diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index 132d52734bc..f3e6ff892a7 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -691,6 +691,9 @@ Release 2.9.0 - UNRELEASED
 
    HADOOP-12712. Fix some cmake plugin and native build warnings (cmccabe)
 
+   HADOOP-12714. Fix hadoop-mapreduce-client-nativetask unit test which fails
+   because it is not able to open the "glibc bug spill" file. (cmccabe)
+
 Release 2.8.0 - UNRELEASED
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-nativetask/pom.xml b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-nativetask/pom.xml
index 45ba85ed3bc..1f6324c2f56 100644
--- a/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-nativetask/pom.xml
+++ b/hadoop-mapreduce-project/hadoop-mapreduce-client/hadoop-mapreduce-client-nativetask/pom.xml
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@
                 <goals><goal>cmake-test</goal></goals>
                 <configuration>
                   <testName>test-native-task</testName>
+                  <workingDirectory>${project.build.directory}/native/test</workingDirectory>
                   <source>${basedir}/src</source>
                   <binary>${project.build.directory}/native/test/nttest</binary>
                   <args><arg>--gtest_filter=-Perf.</arg></args>
diff --git a/hadoop-maven-plugins/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/maven/plugin/cmakebuilder/TestMojo.java b/hadoop-maven-plugins/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/maven/plugin/cmakebuilder/TestMojo.java
index 447331b3da0..e676efd1664 100644
--- a/hadoop-maven-plugins/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/maven/plugin/cmakebuilder/TestMojo.java
+++ b/hadoop-maven-plugins/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/maven/plugin/cmakebuilder/TestMojo.java
@@ -77,6 +77,12 @@ public class TestMojo extends AbstractMojo {
   @Parameter(defaultValue="600")
   private int timeout;
 
+  /**
+   * The working directory to use.
+   */
+  @Parameter
+  private File workingDirectory;
+
   /**
    * Path to results directory.
    */
@@ -307,6 +313,9 @@ public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException {
     getLog().info(bld.toString());
     ProcessBuilder pb = new ProcessBuilder(cmd);
     Exec.addEnvironment(pb, env);
+    if (workingDirectory != null) {
+      pb.directory(workingDirectory);
+    }
     pb.redirectError(new File(results, testName + ".stderr"));
     pb.redirectOutput(new File(results, testName + ".stdout"));
     getLog().info("with extra environment variables " + Exec.envToString(env));