diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index bdaf7a7880a..7db90773ce9 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ Release 2.0.3-alpha - Unreleased
 
   BUG FIXES 
 
+    HDFS-3919. MiniDFSCluster:waitClusterUp can hang forever.
+    (Andy Isaacson via eli)
+
 Release 2.0.2-alpha - 2012-09-07 
   
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/MiniDFSCluster.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/MiniDFSCluster.java
index 97c65dff110..4e352018e40 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/MiniDFSCluster.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/MiniDFSCluster.java
@@ -916,7 +916,8 @@ public class MiniDFSCluster {
   /**
    * wait for the cluster to get out of safemode.
    */
-  public void waitClusterUp() {
+  public void waitClusterUp() throws IOException {
+    int i = 0;
     if (numDataNodes > 0) {
       while (!isClusterUp()) {
         try {
@@ -924,6 +925,9 @@ public class MiniDFSCluster {
           Thread.sleep(1000);
         } catch (InterruptedException e) {
         }
+        if (++i > 10) {
+          throw new IOException("Timed out waiting for Mini HDFS Cluster to start");
+        }
       }
     }
   }