diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
index b07ecd77144..9a947f713cd 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ Release 2.4.0 - UNRELEASED
     YARN-1639. Modified RM HA configuration handling to have a way of not
     requiring separate configuration files for each RM. (Xuan Gong via vinodkv)
 
+    YARN-1668. Modified RM HA handling of admin-acls to be available across RM
+    failover by making using of a remote configuration-provider. (Xuan Gong via
+    vinodkv)
+
   OPTIMIZATIONS
 
   BUG FIXES
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/conf/YarnConfiguration.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/conf/YarnConfiguration.java
index a324e97b297..af385f81db2 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/conf/YarnConfiguration.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/conf/YarnConfiguration.java
@@ -40,8 +40,10 @@ public class YarnConfiguration extends Configuration {
   @Private
   public static final String CS_CONFIGURATION_FILE= "capacity-scheduler.xml";
 
+  @Private
+  public static final String YARN_SITE_XML_FILE = "yarn-site.xml";
+
   private static final String YARN_DEFAULT_XML_FILE = "yarn-default.xml";
-  private static final String YARN_SITE_XML_FILE = "yarn-site.xml";
 
   static {
     Configuration.addDefaultResource(YARN_DEFAULT_XML_FILE);
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/AdminService.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/AdminService.java
index c7fe0e2e6e9..9a33b706f90 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/AdminService.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/AdminService.java
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.api.protocolrecords.UpdateNodeResourceRespo
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.resourcemanager.rmnode.RMNode;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.resourcemanager.security.authorize.RMPolicyProvider;
 
+import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import com.google.protobuf.BlockingService;
 
 public class AdminService extends CompositeService implements
@@ -407,14 +408,22 @@ public class AdminService extends CompositeService implements
 
   @Override
   public RefreshAdminAclsResponse refreshAdminAcls(
-      RefreshAdminAclsRequest request) throws YarnException {
-    UserGroupInformation user = checkAcls("refreshAdminAcls");
+      RefreshAdminAclsRequest request) throws YarnException, IOException {
+    String argName = "refreshAdminAcls";
+    UserGroupInformation user = checkAcls(argName);
     
-    Configuration conf = new Configuration();
+    if (!isRMActive()) {
+      RMAuditLogger.logFailure(user.getShortUserName(), argName,
+          adminAcl.toString(), "AdminService",
+          "ResourceManager is not active. Can not refresh user-groups.");
+      throwStandbyException();
+    }
+    Configuration conf =
+        getConfiguration(YarnConfiguration.YARN_SITE_XML_FILE);
     adminAcl = new AccessControlList(conf.get(
         YarnConfiguration.YARN_ADMIN_ACL,
         YarnConfiguration.DEFAULT_YARN_ADMIN_ACL));
-    RMAuditLogger.logSuccess(user.getShortUserName(), "refreshAdminAcls", 
+    RMAuditLogger.logSuccess(user.getShortUserName(), argName,
         "AdminService");
 
     return recordFactory.newRecordInstance(RefreshAdminAclsResponse.class);
@@ -504,4 +513,9 @@ public class AdminService extends CompositeService implements
       throws YarnException, IOException {
     return this.configurationProvider.getConfiguration(confFileName);
   }
+
+  @VisibleForTesting
+  public AccessControlList getAccessControlList() {
+    return this.adminAcl;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/TestRMAdminService.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/TestRMAdminService.java
index d800f5067d9..4b7018528fe 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/TestRMAdminService.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/TestRMAdminService.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileSystem;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.conf.YarnConfiguration;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.exceptions.YarnException;
+import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.api.protocolrecords.RefreshAdminAclsRequest;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.api.protocolrecords.RefreshQueuesRequest;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.resourcemanager.scheduler.capacity.CapacityScheduler;
 import org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.resourcemanager.scheduler.capacity.CapacitySchedulerConfiguration;
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ public class TestRMAdminService {
 
   @Before
   public void setup() throws IOException {
+    Configuration.addDefaultResource(YarnConfiguration.CS_CONFIGURATION_FILE);
     fs = FileSystem.get(configuration);
     workingPath =
         new Path(new File("target", this.getClass().getSimpleName()
@@ -72,6 +74,7 @@ public class TestRMAdminService {
     fs.delete(workingPath, true);
     fs.delete(tmpDir, true);
   }
+
   @Test
   public void testAdminRefreshQueuesWithLocalConfigurationProvider()
       throws IOException, YarnException {
@@ -95,7 +98,6 @@ public class TestRMAdminService {
   @Test
   public void testAdminRefreshQueuesWithFileSystemBasedConfigurationProvider()
       throws IOException, YarnException {
-    Configuration.addDefaultResource(YarnConfiguration.CS_CONFIGURATION_FILE);
     configuration.set(YarnConfiguration.RM_CONFIGURATION_PROVIDER_CLASS,
         "org.apache.hadoop.yarn.FileSystemBasedConfigurationProvider");
     rm = new MockRM(configuration);
@@ -134,6 +136,58 @@ public class TestRMAdminService {
     Assert.assertTrue(maxAppsAfter != maxAppsBefore);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testAdminAclsWithLocalConfigurationProvider() {
+    rm = new MockRM(configuration);
+    rm.init(configuration);
+    rm.start();
+
+    try {
+      rm.adminService.refreshAdminAcls(RefreshAdminAclsRequest.newInstance());
+    } catch (Exception ex) {
+      fail("Using localConfigurationProvider. Should not get any exception.");
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testAdminAclsWithFileSystemBasedConfigurationProvider()
+      throws IOException, YarnException {
+    configuration.set(YarnConfiguration.RM_CONFIGURATION_PROVIDER_CLASS,
+        "org.apache.hadoop.yarn.FileSystemBasedConfigurationProvider");
+    rm = new MockRM(configuration);
+    rm.init(configuration);
+    rm.start();
+
+    // clean the remoteDirectory
+    cleanRemoteDirectory();
+
+    try {
+      rm.adminService.refreshAdminAcls(RefreshAdminAclsRequest.newInstance());
+      fail("FileSystemBasedConfigurationProvider is used." +
+          " Should get an exception here");
+    } catch (Exception ex) {
+      Assert.assertTrue(ex.getMessage().contains(
+          "Can not find Configuration: yarn-site.xml"));
+    }
+
+    String aclStringBefore =
+        rm.adminService.getAccessControlList().getAclString().trim();
+
+    YarnConfiguration yarnConf = new YarnConfiguration();
+    yarnConf.set(YarnConfiguration.YARN_ADMIN_ACL, "world:anyone:rwcda");
+    String yarnConfFile = writeConfigurationXML(yarnConf, "yarn-site.xml");
+
+    // upload the file into Remote File System
+    uploadToRemoteFileSystem(new Path(yarnConfFile));
+    rm.adminService.refreshAdminAcls(RefreshAdminAclsRequest.newInstance());
+
+    String aclStringAfter =
+        rm.adminService.getAccessControlList().getAclString().trim();
+
+    Assert.assertTrue(!aclStringAfter.equals(aclStringBefore));
+    Assert.assertEquals(aclStringAfter, "world:anyone:rwcda");
+  }
+
   private String writeConfigurationXML(Configuration conf, String confXMLName)
       throws IOException {
     DataOutputStream output = null;