diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
index d74e8a99ee0..e2bf706578e 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/CHANGES.txt
@@ -559,6 +559,9 @@ Release 2.8.0 - UNRELEASED
     YARN-3745. SerializedException should also try to instantiate internal
     exception with the default constructor. (Lavkesh Lahngir via devaraj)
 
+    YARN-2871. TestRMRestart#testRMRestartGetApplicationList sometime fails in trunk.
+    (zhihai xu via xgong)
+
 Release 2.7.1 - UNRELEASED
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/TestRMRestart.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/TestRMRestart.java
index 628e9be51f1..de17acdb4c7 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/TestRMRestart.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/TestRMRestart.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ package org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.resourcemanager;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.isA;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.timeout;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
@@ -976,9 +977,10 @@ public class TestRMRestart extends ParameterizedSchedulerTestBase {
     List<ApplicationReport> appList2 = response2.getApplicationList();
     Assert.assertTrue(3 == appList2.size());
 
-    // check application summary is logged for the completed apps after RM restart.
-    verify(rm2.getRMAppManager(), times(3)).logApplicationSummary(
-      isA(ApplicationId.class));
+    // check application summary is logged for the completed apps with timeout
+    // to make sure APP_COMPLETED events are processed, after RM restart.
+    verify(rm2.getRMAppManager(), timeout(1000).times(3)).
+        logApplicationSummary(isA(ApplicationId.class));
   }
 
   private MockAM launchAM(RMApp app, MockRM rm, MockNM nm)