diff --git a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/Put.java b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/Put.java
index 717ea3fcb6e..5e0a3411412 100644
--- a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/Put.java
+++ b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/Put.java
@@ -167,7 +167,10 @@ public class Put extends Mutation implements HeapSize, Comparable<Row> {
   /**
    * This expects that the underlying arrays won't change. It's intended
    * for usage internal HBase to and for advanced client applications.
+   * <p>Marked as audience Private as of 1.2.0. {@link Tag} is an internal implementation detail
+   * that should not be exposed publicly.
    */
+  @InterfaceAudience.Private
   public Put addImmutable(byte[] family, byte [] qualifier, byte [] value, Tag[] tag) {
     return addImmutable(family, qualifier, this.ts, value, tag);
   }
@@ -226,7 +229,10 @@ public class Put extends Mutation implements HeapSize, Comparable<Row> {
   /**
    * This expects that the underlying arrays won't change. It's intended
    * for usage internal HBase to and for advanced client applications.
+   * <p>Marked as audience Private as of 1.2.0. {@link Tag} is an internal implementation detail
+   * that should not be exposed publicly.
    */
+  @InterfaceAudience.Private
   public Put addImmutable(byte[] family, byte[] qualifier, long ts, byte[] value, Tag[] tag) {
     List<Cell> list = getCellList(family);
     KeyValue kv = createPutKeyValue(family, qualifier, ts, value, tag);
@@ -238,7 +244,10 @@ public class Put extends Mutation implements HeapSize, Comparable<Row> {
   /**
    * This expects that the underlying arrays won't change. It's intended
    * for usage internal HBase to and for advanced client applications.
+   * <p>Marked as audience Private as of 1.2.0. {@link Tag} is an internal implementation detail
+   * that should not be exposed publicly.
    */
+  @InterfaceAudience.Private
   public Put addImmutable(byte[] family, ByteBuffer qualifier, long ts, ByteBuffer value,
                           Tag[] tag) {
     if (ts < 0) {
diff --git a/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/CellUtil.java b/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/CellUtil.java
index 72d146b3cf9..a9b59e525bb 100644
--- a/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/CellUtil.java
+++ b/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/CellUtil.java
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.Bytes;
 
 /**
  * Utility methods helpful slinging {@link Cell} instances.
+ * Some methods below are for internal use only and are marked InterfaceAudience.Private at the
+ * method level.
  */
 @InterfaceAudience.Public
 @InterfaceStability.Evolving
@@ -236,6 +238,12 @@ public final class CellUtil {
         HConstants.EMPTY_BYTE_ARRAY, 0, HConstants.EMPTY_BYTE_ARRAY.length);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Marked as audience Private as of 1.2.0.
+   * Creating a Cell with a memstoreTS/mvcc is an internal implementation detail not for
+   * public use.
+   */
+  @InterfaceAudience.Private
   public static Cell createCell(final byte[] row, final byte[] family, final byte[] qualifier,
       final long timestamp, final byte type, final byte[] value, final long memstoreTS) {
     KeyValue keyValue = new KeyValue(row, family, qualifier, timestamp,
@@ -244,6 +252,12 @@ public final class CellUtil {
     return keyValue;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Marked as audience Private as of 1.2.0.
+   * Creating a Cell with tags and a memstoreTS/mvcc is an internal implementation detail not for
+   * public use.
+   */
+  @InterfaceAudience.Private
   public static Cell createCell(final byte[] row, final byte[] family, final byte[] qualifier,
       final long timestamp, final byte type, final byte[] value, byte[] tags,
       final long memstoreTS) {
@@ -253,6 +267,12 @@ public final class CellUtil {
     return keyValue;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Marked as audience Private as of 1.2.0.
+   * Creating a Cell with tags is an internal implementation detail not for
+   * public use.
+   */
+  @InterfaceAudience.Private
   public static Cell createCell(final byte[] row, final byte[] family, final byte[] qualifier,
       final long timestamp, Type type, final byte[] value, byte[] tags) {
     KeyValue keyValue = new KeyValue(row, family, qualifier, timestamp, type, value, tags);
@@ -766,10 +786,13 @@ public final class CellUtil {
 
   /**
    * Sets the given seqId to the cell.
+   * Marked as audience Private as of 1.2.0.
+   * Setting a Cell sequenceid is an internal implementation detail not for general public use.
    * @param cell
    * @param seqId
    * @throws IOException when the passed cell is not of type {@link SettableSequenceId}
    */
+  @InterfaceAudience.Private
   public static void setSequenceId(Cell cell, long seqId) throws IOException {
     if (cell instanceof SettableSequenceId) {
       ((SettableSequenceId) cell).setSequenceId(seqId);