diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/main/sbin/httpfs.sh b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/main/sbin/httpfs.sh
index cefe11400d7..c83a14363ab 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/main/sbin/httpfs.sh
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/main/sbin/httpfs.sh
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ if [ "${1}" = "stop" ]; then
 fi
 
 if [ "${HTTPFS_SILENT}" != "true" ]; then
-  ${HTTPFS_CATALINA_HOME}/bin/catalina.sh "$@"
+  exec ${HTTPFS_CATALINA_HOME}/bin/catalina.sh "$@"
 else
-  ${HTTPFS_CATALINA_HOME}/bin/catalina.sh "$@" > /dev/null
+  exec ${HTTPFS_CATALINA_HOME}/bin/catalina.sh "$@" > /dev/null
 fi
 
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index 7366160b64c..378b78a1b61 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -672,6 +672,9 @@ Release 0.23.2 - UNRELEASED
 
     HDFS-3101. Cannot read empty file using WebHDFS.  (szetszwo)
 
+    HDFS-3160. httpfs should exec catalina instead of forking it.
+    (Roman Shaposhnik via eli)
+
 Release 0.23.1 - 2012-02-17 
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES