diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index 800cb2a2b99..107a95a7cde 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ Release 2.6.1 - UNRELEASED
     HADOOP-11802: DomainSocketWatcher thread terminates sometimes after there
     is an I/O error during requestShortCircuitShm (cmccabe)
 
+    HADOOP-11491. HarFs incorrectly declared as requiring an authority.
+    (Brahma Reddy Battula via gera)
+
 Release 2.6.0 - 2014-11-18
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/HarFs.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/HarFs.java
index a2369e32802..4f5fde8b9d0 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/HarFs.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/HarFs.java
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration;
 public class HarFs extends DelegateToFileSystem {
   HarFs(final URI theUri, final Configuration conf)
       throws IOException, URISyntaxException {
-    super(theUri, new HarFileSystem(), conf, "har", true);
+    super(theUri, new HarFileSystem(), conf, "har", false);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestHarFileSystemBasics.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestHarFileSystemBasics.java
index 577abfd090e..53507b932a1 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestHarFileSystemBasics.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestHarFileSystemBasics.java
@@ -398,4 +398,11 @@ public class TestHarFileSystemBasics {
     }
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testHarFsWithoutAuthority() throws Exception {
+    final URI uri = harFileSystem.getUri();
+    Assert.assertNull("har uri authority not null: " + uri, uri.getAuthority());
+    FileContext.getFileContext(uri, conf);
+  }
+
 }