diff --git a/bin/hbase-daemon.sh b/bin/hbase-daemon.sh
index 91a15ec87d0..e45054b5ac7 100755
--- a/bin/hbase-daemon.sh
+++ b/bin/hbase-daemon.sh
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
 usage="Usage: hbase-daemon.sh [--config <conf-dir>]\
  (start|stop|restart|autorestart) <hbase-command> \
- [--formatZK] [--formatFS] <args...>"
+ <args...>"
 
 # if no args specified, show usage
 if [ $# -le 1 ]; then
@@ -57,19 +57,6 @@ shift
 command=$1
 shift
 
-if [ "$startStop" = "start" ];then
-  for i in 1 2
-  do
-    if [ "$1" = "--formatZK" ];then
-      formatzk=$1
-      shift
-    elif [ "$1" = "--formatFS" ];then
-      formatfs=$1
-      shift
-    fi
-  done
-fi
-
 hbase_rotate_log ()
 {
     log=$1;
@@ -111,10 +98,6 @@ check_before_start(){
     fi
 }
 
-clear_hbase_data() {
-  $bin/hbase-cleanup.sh $formatzk $formatfs
-}
-
 wait_until_done ()
 {
     p=$1
@@ -189,7 +172,6 @@ case $startStop in
 
 (start)
     check_before_start
-    clear_hbase_data
     nohup $thiscmd --config "${HBASE_CONF_DIR}" internal_start $command $args < /dev/null > /dev/null 2>&1  &
   ;;
 
diff --git a/bin/start-hbase.sh b/bin/start-hbase.sh
index 672a0e89ed0..8fca03ca776 100755
--- a/bin/start-hbase.sh
+++ b/bin/start-hbase.sh
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 # Start hadoop hbase daemons.
 # Run this on master node.
-usage="Usage: start-hbase.sh [autorestart] [--formatZK] [--formatFS]"
+usage="Usage: start-hbase.sh"
 
 bin=`dirname "${BASH_SOURCE-$0}"`
 bin=`cd "$bin">/dev/null; pwd`
@@ -37,19 +37,12 @@ if [ $errCode -ne 0 ]
 then
   exit $errCode
 fi
-for i in 1 2 3
-do
-  if [ "$1" = "autorestart" ];then
-    commandToRun="autorestart"
-  elif [ "$1" = "--formatZK" ];then
-    formatzk=$1
-  elif [ "$1" = "--formatFS" ];then
-    formatfs=$1
-  fi
-  shift
-done
 
-if [ "$commandToRun" = "" ];then
+
+if [ "$1" = "autorestart" ]
+then
+  commandToRun="autorestart"
+else 
   commandToRun="start"
 fi
 
@@ -59,10 +52,10 @@ distMode=`$bin/hbase --config "$HBASE_CONF_DIR" org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.HBa
 
