diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/CHANGES.txt
index 5e0a4672df1..d5c2c2fd822 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1673,6 +1673,9 @@ Release 0.23.0 - Unreleased
     MAPREDUCE-3242. Trunk compilation broken with bad interaction from 
     MAPREDUCE-3070 and MAPREDUCE-3239. (mahadev)
 
+    MAPREDUCE-3058. Fixed MR YarnChild to report failure when task throws an
+    error and thus prevent a hanging task and job. (vinodkv)
+
 Release 0.22.0 - Unreleased
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/YarnChild.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/YarnChild.java
index 0ab220bf383..60e7418b687 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/YarnChild.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-app/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/YarnChild.java
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ class YarnChild {
       ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
       exception.printStackTrace(new PrintStream(baos));
       if (taskid != null) {
-        umbilical.reportDiagnosticInfo(taskid, baos.toString());
+        umbilical.fatalError(taskid, baos.toString());
       }
     } catch (Throwable throwable) {
       LOG.fatal("Error running child : "
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/FailingMapper.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/FailingMapper.java
index e9502b13577..33a60681a35 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/FailingMapper.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/FailingMapper.java
@@ -30,6 +30,22 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.mapreduce.Mapper;
 public class FailingMapper extends Mapper<Text, Text, Text, Text> {
   public void map(Text key, Text value,
       Context context) throws IOException,InterruptedException {
+
+    // Just create a non-daemon thread which hangs forever. MR AM should not be
+    // hung by this.
+    new Thread() {
+      @Override
+      public void run() {
+        synchronized (this) {
+          try {
+            wait();
+          } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+            //
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }.start();
+
     if (context.getTaskAttemptID().getId() == 0) {
       System.out.println("Attempt:" + context.getTaskAttemptID() + 
         " Failing mapper throwing exception");
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/TestMRJobs.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/TestMRJobs.java
index 50819f35379..d26a441c7a4 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/TestMRJobs.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-jobclient/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapreduce/v2/TestMRJobs.java
@@ -299,7 +299,6 @@ public class TestMRJobs {
   throws IOException, InterruptedException, ClassNotFoundException {
     Configuration myConf = new Configuration(mrCluster.getConfig());
     myConf.setInt(MRJobConfig.NUM_MAPS, 1);
-    myConf.setInt("mapreduce.task.timeout", 10*1000);//reduce the timeout
     myConf.setInt(MRJobConfig.MAP_MAX_ATTEMPTS, 2); //reduce the number of attempts
 
     Job job = new Job(myConf);
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/src/contrib/gridmix/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/gridmix/LoadJob.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/src/contrib/gridmix/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/gridmix/LoadJob.java
index e48106890fc..74cd9ad1434 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/src/contrib/gridmix/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/gridmix/LoadJob.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/src/contrib/gridmix/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/mapred/gridmix/LoadJob.java
@@ -275,9 +275,11 @@ class LoadJob extends GridmixJob {
       
       matcher = new ResourceUsageMatcherRunner(ctxt, 
                       split.getMapResourceUsageMetrics());
+      matcher.setDaemon(true);
       
       // start the status reporter thread
       reporter = new StatusReporter(ctxt);
+      reporter.setDaemon(true);
       reporter.start();
     }