diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
index 0fac5c700e2..22524f982bd 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
@@ -201,6 +201,9 @@ Release 2.0.5-beta - UNRELEASED
     to separate out various validation checks depending on whether they rely on
     RM configuration or not. (Zhijie Shen via vinodkv)
 
+    YARN-618. Modified RM_INVALID_IDENTIFIER to be -1 instead of zero. (Jian He
+    via vinodkv)
+
   OPTIMIZATIONS
 
   BUG FIXES
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/api/ResourceManagerConstants.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/api/ResourceManagerConstants.java
index 3842574a2c2..2daf374ee6e 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/api/ResourceManagerConstants.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/api/ResourceManagerConstants.java
@@ -20,5 +20,10 @@ package org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.api;
 
 public interface ResourceManagerConstants {
 
-  public static final long RM_INVALID_IDENTIFIER = 0;
+  /**
+   * This states the invalid identifier of Resource Manager. This is used as a
+   * default value for initializing RM identifier. Currently, RM is using time
+   * stamp as RM identifier.
+   */
+  public static final long RM_INVALID_IDENTIFIER = -1;
 }
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/TestEventFlow.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/TestEventFlow.java
index 292d00fadf1..48c74f38cae 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/TestEventFlow.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/TestEventFlow.java
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ public class TestEventFlow {
       TestEventFlow.class.getName() + "-localLogDir").getAbsoluteFile();
   private static File remoteLogDir = new File("target",
       TestEventFlow.class.getName() + "-remoteLogDir").getAbsoluteFile();
+  private static final long SIMULATED_RM_IDENTIFIER = 1234;
 
   @Test
   public void testSuccessfulContainerLaunch() throws InterruptedException,
@@ -100,6 +101,11 @@ public class TestEventFlow {
       protected void startStatusUpdater() {
         return; // Don't start any updating thread.
       }
+
+      @Override
+      public long getRMIdentifier() {
+        return SIMULATED_RM_IDENTIFIER;
+      }
     };
 
     DummyContainerManager containerManager =
@@ -124,6 +130,8 @@ public class TestEventFlow {
     when(mockContainer.getId()).thenReturn(cID);
     when(mockContainer.getResource()).thenReturn(recordFactory
         .newRecordInstance(Resource.class));
+    when(mockContainer.getRMIdentifer()).thenReturn(SIMULATED_RM_IDENTIFIER);
+
     launchContext.setUser("testing");
     StartContainerRequest request = 
         recordFactory.newRecordInstance(StartContainerRequest.class);
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/BaseContainerManagerTest.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/BaseContainerManagerTest.java
index 5fd11d58e75..bb17a213ed4 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/BaseContainerManagerTest.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/BaseContainerManagerTest.java
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ public abstract class BaseContainerManagerTest {
   protected String user = "nobody";
   protected NodeHealthCheckerService nodeHealthChecker;
   protected LocalDirsHandlerService dirsHandler;
+  protected final long DUMMY_RM_IDENTIFIER = 1234;
 
   protected NodeStatusUpdater nodeStatusUpdater = new NodeStatusUpdaterImpl(
       context, new AsyncDispatcher(), null, metrics) {
@@ -110,6 +111,12 @@ public abstract class BaseContainerManagerTest {
     protected void startStatusUpdater() {
       return; // Don't start any updating thread.
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public long getRMIdentifier() {
+      // There is no real RM registration, simulate and set RMIdentifier
+      return DUMMY_RM_IDENTIFIER;
+    }
   };
 
   protected ContainerManagerImpl containerManager = null;
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/TestContainerManager.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/TestContainerManager.java
index df3d9173c93..cce121493af 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/TestContainerManager.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/TestContainerManager.java
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileReader;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.PrintWriter;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -58,12 +57,8 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.exceptions.YarnRemoteException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.api.ResourceManagerConstants;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.CMgrCompletedAppsEvent;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.ContainerExecutor.ExitCode;
-import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.ContainerExecutor.Signal;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.DefaultContainerExecutor;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.DeletionService;
-import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.LocalRMInterface;
-import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.NodeStatusUpdater;
-import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.NodeStatusUpdaterImpl;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.containermanager.application.ApplicationState;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.containermanager.localizer.ContainerLocalizer;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.nodemanager.containermanager.localizer.ResourceLocalizationService;
@@ -161,6 +156,7 @@ public class TestContainerManager extends BaseContainerManagerTest {
     when(mockContainer.getNodeId()).thenReturn(context.getNodeId());
     when(mockContainer.getNodeHttpAddress()).thenReturn(
         context.getNodeId().getHost() + ":12345");
+    when(mockContainer.getRMIdentifer()).thenReturn(super.DUMMY_RM_IDENTIFIER);
 
     StartContainerRequest startRequest = 
         recordFactory.newRecordInstance(StartContainerRequest.class);
@@ -259,6 +255,7 @@ public class TestContainerManager extends BaseContainerManagerTest {
     when(mockContainer.getNodeId()).thenReturn(context.getNodeId());
     when(mockContainer.getNodeHttpAddress()).thenReturn(
         context.getNodeId().getHost() + ":12345");
+    when(mockContainer.getRMIdentifer()).thenReturn(super.DUMMY_RM_IDENTIFIER);
 
