diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/DatanodeDescriptor.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/DatanodeDescriptor.java
index f7da52ae0aa..320c680cc43 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/DatanodeDescriptor.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/DatanodeDescriptor.java
@@ -280,6 +280,11 @@ public class DatanodeDescriptor extends DatanodeInfo {
     return leavingServiceStatus;
   }
 
+  @VisibleForTesting
+  public boolean isHeartbeatedSinceRegistration() {
+   return heartbeatedSinceRegistration;
+  }
+
   @VisibleForTesting
   public DatanodeStorageInfo getStorageInfo(String storageID) {
     synchronized (storageMap) {
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/DatanodeManager.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/DatanodeManager.java
index 6477d5cd4ba..cc64a04e45d 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/DatanodeManager.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/DatanodeManager.java
@@ -1661,10 +1661,10 @@ public class DatanodeManager {
       LOG.debug("Received handleLifeline from nodeReg = " + nodeReg);
     }
     DatanodeDescriptor nodeinfo = getDatanode(nodeReg);
-    if (nodeinfo == null) {
-      // This is null if the DataNode has not yet registered.  We expect this
-      // will never happen, because the DataNode has logic to prevent sending
-      // lifeline messages until after initial registration is successful.
+    if (nodeinfo == null || !nodeinfo.isRegistered()) {
+      // This can happen if the lifeline message comes when DataNode is either
+      // not registered at all or its marked dead at NameNode and expectes
+      // re-registration. Ignore lifeline messages without registration.
       // Lifeline message handling can't send commands back to the DataNode to
       // tell it to register, so simply exit.
       return;
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/BPServiceActor.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/BPServiceActor.java
index f3247fca27d..bb2b792555e 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/BPServiceActor.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/BPServiceActor.java
@@ -504,7 +504,12 @@ class BPServiceActor implements Runnable {
         volumeFailureSummary,
         requestBlockReportLease);
   }
-  
+
+  @VisibleForTesting
+  void sendLifelineForTests() throws IOException {
+    lifelineSender.sendLifeline();
+  }
+
   //This must be called only by BPOfferService
   void start() {
     if ((bpThread != null) && (bpThread.isAlive())) {
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/BlockManagerTestUtil.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/BlockManagerTestUtil.java
index 1c7442ab1bf..9dd14471d1c 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/BlockManagerTestUtil.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/blockmanagement/BlockManagerTestUtil.java
@@ -214,7 +214,9 @@ public class BlockManagerTestUtil {
    * @param bm the BlockManager to manipulate
    */
   public static void checkHeartbeat(BlockManager bm) {
-    bm.getDatanodeManager().getHeartbeatManager().heartbeatCheck();
+    HeartbeatManager hbm = bm.getDatanodeManager().getHeartbeatManager();
+    hbm.restartHeartbeatStopWatch();
+    hbm.heartbeatCheck();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/TestDataNodeLifeline.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/TestDataNodeLifeline.java
index fd661156e54..df2fe5aa75c 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/TestDataNodeLifeline.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/TestDataNodeLifeline.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.HdfsConfiguration;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.MiniDFSCluster;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.protocolPB.DatanodeLifelineProtocolClientSideTranslatorPB;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.protocolPB.DatanodeProtocolClientSideTranslatorPB;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.blockmanagement.DatanodeDescriptor;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.datanode.metrics.DataNodeMetrics;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.namenode.FSNamesystem;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.protocol.DatanodeRegistration;
@@ -90,6 +91,8 @@ public class TestDataNodeLifeline {
   private DataNodeMetrics metrics;
   private DatanodeProtocolClientSideTranslatorPB namenode;
   private FSNamesystem namesystem;
+  private DataNode dn;
+  private BPServiceActor bpsa;
 
   @Before
   public void setup() throws Exception {
@@ -106,7 +109,7 @@ public class TestDataNodeLifeline {
     namesystem = cluster.getNameNode().getNamesystem();
 
     // Set up spies on RPC proxies so that we can inject failures.
-    DataNode dn = cluster.getDataNodes().get(0);
+    dn = cluster.getDataNodes().get(0);
     metrics = dn.getMetrics();
     assertNotNull(metrics);
     List<BPOfferService> allBpos = dn.getAllBpOs();
@@ -118,7 +121,7 @@ public class TestDataNodeLifeline {
     assertNotNull(allBpsa);
     assertEquals(1, allBpsa.size());
 
-    final BPServiceActor bpsa = allBpsa.get(0);
+    bpsa = allBpsa.get(0);
     assertNotNull(bpsa);
 
     // Lifeline RPC proxy gets created on separate thread, so poll until found.
@@ -257,6 +260,32 @@ public class TestDataNodeLifeline {
         getLongCounter("LifelinesNumOps", getMetrics(metrics.name())));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testLifelineForDeadNode() throws Exception {
+    long initialCapacity = cluster.getNamesystem(0).getCapacityTotal();
+    assertTrue(initialCapacity > 0);
+    dn.setHeartbeatsDisabledForTests(true);
+    cluster.setDataNodesDead();
+    assertEquals("Capacity should be 0 after all DNs dead", 0, cluster
+        .getNamesystem(0).getCapacityTotal());
+    bpsa.sendLifelineForTests();
+    assertEquals("Lifeline should be ignored for dead node", 0, cluster
+        .getNamesystem(0).getCapacityTotal());
+    // Wait for re-registration and heartbeat
+    dn.setHeartbeatsDisabledForTests(false);
+    final DatanodeDescriptor dnDesc = cluster.getNamesystem(0).getBlockManager()
+        .getDatanodeManager().getDatanodes().iterator().next();
+    GenericTestUtils.waitFor(new Supplier<Boolean>() {
+
+      @Override
+      public Boolean get() {
+        return dnDesc.isAlive() && dnDesc.isHeartbeatedSinceRegistration();
+      }
+    }, 100, 5000);
+    assertEquals("Capacity should include only live capacity", initialCapacity,
+        cluster.getNamesystem(0).getCapacityTotal());
+  }
+
   /**
    * Waits on a {@link CountDownLatch} before calling through to the method.
    */