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 6f8e0cb8422..1aff916d400 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
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import static org.apache.hadoop.fs.CommonConfigurationKeysPublic.FS_DEFAULT_NAME
 import static org.apache.hadoop.fs.CommonConfigurationKeysPublic.NET_TOPOLOGY_NODE_SWITCH_MAPPING_IMPL_KEY;
 import static org.apache.hadoop.fs.CommonConfigurationKeys.IPC_CLIENT_CONNECT_MAX_RETRIES_ON_SASL_DEFAULT;
 import static org.apache.hadoop.fs.CommonConfigurationKeys.IPC_CLIENT_CONNECT_MAX_RETRIES_ON_SASL_KEY;
+import static org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY;
 import static org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.client.HdfsClientConfigKeys.DFS_DATA_TRANSFER_PROTECTION_KEY;
 import static org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.DFSConfigKeys.DFS_BLOCK_SCANNER_VOLUME_JOIN_TIMEOUT_MSEC_KEY;
 import static org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.DFSConfigKeys.DFS_BLOCKREPORT_INITIAL_DELAY_KEY;
@@ -169,6 +170,10 @@ public class MiniDFSCluster implements AutoCloseable {
   // Changing this default may break some tests that assume it is 2.
   private static final int DEFAULT_STORAGES_PER_DATANODE = 2;
 
+  // do not consider load factor when selecting a datanode.
+  private static final boolean DEFAULT_DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD =
+      false;
+
   static { DefaultMetricsSystem.setMiniClusterMode(true); }
 
   public int getStoragesPerDatanode() {
@@ -478,6 +483,19 @@ public class MiniDFSCluster implements AutoCloseable {
       return this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * set the value of DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY in the config
+     * file.
+     *
+     * @param val passed to the flag. This allows overriding the default value
+     *            {@link #DEFAULT_DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD}.
+     * @return the builder object.
+     */
+    public Builder setNNRedundancyConsiderLoad(final boolean val) {
+      conf.setBoolean(DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY, val);
+      return this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Construct the actual MiniDFSCluster
      */
@@ -494,6 +512,10 @@ public class MiniDFSCluster implements AutoCloseable {
               DEFAULT_SCANNER_VOLUME_JOIN_TIMEOUT_MSEC);
       conf.setLong(DFS_BLOCK_SCANNER_VOLUME_JOIN_TIMEOUT_MSEC_KEY,
           defaultScannerVolumeTimeOut);
+      // default is false. do not consider load factor when selecting a
+      // datanode.
+      conf.setBoolean(DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY,
+          DEFAULT_DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD);
       this.storagesPerDatanode =
           FsDatasetTestUtils.Factory.getFactory(conf).getDefaultNumOfDataDirs();
     }
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/ReadStripedFileWithDecodingHelper.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/ReadStripedFileWithDecodingHelper.java
index e0e2c8b4023..e1497445b93 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/ReadStripedFileWithDecodingHelper.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/ReadStripedFileWithDecodingHelper.java
@@ -76,8 +76,6 @@ abstract public class ReadStripedFileWithDecodingHelper {
     conf.setInt(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REPLICATION_MAX_STREAMS_KEY, 0);
     conf.setInt(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REPLICATION_STREAMS_HARD_LIMIT_KEY,
         0);
-    conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY,
-        false);
     MiniDFSCluster myCluster = new MiniDFSCluster.Builder(conf)
         .numDataNodes(NUM_DATANODES)
         .build();
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestDFSClientRetries.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestDFSClientRetries.java
index 6b7ce750a9b..7743b3de541 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestDFSClientRetries.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestDFSClientRetries.java
@@ -846,10 +846,8 @@ public class TestDFSClientRetries {
   public void testGetFileChecksum() throws Exception {
     final String f = "/testGetFileChecksum";
     final Path p = new Path(f);
-    // HDFS-15461: the number of datanode is higher than the number of replicas.
-    //             That way when a DN fails, the pipeline can recover.
     final int numReplicas = 3;
-    final int numDatanodes = numReplicas + 1;
+    final int numDatanodes = numReplicas;
     final MiniDFSCluster cluster =
         new MiniDFSCluster.Builder(conf).numDataNodes(numDatanodes).build();
     try {
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestDecommissionWithStriped.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestDecommissionWithStriped.java
index 5cbb84a6ab5..5b7e291485f 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestDecommissionWithStriped.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestDecommissionWithStriped.java
@@ -118,8 +118,6 @@ public class TestDecommissionWithStriped {
     writeConfigFile(excludeFile, null);
 
