diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index dc64a2691e0..b7be5793940 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ Release 2.5.0 - UNRELEASED
     HDFS-5409. TestOfflineEditsViewer#testStored fails on Windows due to CRLF
     line endings in editsStored.xml from git checkout. (cnauroth)
 
+    HDFS-4909. Avoid protocol buffer RPC namespace clashes. (cmccabe)
+
 Release 2.4.1 - UNRELEASED
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/pom.xml b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/pom.xml
index acb117da81e..362b39f44b2 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/pom.xml
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/pom.xml
@@ -425,81 +425,18 @@ http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
               <source>
                 <directory>${basedir}/src/main/proto</directory>
                 <includes>
+                  <include>ClientDatanodeProtocol.proto</include>
+                  <include>ClientNamenodeProtocol.proto</include>
+                  <include>DatanodeProtocol.proto</include>
                   <include>HAZKInfo.proto</include>
                   <include>InterDatanodeProtocol.proto</include>
                   <include>JournalProtocol.proto</include>
-                  <include>datatransfer.proto</include>
-                  <include>hdfs.proto</include>
-                </includes>
-              </source>
-              <output>${project.build.directory}/generated-sources/java</output>
-            </configuration>
-          </execution>
-          <execution>
-            <id>compile-protoc-datanode</id>
-            <phase>generate-sources</phase>
-            <goals>
-              <goal>protoc</goal>
-            </goals>
-            <configuration>
-              <protocVersion>${protobuf.version}</protocVersion>
-              <protocCommand>${protoc.path}</protocCommand>
-              <imports>
-                <param>${basedir}/../../hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/proto</param>
-                <param>${basedir}/src/main/proto</param>
-              </imports>
-              <source>
-                <directory>${basedir}/src/main/proto</directory>
-                <includes>
-                  <include>ClientDatanodeProtocol.proto</include>
-                  <include>DatanodeProtocol.proto</include>
-                  <include>fsimage.proto</include>
-                </includes>
-              </source>
-              <output>${project.build.directory}/generated-sources/java</output>
-            </configuration>
-          </execution>
-          <execution>
-            <id>compile-protoc-namenode</id>
-            <phase>generate-sources</phase>
-            <goals>
-              <goal>protoc</goal>
-            </goals>
-            <configuration>
-              <protocVersion>${protobuf.version}</protocVersion>
-              <protocCommand>${protoc.path}</protocCommand>
-              <imports>
-                <param>${basedir}/../../hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/proto</param>
-                <param>${basedir}/src/main/proto</param>
-              </imports>
-              <source>
-                <directory>${basedir}/src/main/proto</directory>
-                <includes>
-                  <include>ClientNamenodeProtocol.proto</include>
                   <include>NamenodeProtocol.proto</include>
-                  <include>acl.proto</include>
-                </includes>
-              </source>
-              <output>${project.build.directory}/generated-sources/java</output>
-            </configuration>
-          </execution>
-          <execution>
-            <id>compile-protoc-qjournal</id>
-            <phase>generate-sources</phase>
-            <goals>
-              <goal>protoc</goal>
-            </goals>
-            <configuration>
-              <protocVersion>${protobuf.version}</protocVersion>
-              <protocCommand>${protoc.path}</protocCommand>
-              <imports>
-                <param>${basedir}/../../hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/proto</param>
-                <param>${basedir}/src/main/proto</param>
-              </imports>
-              <source>
-                <directory>${basedir}/src/main/proto</directory>
-                <includes>
                   <include>QJournalProtocol.proto</include>
+                  <include>acl.proto</include>
+                  <include>datatransfer.proto</include>
+                  <include>fsimage.proto</include>
+                  <include>hdfs.proto</include>
                 </includes>
               </source>
               <output>${project.build.directory}/generated-sources/java</output>
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/proto/DatanodeProtocol.proto b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/proto/DatanodeProtocol.proto
index 9bb2c94cf3e..03a73d79fb0 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/proto/DatanodeProtocol.proto
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/proto/DatanodeProtocol.proto
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ option java_package = "org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.protocol.proto";
 option java_outer_classname = "DatanodeProtocolProtos";
 option java_generic_services = true;
 option java_generate_equals_and_hash = true;
-package hadoop.hdfs;
+package hadoop.hdfs.datanode;
 
 import "hdfs.proto";
 
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/proto/NamenodeProtocol.proto b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/proto/NamenodeProtocol.proto
index 7c6084d1e8a..4bcbeed9b56 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/proto/NamenodeProtocol.proto
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/proto/NamenodeProtocol.proto
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ option java_package = "org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.protocol.proto";
 option java_outer_classname = "NamenodeProtocolProtos";
 option java_generic_services = true;
 option java_generate_equals_and_hash = true;
-package hadoop.hdfs;
+package hadoop.hdfs.namenode;
 
 import "hdfs.proto";
 
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/proto/QJournalProtocol.proto b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/proto/QJournalProtocol.proto
index e4903ba4955..aaea12e03ac 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/proto/QJournalProtocol.proto
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/proto/QJournalProtocol.proto
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ option java_package = "org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.qjournal.protocol";
 option java_outer_classname = "QJournalProtocolProtos";
 option java_generic_services = true;
 option java_generate_equals_and_hash = true;
-package hadoop.hdfs;
+package hadoop.hdfs.qjournal;
 
 import "hdfs.proto";