diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index e8b36e97b80..8c2edddef59 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -610,6 +610,9 @@ Release 2.6.0 - UNRELEASED
     HADOOP-11233. hadoop.security.kms.client.encrypted.key.cache.expiry
     property spelled wrong in core-default. (Stephen Chu via yliu)
 
+    HDFS-7218. FSNamesystem ACL operations should write to audit log on
+    failure. (clamb via yliu)
+
     BREAKDOWN OF HDFS-6581 SUBTASKS AND RELATED JIRAS
   
       HDFS-6921. Add LazyPersist flag to FileStatus. (Arpit Agarwal)
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystem.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystem.java
index 0b6973d118b..ad5e52b0a0b 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystem.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystem.java
@@ -7851,6 +7851,11 @@ public class FSNamesystem implements Namesystem, FSClusterStats,
   public FSDirectory getFSDirectory() {
     return dir;
   }
+  /** Set the FSDirectory. */
+  @VisibleForTesting
+  public void setFSDirectory(FSDirectory dir) {
+    this.dir = dir;
+  }
   /** @return the cache manager. */
   public CacheManager getCacheManager() {
     return cacheManager;
@@ -8717,6 +8722,9 @@ public class FSNamesystem implements Namesystem, FSClusterStats,
       List<AclEntry> newAcl = dir.modifyAclEntries(src, aclSpec);
       getEditLog().logSetAcl(src, newAcl);
       resultingStat = getAuditFileInfo(src, false);
+    } catch (AccessControlException e) {
+      logAuditEvent(false, "modifyAclEntries", srcArg);
+      throw e;
     } finally {
       writeUnlock();
     }
@@ -8741,6 +8749,9 @@ public class FSNamesystem implements Namesystem, FSClusterStats,
       List<AclEntry> newAcl = dir.removeAclEntries(src, aclSpec);
       getEditLog().logSetAcl(src, newAcl);
       resultingStat = getAuditFileInfo(src, false);
+    } catch (AccessControlException e) {
+      logAuditEvent(false, "removeAclEntries", srcArg);
+      throw e;
     } finally {
       writeUnlock();
     }
@@ -8764,6 +8775,9 @@ public class FSNamesystem implements Namesystem, FSClusterStats,
       List<AclEntry> newAcl = dir.removeDefaultAcl(src);
       getEditLog().logSetAcl(src, newAcl);
       resultingStat = getAuditFileInfo(src, false);
+    } catch (AccessControlException e) {
+      logAuditEvent(false, "removeDefaultAcl", srcArg);
+      throw e;
     } finally {
       writeUnlock();
     }
@@ -8787,6 +8801,9 @@ public class FSNamesystem implements Namesystem, FSClusterStats,
       dir.removeAcl(src);
       getEditLog().logSetAcl(src, AclFeature.EMPTY_ENTRY_LIST);
       resultingStat = getAuditFileInfo(src, false);
+    } catch (AccessControlException e) {
+      logAuditEvent(false, "removeAcl", srcArg);
+      throw e;
     } finally {
       writeUnlock();
     }
@@ -8810,6 +8827,9 @@ public class FSNamesystem implements Namesystem, FSClusterStats,
       List<AclEntry> newAcl = dir.setAcl(src, aclSpec);
       getEditLog().logSetAcl(src, newAcl);
       resultingStat = getAuditFileInfo(src, false);
+    } catch (AccessControlException e) {
+      logAuditEvent(false, "setAcl", srcArg);
+      throw e;
     } finally {
       writeUnlock();
     }
@@ -8822,6 +8842,7 @@ public class FSNamesystem implements Namesystem, FSClusterStats,
     FSPermissionChecker pc = getPermissionChecker();
     checkOperation(OperationCategory.READ);
     byte[][] pathComponents = FSDirectory.getPathComponentsForReservedPath(src);
+    boolean success = false;
     readLock();
     try {
       checkOperation(OperationCategory.READ);
@@ -8829,9 +8850,12 @@ public class FSNamesystem implements Namesystem, FSClusterStats,
       if (isPermissionEnabled) {
         checkPermission(pc, src, false, null, null, null, null);
       }
-      return dir.getAclStatus(src);
+      final AclStatus ret = dir.getAclStatus(src);
+      success = true;
+      return ret;
     } finally {
       readUnlock();
+      logAuditEvent(success, "getAclStatus", src);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestAuditLogger.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestAuditLogger.java
index 29fee68a06e..e1e1c6797b4 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestAuditLogger.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestAuditLogger.java
@@ -19,30 +19,39 @@
 package org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.namenode;
 
 import static org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_AUDIT_LOGGERS_KEY;
+import static org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_ACLS_ENABLED_KEY;
+import static org.apache.hadoop.test.GenericTestUtils.assertExceptionContains;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+import static org.mockito.Matchers.anyListOf;
+import static org.mockito.Matchers.anyString;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.HttpURLConnection;
 import java.net.InetAddress;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+import java.util.List;
 
