diff --git a/hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index 0c3be6a77e3..2c7f4cdf3db 100644
--- a/hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -572,6 +572,9 @@ Trunk (unreleased changes)
     HDFS-2147. Move cluster network topology to block management and fix some
     javac warnings.  (szetszwo)
 
+    HDFS-2141. Remove NameNode roles Active and Standby (they become
+    states of the namenode). (suresh)
+
   OPTIMIZATIONS
 
     HDFS-1458. Improve checkpoint performance by avoiding unnecessary image
diff --git a/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/common/HdfsConstants.java b/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/common/HdfsConstants.java
index 94a86c421b0..755ecc69355 100644
--- a/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/common/HdfsConstants.java
+++ b/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/common/HdfsConstants.java
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public interface HdfsConstants {
       case CHECKPOINT: 
         return NamenodeRole.CHECKPOINT;
       default:
-        return NamenodeRole.ACTIVE;
+        return NamenodeRole.NAMENODE;
       }
     }
     
@@ -89,10 +89,9 @@ public interface HdfsConstants {
    * Defines the NameNode role.
    */
   static public enum NamenodeRole {
-    ACTIVE    ("NameNode"),
+    NAMENODE  ("NameNode"),
     BACKUP    ("Backup Node"),
-    CHECKPOINT("Checkpoint Node"),
-    STANDBY   ("Standby Node");
+    CHECKPOINT("Checkpoint Node");
 
     private String description = null;
     private NamenodeRole(String arg) {this.description = arg;}
diff --git a/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/BackupNode.java b/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/BackupNode.java
index 484be2e0ec4..906d869682d 100644
--- a/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/BackupNode.java
+++ b/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/BackupNode.java
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ public class BackupNode extends NameNode {
     String msg = null;
     if(nnReg == null) // consider as a rejection
       msg = "Registration rejected by " + nnRpcAddress;
-    else if(!nnReg.isRole(NamenodeRole.ACTIVE)) {
+    else if(!nnReg.isRole(NamenodeRole.NAMENODE)) {
       msg = "Name-node " + nnRpcAddress + " is not active";
     }
     if(msg != null) {
diff --git a/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSImage.java b/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSImage.java
index bce5db1d6a3..f81ee730f59 100644
--- a/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSImage.java
+++ b/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSImage.java
@@ -1142,7 +1142,7 @@ public class FSImage implements NNStorageListener, Closeable {
       msg = "Name node " + bnReg.getAddress()
             + " has incompatible namespace id: " + bnReg.getNamespaceID()
             + " expected: " + storage.getNamespaceID();
-    else if(bnReg.isRole(NamenodeRole.ACTIVE))
+    else if(bnReg.isRole(NamenodeRole.NAMENODE))
       msg = "Name node " + bnReg.getAddress()
             + " role " + bnReg.getRole() + ": checkpoint is not allowed.";
     else if(bnReg.getLayoutVersion() < storage.getLayoutVersion()
diff --git a/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/NameNode.java b/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/NameNode.java
index 0756e9c5829..e8293c470ba 100644
--- a/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/NameNode.java
+++ b/hdfs/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/NameNode.java
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ public class NameNode implements NamenodeProtocols, FSConstants {
    * Activate name-node servers and threads.
    */
   void activate(Configuration conf) throws IOException {
-    if ((isRole(NamenodeRole.ACTIVE))
+    if ((isRole(NamenodeRole.NAMENODE))
         && (UserGroupInformation.isSecurityEnabled())) {
       namesystem.activateSecretManager();
     }
@@ -646,7 +646,7 @@ public class NameNode implements NamenodeProtocols, FSConstants {
    * @throws IOException
    */
   public NameNode(Configuration conf) throws IOException {
-    this(conf, NamenodeRole.ACTIVE);
+    this(conf, NamenodeRole.NAMENODE);
   }
 
