diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index aa3af03f541..02d4ac58878 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -787,6 +787,8 @@ Release 0.90.0 - Unreleased
    HBASE-3365  EOFE contacting crashed RS causes Master abort
    HBASE-3362  If .META. offline between OPENING and OPENED, then wrong server
                location in .META. is possible
+   HBASE-3368  Split message can come in before region opened message; results
+               in 'Region has been PENDING_CLOSE for too long' cycle
 
 
   IMPROVEMENTS
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/CatalogJanitor.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/CatalogJanitor.java
index 9fbc376f41d..3ec27310f98 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/CatalogJanitor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/CatalogJanitor.java
@@ -160,6 +160,9 @@ class CatalogJanitor extends Chore {
     if (!hasReferencesA && !hasReferencesB) {
       LOG.debug("Deleting region " + parent.getRegionNameAsString() +
         " because daughter splits no longer hold references");
+      // This latter regionOffline should not be necessary but is done for now
+      // until we let go of regionserver to master heartbeats.  See HBASE-3368.
+      this.services.getAssignmentManager().regionOffline(parent);
       FileSystem fs = this.services.getMasterFileSystem().getFileSystem();
       Path rootdir = this.services.getMasterFileSystem().getRootDir();
       HRegion.deleteRegion(fs, rootdir, parent);
@@ -261,4 +264,4 @@ class CatalogJanitor extends Chore {
     }
     return result;
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}