+import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
 import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileStatus;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileSystem;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path;
+import org.apache.hadoop.fs.permission.AclEntry;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.permission.FsPermission;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.HdfsConfiguration;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.MiniDFSCluster;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.web.resources.GetOpParam;
 import org.apache.hadoop.ipc.RemoteException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.net.NetUtils;
+import org.apache.hadoop.security.AccessControlException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.security.authorize.ProxyServers;
 import org.apache.hadoop.security.authorize.ProxyUsers;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.mockito.Mockito;
 
 /**
  * Tests for the {@link AuditLogger} custom audit logging interface.
@@ -166,6 +175,87 @@ public class TestAuditLogger {
     }
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testAuditLogWithAclFailure() throws Exception {
+    final Configuration conf = new HdfsConfiguration();
+    conf.setBoolean(DFS_NAMENODE_ACLS_ENABLED_KEY, true);
+    conf.set(DFS_NAMENODE_AUDIT_LOGGERS_KEY,
+        DummyAuditLogger.class.getName());
+    final MiniDFSCluster cluster = new MiniDFSCluster.Builder(conf).build();
+    try {
+      cluster.waitClusterUp();
+      final FSDirectory dir = cluster.getNamesystem().getFSDirectory();
+      // Set up mock FSDirectory to test FSN audit logging during failure
+      final FSDirectory mockedDir = Mockito.spy(dir);
+      Mockito.doThrow(new AccessControlException("mock setAcl exception")).
+          when(mockedDir).
+          setAcl(anyString(), anyListOf(AclEntry.class));
+      Mockito.doThrow(new AccessControlException("mock getAclStatus exception")).
+          when(mockedDir).
+          getAclStatus(anyString());
+      Mockito.doThrow(new AccessControlException("mock removeAcl exception")).
+          when(mockedDir).
+          removeAcl(anyString());
+      Mockito.doThrow(new AccessControlException("mock removeDefaultAcl exception")).
+          when(mockedDir).
+          removeDefaultAcl(anyString());
+      Mockito.doThrow(new AccessControlException("mock removeAclEntries exception")).
+          when(mockedDir).
+          removeAclEntries(anyString(), anyListOf(AclEntry.class));
+      Mockito.doThrow(new AccessControlException("mock modifyAclEntries exception")).
+          when(mockedDir).
+          modifyAclEntries(anyString(), anyListOf(AclEntry.class));
+      // Replace the FSD with the mock FSD.
+      cluster.getNamesystem().setFSDirectory(mockedDir);
+      assertTrue(DummyAuditLogger.initialized);
+      DummyAuditLogger.resetLogCount();
+
+      final FileSystem fs = cluster.getFileSystem();
+      final Path p = new Path("/");
+      final List<AclEntry> acls = Lists.newArrayList();
+
+      try {
+        fs.getAclStatus(p);
+      } catch (AccessControlException e) {
+        assertExceptionContains("mock getAclStatus exception", e);
+      }
+
+      try {
+        fs.setAcl(p, acls);
+      } catch (AccessControlException e) {
+        assertExceptionContains("mock setAcl exception", e);
+      }
+
+      try {
+        fs.removeAcl(p);
+      } catch (AccessControlException e) {
+        assertExceptionContains("mock removeAcl exception", e);
+      }
+
+      try {
+        fs.removeDefaultAcl(p);
+      } catch (AccessControlException e) {
+        assertExceptionContains("mock removeDefaultAcl exception", e);
+      }
+
+      try {
+        fs.removeAclEntries(p, acls);
+      } catch (AccessControlException e) {
+        assertExceptionContains("mock removeAclEntries exception", e);
+      }
+
+      try {
+        fs.modifyAclEntries(p, acls);
+      } catch (AccessControlException e) {
+        assertExceptionContains("mock modifyAclEntries exception", e);
+      }
+      assertEquals(6, DummyAuditLogger.logCount);
+      assertEquals(6, DummyAuditLogger.unsuccessfulCount);
+    } finally {
+      cluster.shutdown();
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Tests that a broken audit logger causes requests to fail.
    */
@@ -194,6 +284,7 @@ public class TestAuditLogger {
 
     static boolean initialized;
     static int logCount;
+    static int unsuccessfulCount;
     static short foundPermission;
     static String remoteAddr;
     
@@ -203,6 +294,7 @@ public class TestAuditLogger {
 
     public static void resetLogCount() {
       logCount = 0;
+      unsuccessfulCount = 0;
     }
 
     public void logAuditEvent(boolean succeeded, String userName,
@@ -210,6 +302,9 @@ public class TestAuditLogger {
         FileStatus stat) {
       remoteAddr = addr.getHostAddress();
       logCount++;
+      if (!succeeded) {
+        unsuccessfulCount++;
+      }
       if (stat != null) {
         foundPermission = stat.getPermission().toShort();
       }