     // Setup conf
-    conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY,
-        false);
     conf.set(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_HOSTS, hostsFile.toUri().getPath());
     conf.set(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_HOSTS_EXCLUDE, excludeFile.toUri().getPath());
     conf.setInt(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_HEARTBEAT_RECHECK_INTERVAL_KEY,
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestEncryptedTransfer.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestEncryptedTransfer.java
index a23c4bf4126..73df025013d 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestEncryptedTransfer.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestEncryptedTransfer.java
@@ -381,9 +381,7 @@ public class TestEncryptedTransfer {
     // use 4 datanodes to make sure that after 1 data node is stopped,
     // client only retries establishing pipeline with the 4th node.
     int numDataNodes = 4;
-    // do not consider load factor when selecting a data node
-    conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY,
-        false);
+
     setEncryptionConfigKeys();
 
     cluster = new MiniDFSCluster.Builder(conf)
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestFileChecksum.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestFileChecksum.java
index 83ac946ac7d..6e5b3e4cbf2 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestFileChecksum.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestFileChecksum.java
@@ -88,8 +88,6 @@ public class TestFileChecksum {
     int numDNs = dataBlocks + parityBlocks + 2;
     conf = new Configuration();
     conf.setLong(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_BLOCK_SIZE_KEY, blockSize);
-    conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY,
-        false);
     conf.setInt(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REPLICATION_MAX_STREAMS_KEY, 0);
     conf.setBoolean(DFS_BLOCK_ACCESS_TOKEN_ENABLE_KEY, true);
     customizeConf(conf);
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestLeaseRecoveryStriped.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestLeaseRecoveryStriped.java
index a187150c552..36a305582d5 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestLeaseRecoveryStriped.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestLeaseRecoveryStriped.java
@@ -92,8 +92,6 @@ public class TestLeaseRecoveryStriped {
     conf = new HdfsConfiguration();
     conf.setLong(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_BLOCK_SIZE_KEY, blockSize);
     conf.setLong(HdfsClientConfigKeys.DFS_CLIENT_SOCKET_TIMEOUT_KEY, 60000L);
-    conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY,
-        false);
     conf.setInt(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_KEY, 1);
     conf.setInt(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REPLICATION_MAX_STREAMS_KEY, 0);
     final int numDNs = dataBlocks + parityBlocks;
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestReconstructStripedFile.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestReconstructStripedFile.java
index 882b2ed5087..ebc38991e8a 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestReconstructStripedFile.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestReconstructStripedFile.java
@@ -140,8 +140,6 @@ public class TestReconstructStripedFile {
         DFSConfigKeys.DFS_DN_EC_RECONSTRUCTION_STRIPED_READ_BUFFER_SIZE_KEY,
         cellSize - 1);
     conf.setInt(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_INTERVAL_SECONDS_KEY, 1);
-    conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY,
-        false);
     if (ErasureCodeNative.isNativeCodeLoaded()) {
       conf.set(
           CodecUtil.IO_ERASURECODE_CODEC_RS_RAWCODERS_KEY,
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestReplication.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestReplication.java
index 46d7034db30..0eb75062486 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestReplication.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestReplication.java
@@ -339,8 +339,6 @@ public class TestReplication {
    */
   public void runReplication(boolean simulated) throws IOException {
     Configuration conf = new HdfsConfiguration();
-    conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY,
-        false);
     if (simulated) {
       SimulatedFSDataset.setFactory(conf);
     }
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestWriteReadStripedFile.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestWriteReadStripedFile.java
index 49f578a823e..e1f75245463 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestWriteReadStripedFile.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestWriteReadStripedFile.java
@@ -75,8 +75,6 @@ public class TestWriteReadStripedFile {
   @Before
   public void setup() throws IOException {
     conf.setLong(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_BLOCK_SIZE_KEY, blockSize);
-    conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY,
-        false);
     cluster = new MiniDFSCluster.Builder(conf).numDataNodes(numDNs).build();
     fs = cluster.getFileSystem();
     fs.enableErasureCodingPolicy(ecPolicy.getName());
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestReconstructStripedBlocks.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestReconstructStripedBlocks.java
index 46907fd64e8..94a9ae1a4e0 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestReconstructStripedBlocks.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestReconstructStripedBlocks.java
@@ -277,8 +277,6 @@ public class TestReconstructStripedBlocks {
   public void testCountLiveReplicas() throws Exception {
     final HdfsConfiguration conf = new HdfsConfiguration();
     conf.setInt(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_INTERVAL_SECONDS_KEY, 1);
-    conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY,
-        false);
     cluster = new MiniDFSCluster.Builder(conf).numDataNodes(groupSize + 2)
         .build();
     cluster.waitActive();
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestStripedINodeFile.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestStripedINodeFile.java
index 8ecf3a16f69..39e272a59e4 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestStripedINodeFile.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestStripedINodeFile.java
@@ -393,8 +393,6 @@ public class TestStripedINodeFile {
     conf.setLong(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_KEY, 1L);
     conf.setLong(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_INTERVAL_SECONDS_KEY,
         1L);
-    conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY,
-        false);
 
     // start 10 datanodes
     int numOfDatanodes = 10;
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/ha/TestHAAppend.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/ha/TestHAAppend.java
index d835e230c6f..ca2c98d2a1e 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/ha/TestHAAppend.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/ha/TestHAAppend.java
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ public class TestHAAppend {
     // control the ingest of edits by the standby for this test.
     conf.set(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_HA_TAILEDITS_PERIOD_KEY, "5000");
     conf.setInt(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_HA_LOGROLL_PERIOD_KEY, -1);
-    conf.setBoolean(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_REDUNDANCY_CONSIDERLOAD_KEY,
-        false);
     MiniDFSCluster cluster = new MiniDFSCluster.Builder(conf)
         .nnTopology(MiniDFSNNTopology.simpleHATopology())
         .numDataNodes(3).build();