diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index f0e7a9a2956..96e05b618ae 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ Release 0.23.1 - Unreleased
 
    HADOOP_7917. compilation of protobuf files fails in windows/cygwin. (tucu)
 
+   HADOOP-7837. no NullAppender in the log4j config. (eli)
+
 Release 0.23.0 - 2011-11-01 
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/conf/log4j.properties b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/conf/log4j.properties
index ede0c93480b..777b2df8c56 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/conf/log4j.properties
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/conf/log4j.properties
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ log4j.rootLogger=${hadoop.root.logger}, EventCounter
 # Logging Threshold
 log4j.threshold=ALL
 
+# Null Appender
+log4j.appender.NullAppender=org.apache.log4j.varia.NullAppender
+
 #
 # Daily Rolling File Appender
 #
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/packages/templates/conf/log4j.properties b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/packages/templates/conf/log4j.properties
index f3eb596e736..bea480ceed2 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/packages/templates/conf/log4j.properties
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/packages/templates/conf/log4j.properties
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ log4j.rootLogger=${hadoop.root.logger}, EventCounter
 # Logging Threshold
 log4j.threshold=ALL
 
+# Null Appender
+log4j.appender.NullAppender=org.apache.log4j.varia.NullAppender
+
 #
 # Daily Rolling File Appender
 #