diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/CHANGES.txt
index 08fa878602a..50dfc4c1dbb 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1234,6 +1234,10 @@ Release 0.23.0 - Unreleased
    MAPREDUCE-2937. Ensure reason for application failure is displayed to the
    user. (mahadev via acmurthy) 
 
+   MAPREDUCE-2953. Fix a race condition on submission which caused client to 
+   incorrectly assume application was gone by making submission synchronous
+   for RMAppManager. (Thomas Graves via acmurthy) 
+
 Release 0.22.0 - Unreleased
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/ClientRMService.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/ClientRMService.java
index 628372f9502..593d6525a68 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/ClientRMService.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/ClientRMService.java
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ public class ClientRMService extends AbstractService implements
   final private YarnScheduler scheduler;
   final private RMContext rmContext;
   private final AMLivelinessMonitor amLivelinessMonitor;
+  private final RMAppManager rmAppManager;
 
   private String clientServiceBindAddress;
   private Server server;
@@ -100,11 +101,13 @@ public class ClientRMService extends AbstractService implements
   private  ApplicationACLsManager aclsManager;
   private Map<ApplicationACL, AccessControlList> applicationACLs;
   
-  public ClientRMService(RMContext rmContext, YarnScheduler scheduler) {
+  public ClientRMService(RMContext rmContext, YarnScheduler scheduler,
+      RMAppManager rmAppManager) {
     super(ClientRMService.class.getName());
     this.scheduler = scheduler;
     this.rmContext = rmContext;
     this.amLivelinessMonitor = rmContext.getAMLivelinessMonitor();
+    this.rmAppManager = rmAppManager;
   }
   
   @Override
@@ -201,8 +204,10 @@ public class ClientRMService extends AbstractService implements
         throw new IOException("Application with id " + applicationId
             + " is already present! Cannot add a duplicate!");
       }
-      this.rmContext.getDispatcher().getEventHandler().handle(
-          new RMAppManagerSubmitEvent(submissionContext));
+      // This needs to be synchronous as the client can query 
+      // immediately following the submission to get the application status.
+      // So call handle directly and do not send an event.
+      rmAppManager.handle(new RMAppManagerSubmitEvent(submissionContext));
 
       LOG.info("Application with id " + applicationId.getId() + 
           " submitted by user " + user + " with " + submissionContext);
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/RMAppManager.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/RMAppManager.java
index 80e73802739..9a86dfd4579 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/RMAppManager.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/RMAppManager.java
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ public class RMAppManager implements EventHandler<RMAppManagerEvent> {
     }
   }
 
-  protected void submitApplication(ApplicationSubmissionContext submissionContext) {
+  protected synchronized void submitApplication(ApplicationSubmissionContext submissionContext) {
     ApplicationId applicationId = submissionContext.getApplicationId();
     RMApp application = null;
     try {
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/ResourceManager.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/ResourceManager.java
index 4edb502f649..b578fee818e 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/ResourceManager.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/ResourceManager.java
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ public class ResourceManager extends CompositeService implements Recoverable {
   protected NMLivelinessMonitor nmLivelinessMonitor;
   protected NodesListManager nodesListManager;
   private SchedulerEventDispatcher schedulerDispatcher;
-  private RMAppManager rmAppManager;
+  protected RMAppManager rmAppManager;
 
   private final AtomicBoolean shutdown = new AtomicBoolean(false);
   private WebApp webApp;
@@ -176,13 +176,13 @@ public class ResourceManager extends CompositeService implements Recoverable {
     masterService = createApplicationMasterService();
     addService(masterService) ;
 
-    clientRM = createClientRMService();
-    addService(clientRM);
-
     this.rmAppManager = createRMAppManager();
     // Register event handler for RMAppManagerEvents
     this.rmDispatcher.register(RMAppManagerEventType.class,
         this.rmAppManager);
+
+    clientRM = createClientRMService();
+    addService(clientRM);
     
     adminService = createAdminService();
     addService(adminService);
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ public class ResourceManager extends CompositeService implements Recoverable {
   }
 
   protected ClientRMService createClientRMService() {
-    return new ClientRMService(this.rmContext, scheduler);
+    return new ClientRMService(this.rmContext, scheduler, this.rmAppManager);
   }
 
   protected ApplicationMasterService createApplicationMasterService() {
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/MockRM.java b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/MockRM.java
index 59da09652a2..901948fab70 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/MockRM.java
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/MockRM.java
@@ -60,13 +60,9 @@ public class MockRM extends ResourceManager {
 
   public void waitForState(ApplicationId appId, RMAppState finalState) 
       throws Exception {
+    RMApp app = getRMContext().getRMApps().get(appId);
+    Assert.assertNotNull("app shouldn't be null", app);
     int timeoutSecs = 0;
-    RMApp app = null;
-    while ((app == null) && timeoutSecs++ < 20) {
-      app = getRMContext().getRMApps().get(appId);
-      Thread.sleep(500);
-    }
-    timeoutSecs = 0;
     while (!finalState.equals(app.getState()) &&
         timeoutSecs++ < 20) {
       System.out.println("App State is : " + app.getState() +
@@ -95,6 +91,7 @@ public class MockRM extends ResourceManager {
     req.setApplicationSubmissionContext(sub);
     
     client.submitApplication(req);
+    // make sure app is immediately available after submit
     waitForState(appId, RMAppState.ACCEPTED);
     return getRMContext().getRMApps().get(appId);
   }
@@ -131,7 +128,7 @@ public class MockRM extends ResourceManager {
 
   @Override
   protected ClientRMService createClientRMService() {
-    return new ClientRMService(getRMContext(), getResourceScheduler()) {
+    return new ClientRMService(getRMContext(), getResourceScheduler(), rmAppManager) {
       @Override
       public void start() {
         //override to not start rpc handler