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 542d9281243..480aff919e1 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
@@ -568,6 +568,9 @@ public class HColumnDescriptor implements WritableComparable<HColumnDescriptor>
    * @return this (for chained invocation)
    */
   public HColumnDescriptor setValue(byte[] key, byte[] value) {
+    if (Bytes.compareTo(Bytes.toBytes(HConstants.VERSIONS), key) == 0) {
+      cachedMaxVersions = UNINITIALIZED;
+    }
     values.put(new ImmutableBytesWritable(key),
       new ImmutableBytesWritable(value));
     return this;
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestHColumnDescriptorDefaultVersions.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestHColumnDescriptorDefaultVersions.java
index 17ad36d4ed6..4660bbbeec0 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestHColumnDescriptorDefaultVersions.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestHColumnDescriptorDefaultVersions.java
@@ -134,6 +134,19 @@ public class TestHColumnDescriptorDefaultVersions {
       admin.deleteTable(TABLE_NAME);
     }
   }
+  
+  @Test
+  public void testHColumnDescriptorCachedMaxVersions() throws Exception {
+    HColumnDescriptor hcd = new HColumnDescriptor(FAMILY);
+    hcd.setMaxVersions(5);
+    // Verify the max version
+    assertEquals(5, hcd.getMaxVersions());
+
+    // modify the max version
+    hcd.setValue(Bytes.toBytes(HConstants.VERSIONS), Bytes.toBytes("8"));
+    // Verify the max version
+    assertEquals(8, hcd.getMaxVersions());
+  }
 
   private void verifyHColumnDescriptor(int expected, final TableName tableName,
       final byte[]... families) throws IOException {