWithoutScheme == null ? null :
+      URI trackingUri = StringUtils.isEmpty(trackingUriWithoutScheme) ? null :
         ProxyUriUtils.getUriFromAMUrl(trackingUriWithoutScheme);
       String proxy = YarnConfiguration.getProxyHostAndPort(conf);
       URI proxyUri = ProxyUriUtils.getUriFromAMUrl(proxy);
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/rmapp/attempt/TestRMAppAttemptTransitions.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/rmapp/attempt/TestRMAppAttemptTransitions.java
index 83593fb1d2c..5c766c55cd4 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/rmapp/attempt/TestRMAppAttemptTransitions.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/rmapp/attempt/TestRMAppAttemptTransitions.java
@@ -638,6 +638,14 @@ public class TestRMAppAttemptTransitions {
         "Killed by user");
   }
 
+
+  @Test
+  public void testNoTrackingUrl() {
+    Container amContainer = allocateApplicationAttempt();
+    launchApplicationAttempt(amContainer);
+    runApplicationAttempt(amContainer, "host", 8042, "");
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testUnregisterToSuccessfulFinishing() {
     Container amContainer = allocateApplicationAttempt();