diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-auth/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/authentication/server/AuthenticationFilter.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-auth/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/authentication/server/AuthenticationFilter.java
index 6a2a82003f0..dc7f0adeb3b 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-auth/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/authentication/server/AuthenticationFilter.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-auth/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/authentication/server/AuthenticationFilter.java
@@ -134,11 +134,15 @@ public class AuthenticationFilter implements Filter {
     String authHandlerName = config.getProperty(AUTH_TYPE, null);
     String authHandlerClassName;
     if (authHandlerName == null) {
-      throw new ServletException("Authentication type must be specified: simple|kerberos|<class>");
+      throw new ServletException("Authentication type must be specified: " +
+          PseudoAuthenticationHandler.TYPE + "|" + 
+          KerberosAuthenticationHandler.TYPE + "|<class>");
     }
-    if (authHandlerName.equals("simple")) {
+    if (authHandlerName.toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH).equals(
+        PseudoAuthenticationHandler.TYPE)) {
       authHandlerClassName = PseudoAuthenticationHandler.class.getName();
-    } else if (authHandlerName.equals("kerberos")) {
+    } else if (authHandlerName.toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH).equals(
+        KerberosAuthenticationHandler.TYPE)) {
       authHandlerClassName = KerberosAuthenticationHandler.class.getName();
     } else {
       authHandlerClassName = authHandlerName;
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-auth/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/authentication/server/TestAuthenticationFilter.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-auth/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/authentication/server/TestAuthenticationFilter.java
index 322a50ce501..989025fbf87 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-auth/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/authentication/server/TestAuthenticationFilter.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-auth/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/authentication/server/TestAuthenticationFilter.java
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ public class TestAuthenticationFilter {
       Assert.fail();
     } catch (ServletException ex) {
       // Expected
+      Assert.assertEquals("Authentication type must be specified: simple|kerberos|<class>", 
+          ex.getMessage());
     } catch (Exception ex) {
       Assert.fail();
     } finally {
@@ -233,6 +235,27 @@ public class TestAuthenticationFilter {
       filter.destroy();
     }
   }
+  
+  @Test
+  public void testInitCaseSensitivity() throws Exception {
+    // minimal configuration & simple auth handler (Pseudo)
+    AuthenticationFilter filter = new AuthenticationFilter();
+    try {
+      FilterConfig config = Mockito.mock(FilterConfig.class);
+      Mockito.when(config.getInitParameter(AuthenticationFilter.AUTH_TYPE)).thenReturn("SimPle");
+      Mockito.when(config.getInitParameter(AuthenticationFilter.AUTH_TOKEN_VALIDITY)).thenReturn(
+          (new Long(TOKEN_VALIDITY_SEC)).toString());
+      Mockito.when(config.getInitParameterNames()).thenReturn(
+          new Vector<String>(Arrays.asList(AuthenticationFilter.AUTH_TYPE,
+              AuthenticationFilter.AUTH_TOKEN_VALIDITY)).elements());
+
+      filter.init(config);
+      Assert.assertEquals(PseudoAuthenticationHandler.class, 
+          filter.getAuthenticationHandler().getClass());
+    } finally {
+      filter.destroy();
+    }
+  }
 
   @Test
   public void testGetRequestURL() throws Exception {
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index 68f222ed548..0a786363a7c 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@ Release 2.5.0 - UNRELEASED
     HADOOP-10659. Refactor AccessControlList to reuse utility functions
     and to improve performance. (Benoy Antony via Arpit Agarwal)
 
+    HADOOP-10665. Make Hadoop Authentication Handler loads case in-sensitive
+    (Benoy Antony via vinayakumarb)
+
   OPTIMIZATIONS
 
   BUG FIXES