     StartContainerRequest startRequest = recordFactory.newRecordInstance(StartContainerRequest.class);
     startRequest.setContainerLaunchContext(containerLaunchContext);
@@ -370,6 +367,8 @@ public class TestContainerManager extends BaseContainerManagerTest {
     when(mockContainer.getNodeId()).thenReturn(context.getNodeId());
     when(mockContainer.getNodeHttpAddress()).thenReturn(
         context.getNodeId().getHost() + ":12345");
+    when(mockContainer.getRMIdentifer()).thenReturn(super.DUMMY_RM_IDENTIFIER);
+
 	  StartContainerRequest startRequest = recordFactory.newRecordInstance(StartContainerRequest.class);
 	  startRequest.setContainerLaunchContext(containerLaunchContext);
 	  startRequest.setContainer(mockContainer);
@@ -470,6 +469,7 @@ public class TestContainerManager extends BaseContainerManagerTest {
     when(mockContainer.getNodeId()).thenReturn(context.getNodeId());
     when(mockContainer.getNodeHttpAddress()).thenReturn(
         context.getNodeId().getHost() + ":12345");
+    when(mockContainer.getRMIdentifer()).thenReturn(super.DUMMY_RM_IDENTIFIER);
 
 //    containerLaunchContext.command = new ArrayList<CharSequence>();
 
@@ -541,19 +541,6 @@ public class TestContainerManager extends BaseContainerManagerTest {
   @Test
   public void testContainerLaunchFromPreviousRM() throws IOException,
       InterruptedException {
-    // There is no real RM registration, simulate and set RMIdentifier
-    NodeStatusUpdater nodeStatusUpdater = mock(NodeStatusUpdater.class);
-    when(nodeStatusUpdater.getRMIdentifier()).thenReturn((long) 1234);
-    containerManager =
-        new ContainerManagerImpl(context, exec, delSrvc, nodeStatusUpdater,
-          metrics, new ApplicationACLsManager(conf), dirsHandler) {
-          @Override
-          public void setBlockNewContainerRequests(
-              boolean blockNewContainerRequests) {
-            // do nothing
-          }
-        };
-    containerManager.init(conf);
     containerManager.start();
 
     ContainerLaunchContext containerLaunchContext =
@@ -595,7 +582,8 @@ public class TestContainerManager extends BaseContainerManagerTest {
     // Construct the Container with a RMIdentifier within current RM
     Container mockContainer2 = mock(Container.class);
     when(mockContainer2.getId()).thenReturn(cId2);
-    when(mockContainer2.getRMIdentifer()).thenReturn((long) 1234);
+    when(mockContainer2.getRMIdentifer()).thenReturn(super.DUMMY_RM_IDENTIFIER);
+
     when(mockContainer2.getResource()).thenReturn(mockResource);
     StartContainerRequest startRequest2 =
         recordFactory.newRecordInstance(StartContainerRequest.class);
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/launcher/TestContainerLaunch.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/launcher/TestContainerLaunch.java
index 05293c55746..9e9d6569d66 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/launcher/TestContainerLaunch.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/launcher/TestContainerLaunch.java
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ public class TestContainerLaunch extends BaseContainerManagerTest {
     when(mockContainer.getNodeId()).thenReturn(context.getNodeId());
     when(mockContainer.getNodeHttpAddress()).thenReturn(
         context.getNodeId().getHost() + ":12345");
+    when(mockContainer.getRMIdentifer()).thenReturn(super.DUMMY_RM_IDENTIFIER);
 
     Map<String, String> userSetEnv = new HashMap<String, String>();
     userSetEnv.put(Environment.CONTAINER_ID.name(), "user_set_container_id");
@@ -376,6 +377,7 @@ public class TestContainerLaunch extends BaseContainerManagerTest {
     when(mockContainer.getNodeId()).thenReturn(context.getNodeId());
     when(mockContainer.getNodeHttpAddress()).thenReturn(
         context.getNodeId().getHost() + ":12345");
+    when(mockContainer.getRMIdentifer()).thenReturn(super.DUMMY_RM_IDENTIFIER);
 
     containerLaunchContext.setUser(user);
 
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/logaggregation/TestLogAggregationService.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/logaggregation/TestLogAggregationService.java
index ccbf9f76bf1..4ae97a397bb 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/logaggregation/TestLogAggregationService.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/logaggregation/TestLogAggregationService.java
@@ -691,6 +691,7 @@ public class TestLogAggregationService extends BaseContainerManagerTest {
     ContainerId cId = BuilderUtils.newContainerId(appAttemptId, 0);
 
     when(mockContainer.getId()).thenReturn(cId);
+    when(mockContainer.getRMIdentifer()).thenReturn(super.DUMMY_RM_IDENTIFIER);
 
     containerLaunchContext.setUser(this.user);
 
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/monitor/TestContainersMonitor.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/monitor/TestContainersMonitor.java
index ad4a8185737..c56af0e9163 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/monitor/TestContainersMonitor.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/containermanager/monitor/TestContainersMonitor.java
@@ -216,6 +216,8 @@ public class TestContainersMonitor extends BaseContainerManagerTest {
     when(mockContainer.getNodeId()).thenReturn(context.getNodeId());
     when(mockContainer.getNodeHttpAddress()).thenReturn(
         context.getNodeId().getHost() + ":12345");
+    when(mockContainer.getRMIdentifer()).thenReturn(
+      super.DUMMY_RM_IDENTIFIER);
     containerLaunchContext.setUser(user);
 
     URL resource_alpha =