diff --git a/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HBaseConfiguration.java b/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HBaseConfiguration.java
index e831774d58d..fab08354867 100644
--- a/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HBaseConfiguration.java
+++ b/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HBaseConfiguration.java
@@ -254,35 +254,14 @@ public class HBaseConfiguration extends Configuration {
    */
   public static String getPassword(Configuration conf, String alias,
       String defPass) throws IOException {
-    String passwd = null;
-    try {
-      Method m = Configuration.class.getMethod("getPassword", String.class);
-      char[] p = (char[]) m.invoke(conf, alias);
-      if (p != null) {
-        LOG.debug(String.format("Config option \"%s\" was found through" +
-            " the Configuration getPassword method.", alias));
-        passwd = new String(p);
-      } else {
-        LOG.debug(String.format(
-            "Config option \"%s\" was not found. Using provided default value",
-            alias));
-        passwd = defPass;
-      }
-    } catch (NoSuchMethodException e) {
-      // this is a version of Hadoop where the credential
-      //provider API doesn't exist yet
-      LOG.debug(String.format(
-          "Credential.getPassword method is not available." +
-              " Falling back to configuration."));
-      passwd = conf.get(alias, defPass);
-    } catch (SecurityException e) {
-      throw new IOException(e.getMessage(), e);
-    } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
-      throw new IOException(e.getMessage(), e);
-    } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
-      throw new IOException(e.getMessage(), e);
-    } catch (InvocationTargetException e) {
-      throw new IOException(e.getMessage(), e);
+    String passwd;
+    char[] p = conf.getPassword(alias);
+    if (p != null) {
+      LOG.debug("Config option {} was found through the Configuration getPassword method.", alias);
+      passwd = new String(p);
+    } else {
+      LOG.debug("Config option {} was not found. Using provided default value", alias);
+      passwd = defPass;
     }
     return passwd;
   }