diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index a919023b5c4..3b526656860 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ Release 0.21.0 - Unreleased
    HBASE-1808  [stargate] fix how columns are specified for scanners
    HBASE-1828  CompareFilters are broken from client-side
    HBASE-1836  test of indexed hbase broken
+   HBASE-1838  [javadoc] Add javadoc to Delete explaining behavior when no
+               timestamp provided
 
   IMPROVEMENTS
    HBASE-1760  Cleanup TODOs in HTable
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/Delete.java b/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/Delete.java
index b48f21e6302..7fc407b3fb4 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/Delete.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/Delete.java
@@ -51,11 +51,16 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.Bytes;
  * {@link #deleteColumn(byte [],byte [],long) deleteColumn}
  * for each column version to delete.
  * <p>
- * Specifying timestamps calling constructor, deleteFamily, and deleteColumns
- * will delete all versions with a timestamp less than or equal to that
- * specified.  Specifying a timestamp to deleteColumn will delete versions
- * only with a timestamp equal to that specified.
- * <p>The timestamp passed to the constructor is only used ONLY for delete of
+ * Specifying timestamps, deleteFamily and deleteColumns will delete all
+ * versions with a timestamp less than or equal to that passed.  If no
+ * timestamp is specified, an entry is added with a timestamp of 'now'
+ * where 'now' is the servers's System.currentTimeMillis().
+ * Specifying a timestamp to the deleteColumn method will
+ * delete versions only with a timestamp equal to that specified.
+ * If no timestamp is passed to deleteColumn, internally, it figures the
+ * most recent cell's timestamp and adds a delete at that timestamp; i.e.
+ * it deletes the most recently added cell.
+ * <p>The timestamp passed to the constructor is used ONLY for delete of
  * rows.  For anything less -- a deleteColumn, deleteColumns or
  * deleteFamily -- then you need to use the method overrides that take a
  * timestamp.  The constructor timestamp is not referenced.
@@ -356,4 +361,4 @@ public class Delete implements Writable {
       }
     }
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}