diff --git a/hbase-shell/src/main/ruby/hbase/admin.rb b/hbase-shell/src/main/ruby/hbase/admin.rb
index 6b00cb96da7..52d93707300 100644
--- a/hbase-shell/src/main/ruby/hbase/admin.rb
+++ b/hbase-shell/src/main/ruby/hbase/admin.rb
@@ -287,7 +287,15 @@ module Hbase
         htd.setReadOnly(JBoolean.valueOf(arg.delete(READONLY))) if arg[READONLY]
         htd.setCompactionEnabled(JBoolean.valueOf(arg[COMPACTION_ENABLED])) if arg[COMPACTION_ENABLED]
         htd.setMemStoreFlushSize(JLong.valueOf(arg.delete(MEMSTORE_FLUSHSIZE))) if arg[MEMSTORE_FLUSHSIZE]
-        htd.setAsyncLogFlush(JBoolean.valueOf(arg.delete(DEFERRED_LOG_FLUSH))) if arg[DEFERRED_LOG_FLUSH]
+        # DEFERRED_LOG_FLUSH is deprecated and was replaced by DURABILITY.  To keep backward compatible, it still exists.
+        # However, it has to be set before DURABILITY so that DURABILITY could overwrite if both args are set
+        if arg.include?(DEFERRED_LOG_FLUSH)
+          if arg.delete(DEFERRED_LOG_FLUSH).to_s.upcase == "TRUE"
+            htd.setDurability(org.apache.hadoop.hbase.client.Durability.valueOf("ASYNC_WAL"))
+          else
+            htd.setDurability(org.apache.hadoop.hbase.client.Durability.valueOf("SYNC_WAL"))
+          end
+        end
         htd.setDurability(org.apache.hadoop.hbase.client.Durability.valueOf(arg.delete(DURABILITY))) if arg[DURABILITY]
         set_user_metadata(htd, arg.delete(METADATA)) if arg[METADATA]
         set_descriptor_config(htd, arg.delete(CONFIGURATION)) if arg[CONFIGURATION]
@@ -526,7 +534,15 @@ module Hbase
         htd.setReadOnly(JBoolean.valueOf(arg.delete(READONLY))) if arg[READONLY]
         htd.setCompactionEnabled(JBoolean.valueOf(arg[COMPACTION_ENABLED])) if arg[COMPACTION_ENABLED]
         htd.setMemStoreFlushSize(JLong.valueOf(arg.delete(MEMSTORE_FLUSHSIZE))) if arg[MEMSTORE_FLUSHSIZE]
-        htd.setAsyncLogFlush(JBoolean.valueOf(arg.delete(DEFERRED_LOG_FLUSH))) if arg[DEFERRED_LOG_FLUSH]
+        # DEFERRED_LOG_FLUSH is deprecated and was replaced by DURABILITY.  To keep backward compatible, it still exists.
+        # However, it has to be set before DURABILITY so that DURABILITY could overwrite if both args are set
+        if arg.include?(DEFERRED_LOG_FLUSH)
+          if arg.delete(DEFERRED_LOG_FLUSH).to_s.upcase == "TRUE"
+            htd.setDurability(org.apache.hadoop.hbase.client.Durability.valueOf("ASYNC_WAL"))
+          else
+            htd.setDurability(org.apache.hadoop.hbase.client.Durability.valueOf("SYNC_WAL"))
+          end
+        end
         htd.setDurability(org.apache.hadoop.hbase.client.Durability.valueOf(arg.delete(DURABILITY))) if arg[DURABILITY]
         htd.setRegionReplication(JInteger.valueOf(arg.delete(REGION_REPLICATION))) if arg[REGION_REPLICATION]
         set_user_metadata(htd, arg.delete(METADATA)) if arg[METADATA]