diff --git a/BUILDING.txt b/BUILDING.txt
index d0b9aa28941..48e2b779654 100644
--- a/BUILDING.txt
+++ b/BUILDING.txt
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ Maven build goals:
 
   * Use -DskipTests to skip tests when running the following Maven goals:
     'package',  'install', 'deploy' or 'verify'
-  * -Dtest=<TESTCLASSNAME>,....
+  * -Dtest=<TESTCLASSNAME>,<TESTCLASSNAME#METHODNAME>,....
   * -Dtest.exclude=<TESTCLASSNAME>
   * -Dtest.exclude.pattern=**/<TESTCLASSNAME1>.java,**/<TESTCLASSNAME2>.java
 
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index b586c0b7d66..5ee67f968cb 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -462,6 +462,9 @@ Release 0.23.0 - Unreleased
     HADOOP-7642. create hadoop-dist module where TAR stitching would happen.
     (Thomas White via tucu)
 
+    HADOOP-7709. Running a set of methods in a Single Test Class. 
+    (Jonathan Eagles via mahadev)
+
   OPTIMIZATIONS
   
     HADOOP-7333. Performance improvement in PureJavaCrc32. (Eric Caspole
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/pom.xml b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/pom.xml
index 6c1c00edac6..877de44f318 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/pom.xml
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/pom.xml
@@ -338,6 +338,7 @@
                 TODO: from a previous run is present
                 -->
                 <delete dir="${test.build.data}"/>
+                <mkdir dir="${test.build.data}"/>
                 <mkdir dir="${hadoop.log.dir}"/>
 
                 <copy toDir="${project.build.directory}/test-classes">
diff --git a/hadoop-project/pom.xml b/hadoop-project/pom.xml
index b57c53c9f02..418a3edf6f9 100644
--- a/hadoop-project/pom.xml
+++ b/hadoop-project/pom.xml
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@
         <plugin>
           <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
           <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
-          <version>2.6</version>
+          <version>2.9</version>
         </plugin>
         <plugin>
           <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>