diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index 63c77a7a5cb..12e4bc5784f 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ Trunk (unreleased changes)
     HDFS-3119. Overreplicated block is not deleted even after the replication 
     factor is reduced after sync follwed by closing that file. (Ashish Singhi 
     via umamahesh)
+
+    HDFS-3235. MiniDFSClusterManager doesn't correctly support -format option.
+    (Henry Robinson via atm)
     
 Release 2.0.0 - UNRELEASED 
 
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/MiniDFSClusterManager.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/MiniDFSClusterManager.java
index 4622b4cd5c5..bd6e524f7c5 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/MiniDFSClusterManager.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/MiniDFSClusterManager.java
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ public class MiniDFSClusterManager {
   private StartupOption dfsOpts;
   private String writeConfig;
   private Configuration conf;
+  private boolean format;
   
   private static final long SLEEP_INTERVAL_MS = 1000 * 60;
 
@@ -138,6 +139,7 @@ public class MiniDFSClusterManager {
     dfs = new MiniDFSCluster.Builder(conf).nameNodePort(nameNodePort)
                                           .numDataNodes(numDataNodes)
                                           .startupOption(dfsOpts)
+                                          .format(format)
                                           .build();
     dfs.waitActive();
     
@@ -196,8 +198,13 @@ public class MiniDFSClusterManager {
     // HDFS
     numDataNodes = intArgument(cli, "datanodes", 1);
     nameNodePort = intArgument(cli, "nnport", 0);
-    dfsOpts = cli.hasOption("format") ?
-        StartupOption.FORMAT : StartupOption.REGULAR;
+    if (cli.hasOption("format")) {
+      dfsOpts = StartupOption.FORMAT;
+      format = true;
+    } else {
+      dfsOpts = StartupOption.REGULAR;
+      format = false;
+    }
 
     // Runner
     writeDetails = cli.getOptionValue("writeDetails");