 if [ "$distMode" == 'false' ] 
 then
-  "$bin"/hbase-daemon.sh $commandToRun master $formatzk $formatfs
+  "$bin"/hbase-daemon.sh $commandToRun master
 else
   "$bin"/hbase-daemons.sh --config "${HBASE_CONF_DIR}" $commandToRun zookeeper
-  "$bin"/hbase-daemon.sh --config "${HBASE_CONF_DIR}" $commandToRun master  $formatzk $formatfs
+  "$bin"/hbase-daemon.sh --config "${HBASE_CONF_DIR}" $commandToRun master 
   "$bin"/hbase-daemons.sh --config "${HBASE_CONF_DIR}" \
     --hosts "${HBASE_REGIONSERVERS}" $commandToRun regionserver
   "$bin"/hbase-daemons.sh --config "${HBASE_CONF_DIR}" \
diff --git a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HColumnDescriptor.java b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HColumnDescriptor.java
index 4e2c2a82942..ecb0826b5ed 100644
--- a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HColumnDescriptor.java
+++ b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HColumnDescriptor.java
@@ -1125,10 +1125,12 @@ public class HColumnDescriptor implements WritableComparable<HColumnDescriptor>
   public int compareTo(HColumnDescriptor o) {
     int result = Bytes.compareTo(this.name, o.getName());
     if (result == 0) {
-      // The maps interface should compare values, even if they're in different orders
-      if (!this.values.equals(o.values)) {
-        return 1;
-      }
+      // punt on comparison for ordering, just calculate difference
+      result = this.values.hashCode() - o.values.hashCode();
+      if (result < 0)
+        result = -1;
+      else if (result > 0)
+        result = 1;
     }
     if (result == 0) {
       result = this.configuration.hashCode() - o.configuration.hashCode();
diff --git a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HTableDescriptor.java b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HTableDescriptor.java
index b27826856f7..8d2afcf36ef 100644
--- a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HTableDescriptor.java
+++ b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HTableDescriptor.java
@@ -225,7 +225,9 @@ public class HTableDescriptor implements WritableComparable<HTableDescriptor> {
    * catalog tables, <code>.META.</code> and <code>-ROOT-</code>.
    */
   protected HTableDescriptor(final byte [] name, HColumnDescriptor[] families) {
-    setName(name);
+    this.name = name.clone();
+    this.nameAsString = Bytes.toString(this.name);
+    setMetaFlags(name);
     for(HColumnDescriptor descriptor : families) {
       this.families.put(descriptor.getName(), descriptor);
     }
@@ -237,7 +239,12 @@ public class HTableDescriptor implements WritableComparable<HTableDescriptor> {
    */
   protected HTableDescriptor(final byte [] name, HColumnDescriptor[] families,
       Map<ImmutableBytesWritable,ImmutableBytesWritable> values) {
-    this(name.clone(), families);
+    this.name = name.clone();
+    this.nameAsString = Bytes.toString(this.name);
+    setMetaFlags(name);
+    for(HColumnDescriptor descriptor : families) {
+      this.families.put(descriptor.getName(), descriptor);
+    }
     for (Map.Entry<ImmutableBytesWritable, ImmutableBytesWritable> entry:
         values.entrySet()) {
       setValue(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue());
@@ -277,7 +284,9 @@ public class HTableDescriptor implements WritableComparable<HTableDescriptor> {
    */
   public HTableDescriptor(final byte [] name) {
     super();
-    setName(name);
+    setMetaFlags(this.name);
+    this.name = this.isMetaRegion()? name: isLegalTableName(name);
+    this.nameAsString = Bytes.toString(this.name);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -289,7 +298,9 @@ public class HTableDescriptor implements WritableComparable<HTableDescriptor> {
    */
   public HTableDescriptor(final HTableDescriptor desc) {
     super();
-    setName(desc.name.clone());
