diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index d531b01c139..fb982b09a84 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ Release 0.23-PB - Unreleased
     HDFS-2499. RPC client is created incorrectly introduced in HDFS-2459.
     (suresh)
 
+    HDFS-2526. (Client)NamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23 do not need to keep a
+               reference to rpcProxyWithoutRetry (atm)
+
 Release 0.23.1 - UNRELEASED
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/protocolR23Compatible/ClientNamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/protocolR23Compatible/ClientNamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23.java
index aa1da0a6d4a..d9a5525670d 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/protocolR23Compatible/ClientNamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/protocolR23Compatible/ClientNamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23.java
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.protocol.HdfsConstants;
 @InterfaceStability.Stable
 public class ClientNamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23 implements
     ClientProtocol, Closeable {
-  final private ClientNamenodeWireProtocol rpcProxyWithoutRetry;
   final private ClientNamenodeWireProtocol rpcProxy;
 
   private static ClientNamenodeWireProtocol createNamenode(
@@ -118,16 +117,11 @@ public class ClientNamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23 implements
 
   public ClientNamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23(InetSocketAddress nameNodeAddr,
       Configuration conf, UserGroupInformation ugi) throws IOException {
-    rpcProxyWithoutRetry = createNamenode(nameNodeAddr, conf, ugi);
-    rpcProxy = createNamenodeWithRetry(rpcProxyWithoutRetry);
-  }
-
-  public Object getProxyWithoutRetry() {
-    return rpcProxyWithoutRetry;
+    rpcProxy = createNamenodeWithRetry(createNamenode(nameNodeAddr, conf, ugi));
   }
 
   public void close() {
-    RPC.stopProxy(rpcProxyWithoutRetry);
+    RPC.stopProxy(rpcProxy);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/protocolR23Compatible/NamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/protocolR23Compatible/NamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23.java
index 401587e6537..11589756af4 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/protocolR23Compatible/NamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/protocolR23Compatible/NamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23.java
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.security.UserGroupInformation;
 @InterfaceStability.Stable
 public class NamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23 implements
     NamenodeProtocol, Closeable {
-  final private NamenodeWireProtocol rpcProxyWithoutRetry;
   final private NamenodeWireProtocol rpcProxy;
 
   private static NamenodeWireProtocol createNamenode(
@@ -97,16 +96,11 @@ public class NamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23 implements
 
   public NamenodeProtocolTranslatorR23(InetSocketAddress nameNodeAddr,
       Configuration conf, UserGroupInformation ugi) throws IOException {
-    rpcProxyWithoutRetry = createNamenode(nameNodeAddr, conf, ugi);
-    rpcProxy = createNamenodeWithRetry(rpcProxyWithoutRetry);
-  }
-
-  public Object getProxyWithoutRetry() {
-    return rpcProxyWithoutRetry;
+    rpcProxy = createNamenodeWithRetry(createNamenode(nameNodeAddr, conf, ugi));
   }
 
   public void close() {
-    RPC.stopProxy(rpcProxyWithoutRetry);
+    RPC.stopProxy(rpcProxy);
   }
 
   @Override