diff --git a/hbase-shell/src/main/ruby/hbase/table.rb b/hbase-shell/src/main/ruby/hbase/table.rb
index ee3b98dab90..a571f9f26e7 100644
--- a/hbase-shell/src/main/ruby/hbase/table.rb
+++ b/hbase-shell/src/main/ruby/hbase/table.rb
@@ -189,10 +189,18 @@ EOF
       if column != ""
         if column && all_version
           family, qualifier = parse_column_name(column)
-          d.addColumns(family, qualifier, timestamp)
+          if qualifier
+            d.addColumns(family, qualifier, timestamp)
+          else
+            d.addFamily(family, timestamp)
+          end
         elsif column && !all_version
           family, qualifier = parse_column_name(column)
-          d.addColumn(family, qualifier, timestamp)
+          if qualifier
+            d.addColumn(family, qualifier, timestamp)
+          else
+            d.addFamilyVersion(family, timestamp)
+          end
         end
       end
       d
diff --git a/hbase-shell/src/test/ruby/hbase/table_test.rb b/hbase-shell/src/test/ruby/hbase/table_test.rb
index cb274f814aa..05b80725efc 100644
--- a/hbase-shell/src/test/ruby/hbase/table_test.rb
+++ b/hbase-shell/src/test/ruby/hbase/table_test.rb
@@ -164,6 +164,21 @@ module Hbase
       assert_nil(res)
     end
 
+    define_test "delete should set proper cell type" do
+      del = @test_table._createdelete_internal('104', 'x:a', 1212)
+      assert_equal(del.get('x'.to_java_bytes, 'a'.to_java_bytes).get(0).getType.getCode,
+                   org.apache.hadoop.hbase::KeyValue::Type::DeleteColumn.getCode)
+      del = @test_table._createdelete_internal('104', 'x:a', 1212, [], false)
+      assert_equal(del.get('x'.to_java_bytes, 'a'.to_java_bytes).get(0).getType.getCode,
+                   org.apache.hadoop.hbase::KeyValue::Type::Delete.getCode)
+      del = @test_table._createdelete_internal('104', 'x', 1212)
+      assert_equal(del.get('x'.to_java_bytes, nil).get(0).getType.getCode,
+                   org.apache.hadoop.hbase::KeyValue::Type::DeleteFamily.getCode)
+      del = @test_table._createdelete_internal('104', 'x', 1212, [], false)
+      assert_equal(del.get('x'.to_java_bytes, nil).get(0).getType.getCode,
+                   org.apache.hadoop.hbase::KeyValue::Type::DeleteFamilyVersion.getCode)
+    end
+
     #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     define_test "deleteall should work w/o columns and timestamps" do