+    this.name = desc.name.clone();
+    this.nameAsString = Bytes.toString(this.name);
+    setMetaFlags(this.name);
     for (HColumnDescriptor c: desc.families.values()) {
       this.families.put(c.getName(), new HColumnDescriptor(c));
     }
@@ -639,13 +650,9 @@ public class HTableDescriptor implements WritableComparable<HTableDescriptor> {
    * Set the name of the table.
    *
    * @param name name of table
-   * @throws IllegalArgumentException if passed a table name
-   * that is made of other than 'word' characters, underscore or period: i.e.
-   * <code>[a-zA-Z_0-9.].
-   * @see <a href="HADOOP-1581">HADOOP-1581 HBASE: Un-openable tablename bug</a>
    */
   public void setName(byte[] name) {
-    this.name = isMetaTable(name) ? name : isLegalTableName(name);
+    this.name = name;
     this.nameAsString = Bytes.toString(this.name);
     setMetaFlags(this.name);
   }
@@ -980,34 +987,39 @@ public class HTableDescriptor implements WritableComparable<HTableDescriptor> {
    */
   @Override
   public int compareTo(final HTableDescriptor other) {
-    // Check name matches
     int result = Bytes.compareTo(this.name, other.name);
-    if (result != 0) return result;
-
-    // Check size matches
-    result = families.size() - other.families.size();
-    if (result != 0) return result;
-
-    // Compare that all column families
-    for (Iterator<HColumnDescriptor> it = families.values().iterator(),
-         it2 = other.families.values().iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
-      result = it.next().compareTo(it2.next());
-      if (result != 0) {
-        return result;
+    if (result == 0) {
+      result = families.size() - other.families.size();
+    }
+    if (result == 0 && families.size() != other.families.size()) {
+      result = Integer.valueOf(families.size()).compareTo(
+          Integer.valueOf(other.families.size()));
+    }
+    if (result == 0) {
+      for (Iterator<HColumnDescriptor> it = families.values().iterator(),
+          it2 = other.families.values().iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
+        result = it.next().compareTo(it2.next());
+        if (result != 0) {
+          break;
+        }
       }
     }
-
-    // Compare values
-    if (!values.equals(other.values)) {
-      return 1;
+    if (result == 0) {
+      // punt on comparison for ordering, just calculate difference
+      result = this.values.hashCode() - other.values.hashCode();
+      if (result < 0)
+        result = -1;
+      else if (result > 0)
+        result = 1;
     }
-
-    // Compare configuration
-    if (!configuration.equals(other.configuration)) {
-      return 1;
+    if (result == 0) {
+      result = this.configuration.hashCode() - other.configuration.hashCode();
+      if (result < 0)
+        result = -1;
+      else if (result > 0)
+        result = 1;
     }
-
-    return 0;
+    return result;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestHColumnDescriptor.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestHColumnDescriptor.java
index fb4506555bb..253460936dd 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestHColumnDescriptor.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestHColumnDescriptor.java
@@ -18,14 +18,12 @@
 package org.apache.hadoop.hbase;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.exceptions.DeserializationException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.io.compress.Compression;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.io.compress.Compression.Algorithm;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.io.encoding.DataBlockEncoding;
-import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.io.hfile.BlockType;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.regionserver.BloomType;
 import org.junit.experimental.categories.Category;
 
