diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index ca9fe52148c..e543dc27e77 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -128,6 +128,9 @@ Trunk (unreleased changes)
     HADOOP-6934. Test for ByteWritable comparator.
     (Johannes Zillmann via Eli Collins)
 
+    HADOOP-6950. Suggest that HADOOP_CLASSPATH should be preserved in 
+    hadoop-env.sh.template. (Philip Zeyliger via Eli Collins)
+
   OPTIMIZATIONS
 
     HADOOP-6884. Add LOG.isDebugEnabled() guard for each LOG.debug(..).
diff --git a/conf/hadoop-env.sh.template b/conf/hadoop-env.sh.template
index f301003a090..c1e4deda23d 100644
--- a/conf/hadoop-env.sh.template
+++ b/conf/hadoop-env.sh.template
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 # export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/j2sdk1.6-sun
 
 # Extra Java CLASSPATH elements.  Optional.
-# export HADOOP_CLASSPATH=
+# export HADOOP_CLASSPATH="<extra_entries>:$HADOOP_CLASSPATH"
 
 # The maximum amount of heap to use, in MB. Default is 1000.
 # export HADOOP_HEAPSIZE=2000