   protected NameNode(Configuration conf, NamenodeRole role) 
@@ -752,7 +752,7 @@ public class NameNode implements NamenodeProtocols, FSConstants {
   public NamenodeCommand startCheckpoint(NamenodeRegistration registration)
   throws IOException {
     verifyRequest(registration);
-    if(!isRole(NamenodeRole.ACTIVE))
+    if(!isRole(NamenodeRole.NAMENODE))
       throw new IOException("Only an ACTIVE node can invoke startCheckpoint.");
     return namesystem.startCheckpoint(registration, setRegistration());
   }
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ public class NameNode implements NamenodeProtocols, FSConstants {
   public void endCheckpoint(NamenodeRegistration registration,
                             CheckpointSignature sig) throws IOException {
     verifyRequest(registration);
-    if(!isRole(NamenodeRole.ACTIVE))
+    if(!isRole(NamenodeRole.NAMENODE))
       throw new IOException("Only an ACTIVE node can invoke endCheckpoint.");
     namesystem.endCheckpoint(registration, sig);
   }
diff --git a/hdfs/src/test/hdfs/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestEditLogRace.java b/hdfs/src/test/hdfs/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestEditLogRace.java
index d4edbd5fa2b..227dc95fdb0 100644
--- a/hdfs/src/test/hdfs/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestEditLogRace.java
+++ b/hdfs/src/test/hdfs/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestEditLogRace.java
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ public class TestEditLogRace {
   @Test
   public void testSaveImageWhileSyncInProgress() throws Exception {
     Configuration conf = getConf();
-    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.ACTIVE);
+    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.NAMENODE);
     DFSTestUtil.formatNameNode(conf);
     final FSNamesystem namesystem = new FSNamesystem(conf);
 
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ public class TestEditLogRace {
   @Test
   public void testSaveRightBeforeSync() throws Exception {
     Configuration conf = getConf();
-    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.ACTIVE);
+    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.NAMENODE);
     DFSTestUtil.formatNameNode(conf);
     final FSNamesystem namesystem = new FSNamesystem(conf);
 
diff --git a/hdfs/src/test/hdfs/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestSaveNamespace.java b/hdfs/src/test/hdfs/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestSaveNamespace.java
index 6007b6f90f1..862906196b6 100644
--- a/hdfs/src/test/hdfs/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestSaveNamespace.java
+++ b/hdfs/src/test/hdfs/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestSaveNamespace.java
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public class TestSaveNamespace {
 
   private void saveNamespaceWithInjectedFault(Fault fault) throws IOException {
     Configuration conf = getConf();
-    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.ACTIVE);
+    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.NAMENODE);
     DFSTestUtil.formatNameNode(conf);
     FSNamesystem fsn = new FSNamesystem(conf);
 
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ public class TestSaveNamespace {
     Configuration conf = getConf();
     conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_NAME_DIR_RESTORE_KEY, true);
 
-    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.ACTIVE);
+    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.NAMENODE);
     DFSTestUtil.formatNameNode(conf);
     FSNamesystem fsn = new FSNamesystem(conf);
 
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ public class TestSaveNamespace {
   public void doTestFailedSaveNamespace(boolean restoreStorageAfterFailure)
   throws Exception {
     Configuration conf = getConf();
-    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.ACTIVE);
+    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.NAMENODE);
     DFSTestUtil.formatNameNode(conf);
     FSNamesystem fsn = new FSNamesystem(conf);
 
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ public class TestSaveNamespace {
   @Test
   public void testSaveWhileEditsRolled() throws Exception {
     Configuration conf = getConf();
-    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.ACTIVE);
+    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.NAMENODE);
     DFSTestUtil.formatNameNode(conf);
     FSNamesystem fsn = new FSNamesystem(conf);
 
diff --git a/hdfs/src/test/unit/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestNNLeaseRecovery.java b/hdfs/src/test/unit/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestNNLeaseRecovery.java
index bcf4d0235e6..ca91724abfe 100644
--- a/hdfs/src/test/unit/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestNNLeaseRecovery.java
+++ b/hdfs/src/test/unit/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestNNLeaseRecovery.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public class TestNNLeaseRecovery {
     conf.set(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_EDITS_DIR_KEY, NAME_DIR);
     // avoid stubbing access control
     conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_PERMISSIONS_ENABLED_KEY, false); 
-    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.ACTIVE);
+    NameNode.initMetrics(conf, NamenodeRole.NAMENODE);
 
     FileSystem.setDefaultUri(conf, "hdfs://localhost:0");
     conf.set(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_HTTP_ADDRESS_KEY, "0.0.0.0:0");