@@ -96,71 +94,4 @@ public class TestHColumnDescriptor {
     desc.removeConfiguration(key);
     assertEquals(null, desc.getConfigurationValue(key));
   }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testEqualsWithFamilyName() {
-    final String name1 = "someFamilyName";
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd1 = new HColumnDescriptor(name1);
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd2 = new HColumnDescriptor("someOtherFamilyName");
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd3 = new HColumnDescriptor(name1);
-
-    assertFalse(hcd1.equals(hcd2));
-    assertFalse(hcd2.equals(hcd1));
-
-    assertTrue(hcd3.equals(hcd1));
-    assertTrue(hcd1.equals(hcd3));
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testEqualsWithAdditionalProperties() {
-    final String name1 = "someFamilyName";
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd1 = new HColumnDescriptor(name1);
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd2 = new HColumnDescriptor(name1);
-    hcd2.setBlocksize(4);
-
-    assertFalse(hcd1.equals(hcd2));
-    assertFalse(hcd2.equals(hcd1));
-
-    hcd1.setBlocksize(4);
-
-    assertTrue(hcd2.equals(hcd1));
-    assertTrue(hcd1.equals(hcd2));
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testEqualsWithDifferentNumberOfProperties() {
-    final String name1 = "someFamilyName";
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd1 = new HColumnDescriptor(name1);
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd2 = new HColumnDescriptor(name1);
-    hcd2.setBlocksize(4);
-    hcd1.setBlocksize(4);
-
-    assertTrue(hcd2.equals(hcd1));
-    assertTrue(hcd1.equals(hcd2));
-
-    hcd2.setBloomFilterType(BloomType.ROW);
-
-    assertFalse(hcd1.equals(hcd2));
-    assertFalse(hcd2.equals(hcd1));
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testEqualsWithDifferentOrderingOfProperties() {
-    final String name1 = "someFamilyName";
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd1 = new HColumnDescriptor(name1);
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd2 = new HColumnDescriptor(name1);
-    hcd2.setBlocksize(4);
-    hcd2.setBloomFilterType(BloomType.ROW);
-    hcd1.setBloomFilterType(BloomType.ROW);
-    hcd1.setBlocksize(4);
-
-    assertTrue(hcd2.equals(hcd1));
-    assertTrue(hcd1.equals(hcd2));
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testEqualityWithSameObject() {
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd1 = new HColumnDescriptor("someName");
-    assertTrue(hcd1.equals(hcd1));
-  }
 }
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestHTableDescriptor.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestHTableDescriptor.java
index 5f06b429c91..bc8e72c8689 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestHTableDescriptor.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestHTableDescriptor.java
@@ -198,173 +198,4 @@ public class TestHTableDescriptor {
     desc.removeConfiguration(key);
     assertEquals(null, desc.getConfigurationValue(key));
   }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testEqualsWithDifferentProperties() {
-    // Test basic property difference
-    HTableDescriptor h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h1.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    HTableDescriptor h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h2.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n2"));
-
-    assertFalse(h2.equals(h1));
-    assertFalse(h1.equals(h2));
-
-    h2.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-    assertTrue(h2.equals(h1));
-    assertTrue(h1.equals(h2));
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testEqualsWithDifferentNumberOfItems() {
-    HTableDescriptor h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    HTableDescriptor h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-
-    // Test diff # of items
-    h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h1.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h2.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd1 = new HColumnDescriptor(Bytes.toBytes("someName"));
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd2 = new HColumnDescriptor(Bytes.toBytes("someOtherName"));
-
-    h1.addFamily(hcd1);
-    h2.addFamily(hcd1);
-    h1.addFamily(hcd2);
-
-    assertFalse(h2.equals(h1));
-    assertFalse(h1.equals(h2));
-
-    h2.addFamily(hcd2);
-
-    assertTrue(h2.equals(h1));
-    assertTrue(h1.equals(h2));
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testNotEqualsWithDifferentHCDs() {
-    HTableDescriptor h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    HTableDescriptor h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-
-    // Test diff # of items
-    h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h1.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h2.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd1 = new HColumnDescriptor(Bytes.toBytes("someName"));
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd2 = new HColumnDescriptor(Bytes.toBytes("someOtherName"));
-
-    h1.addFamily(hcd1);
-    h2.addFamily(hcd2);
-
-    assertFalse(h2.equals(h1));
-    assertFalse(h1.equals(h2));
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testEqualsWithDifferentHCDObjects() {
-    HTableDescriptor h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    HTableDescriptor h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-
-    // Test diff # of items
-    h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h1.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h2.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd1 = new HColumnDescriptor(Bytes.toBytes("someName"));
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd2 = new HColumnDescriptor(Bytes.toBytes("someName"));
-
-    h1.addFamily(hcd1);
-    h2.addFamily(hcd2);
-
-    assertTrue(h2.equals(h1));
-    assertTrue(h1.equals(h2));
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testNotEqualsWithDifferentItems() {
-    HTableDescriptor h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    HTableDescriptor h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-
-    // Test diff # of items
-    h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h1.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h2.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd1 = new HColumnDescriptor(Bytes.toBytes("someName"));
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd2 = new HColumnDescriptor(Bytes.toBytes("someOtherName"));
-    h1.addFamily(hcd1);
-    h2.addFamily(hcd2);
-
-    assertFalse(h2.equals(h1));
-    assertFalse(h1.equals(h2));
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testEqualsWithDifferentOrderingsOfItems() {
-    HTableDescriptor h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    HTableDescriptor h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-
-    //Test diff # of items
-    h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h1.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h2.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd1 = new HColumnDescriptor(Bytes.toBytes("someName"));
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd2 = new HColumnDescriptor(Bytes.toBytes("someOtherName"));
-    h1.addFamily(hcd1);
-    h2.addFamily(hcd2);
-    h1.addFamily(hcd2);
-    h2.addFamily(hcd1);
-
-    assertTrue(h2.equals(h1));
-    assertTrue(h1.equals(h2));
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testSingleItemEquals() {
-    HTableDescriptor h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    HTableDescriptor h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-
-    //Test diff # of items
-    h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h1.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    h2.setName(Bytes.toBytes("n1"));
-
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd1 = new HColumnDescriptor(Bytes.toBytes("someName"));
-    HColumnDescriptor hcd2 = new HColumnDescriptor(Bytes.toBytes("someName"));
-    h1.addFamily(hcd1);
-    h2.addFamily(hcd2);
-
-    assertTrue(h2.equals(h1));
-    assertTrue(h1.equals(h2));
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testEmptyEquals() {
-    HTableDescriptor h1 = new HTableDescriptor();
-    HTableDescriptor h2 = new HTableDescriptor();
-
-    assertTrue(h2.equals(h1));
-    assertTrue(h1.equals(h2));
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void testEqualityWithSameObject() {
-    HTableDescriptor htd = new HTableDescriptor("someName");
-    assertTrue(htd.equals(htd));
-  }
 }