diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/wal/WALSplitter.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/wal/WALSplitter.java
index 65d5fb7ee25..ac327c5b0a2 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/wal/WALSplitter.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/wal/WALSplitter.java
@@ -460,6 +460,7 @@ public class WALSplitter {
    * creating it if necessary.
    * @param logEntry
    * @param fileNameBeingSplit the file being split currently. Used to generate tmp file name.
+   * @param tmpDirName of the directory used to sideline old recovered edits file
    * @param conf
    * @return Path to file into which to dump split log edits.
    * @throws IOException
@@ -467,8 +468,7 @@ public class WALSplitter {
   @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
   @VisibleForTesting
   static Path getRegionSplitEditsPath(final Entry logEntry, String fileNameBeingSplit,
-      Configuration conf)
-  throws IOException {
+      String tmpDirName, Configuration conf) throws IOException {
     FileSystem fs = FileSystem.get(conf);
     Path rootDir = FSUtils.getRootDir(conf);
     Path tableDir = FSUtils.getTableDir(rootDir, logEntry.getKey().getTableName());
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ public class WALSplitter {
       return null;
     }
     if (fs.exists(dir) && fs.isFile(dir)) {
-      Path tmp = new Path("/tmp");
+      Path tmp = new Path(tmpDirName);
       if (!fs.exists(tmp)) {
         fs.mkdirs(tmp);
       }
@@ -1512,8 +1512,10 @@ public class WALSplitter {
      * @return a path with a write for that path. caller should close.
      */
     WriterAndPath createWAP(byte[] region, Entry entry) throws IOException {
+      String tmpDirName = conf.get(HConstants.TEMPORARY_FS_DIRECTORY_KEY,
+        HConstants.DEFAULT_TEMPORARY_HDFS_DIRECTORY);
       Path regionedits = getRegionSplitEditsPath(entry,
-          fileBeingSplit.getPath().getName(), conf);
+          fileBeingSplit.getPath().getName(), tmpDirName, conf);
       if (regionedits == null) {
         return null;
       }
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/wal/TestWALSplit.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/wal/TestWALSplit.java
index 0d5aa0d2ff5..7a5abfd98c4 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/wal/TestWALSplit.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/wal/TestWALSplit.java
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ public class TestWALSplit {
   private Path OLDLOGDIR;
   private Path CORRUPTDIR;
   private Path TABLEDIR;
+  private String TMPDIRNAME;
 
   private static final int NUM_WRITERS = 10;
   private static final int ENTRIES = 10; // entries per writer per region
@@ -191,6 +192,8 @@ public class TestWALSplit {
     OLDLOGDIR = new Path(HBASELOGDIR, HConstants.HREGION_OLDLOGDIR_NAME);
     CORRUPTDIR = new Path(HBASELOGDIR, HConstants.CORRUPT_DIR_NAME);
     TABLEDIR = FSUtils.getTableDir(HBASEDIR, TABLE_NAME);
+    TMPDIRNAME = conf.get(HConstants.TEMPORARY_FS_DIRECTORY_KEY,
+      HConstants.DEFAULT_TEMPORARY_HDFS_DIRECTORY);
     REGIONS.clear();
     Collections.addAll(REGIONS, "bbb", "ccc");
     InstrumentedLogWriter.activateFailure = false;
@@ -391,7 +394,7 @@ public class TestWALSplit {
             TableName.META_TABLE_NAME, 1, now, HConstants.DEFAULT_CLUSTER_ID),
             new WALEdit());
     Path p = WALSplitter.getRegionSplitEditsPath(entry,
-        FILENAME_BEING_SPLIT, conf);
+        FILENAME_BEING_SPLIT, TMPDIRNAME, conf);
     String parentOfParent = p.getParent().getParent().getName();
     assertEquals(parentOfParent, RegionInfoBuilder.FIRST_META_REGIONINFO.getEncodedName());
   }
@@ -417,7 +420,7 @@ public class TestWALSplit {
     fs.createNewFile(parent); // create a recovered.edits file
 
     Path p = WALSplitter.getRegionSplitEditsPath(entry,
-        FILENAME_BEING_SPLIT, conf);
+        FILENAME_BEING_SPLIT, TMPDIRNAME, conf);
     String parentOfParent = p.getParent().getParent().getName();
     assertEquals(parentOfParent, RegionInfoBuilder.FIRST_META_REGIONINFO.getEncodedName());
     WALFactory.createRecoveredEditsWriter(fs, p, conf).close();