diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index 039743729b1..7ef995c49ff 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -686,6 +686,8 @@ Release 0.23.3 - UNRELEASED
 
     HADOOP-8635. Cannot cancel paths registered deleteOnExit (daryn via bobby)
 
+    HADOOP-8637. FilterFileSystem#setWriteChecksum is broken (daryn via bobby)
+
 Release 0.23.2 - UNRELEASED 
 
   NEW FEATURES
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/FilterFileSystem.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/FilterFileSystem.java
index 38ddb6c5f58..956ef368dad 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/FilterFileSystem.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/FilterFileSystem.java
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ public class FilterFileSystem extends FileSystem {
   
   @Override
   public void setWriteChecksum(boolean writeChecksum) {
-    fs.setVerifyChecksum(writeChecksum);
+    fs.setWriteChecksum(writeChecksum);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestFilterFileSystem.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestFilterFileSystem.java
index 727986dcd12..d195c143fa3 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestFilterFileSystem.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestFilterFileSystem.java
@@ -286,6 +286,30 @@ public class TestFilterFileSystem {
     checkFsConf(flfs, conf, 3);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testVerifyChecksumPassthru() {
+    FileSystem mockFs = mock(FileSystem.class);
+    FileSystem fs = new FilterFileSystem(mockFs);
+
+    fs.setVerifyChecksum(false);
+    verify(mockFs).setVerifyChecksum(eq(false));
+    reset(mockFs);
+    fs.setVerifyChecksum(true);
+    verify(mockFs).setVerifyChecksum(eq(true));
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testWriteChecksumPassthru() {
+    FileSystem mockFs = mock(FileSystem.class);
+    FileSystem fs = new FilterFileSystem(mockFs);
+
+    fs.setWriteChecksum(false);
+    verify(mockFs).setWriteChecksum(eq(false));
+    reset(mockFs);
+    fs.setWriteChecksum(true);
+    verify(mockFs).setWriteChecksum(eq(true));
+  }
+
   private void checkInit(FilterFileSystem fs, boolean expectInit)
       throws Exception {
     URI uri = URI.create("filter:/");