diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index 85000b639f0..4e45005d30a 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -408,6 +408,9 @@ Release 2.1.1-beta - UNRELEASED
     HADOOP-9918. Add addIfService to CompositeService (Karthik Kambatla via
     Sandy Ryza)
 
+    HADOOP-9945. HAServiceState should have a state for stopped services.
+    (Karthik Kambatla via atm)
+
   OPTIMIZATIONS
 
   BUG FIXES
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ha/HAServiceProtocol.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ha/HAServiceProtocol.java
index 57eee187b0e..7de12c78b4f 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ha/HAServiceProtocol.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ha/HAServiceProtocol.java
@@ -43,13 +43,15 @@ public interface HAServiceProtocol {
   public static final long versionID = 1L;
 
   /**
-   * An HA service may be in active or standby state. During
-   * startup, it is in an unknown INITIALIZING state.
+   * An HA service may be in active or standby state. During startup, it is in
+   * an unknown INITIALIZING state. During shutdown, it is in the STOPPING state
+   * and can no longer return to active/standby states.
    */
   public enum HAServiceState {
     INITIALIZING("initializing"),
     ACTIVE("active"),
-    STANDBY("standby");
+    STANDBY("standby"),
+    STOPPING("stopping");
 
     private String name;