diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 38d7f436660..01fc74d9c3f 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -271,6 +271,8 @@ Release 0.90.3 - Unreleased
    HBASE-3794  TestRpcMetrics fails on machine where region server is running
                (Alex Newman)
    HBASE-3741  Make HRegionServer aware of the regions it's opening/closing
+   HBASE-3597  ageOfLastAppliedOp should update after cluster replication
+               failures
 
   IMPROVEMENTS
    HBASE-3747  ReplicationSource should differanciate remote and local exceptions
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/replication/regionserver/ReplicationSource.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/replication/regionserver/ReplicationSource.java
index b024f06536c..2e8de8b2b86 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/replication/regionserver/ReplicationSource.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/replication/regionserver/ReplicationSource.java
@@ -578,6 +578,8 @@ public class ReplicationSource extends Thread
         break;
 
       } catch (IOException ioe) {
+        // Didn't ship anything, but must still age the last time we did
+        this.metrics.refreshAgeOfLastShippedOp();
         if (ioe instanceof RemoteException) {
           ioe = ((RemoteException) ioe).unwrapRemoteException();
           LOG.warn("Can't replicate because of an error on the remote cluster: ", ioe);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/replication/regionserver/ReplicationSourceMetrics.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/replication/regionserver/ReplicationSourceMetrics.java
index c90eb222814..85b42579eb0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/replication/regionserver/ReplicationSourceMetrics.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/replication/regionserver/ReplicationSourceMetrics.java
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ public class ReplicationSourceMetrics implements Updater {
   public final MetricsIntValue sizeOfLogQueue =
       new MetricsIntValue("sizeOfLogQueue", registry);
 
+  // It's a little dirty to preset the age to now since if we fail
+  // to replicate the very first time then it will show that age instead
+  // of nothing (although that might not be good either).
+  private long lastTimestampForAge = System.currentTimeMillis();
+
   /**
    * Constructor used to register the metrics
    * @param id Name of the source this class is monitoring
@@ -90,7 +95,17 @@ public class ReplicationSourceMetrics implements Updater {
    * @param timestamp write time of the edit
    */
   public void setAgeOfLastShippedOp(long timestamp) {
-    ageOfLastShippedOp.set(System.currentTimeMillis() - timestamp);
+    lastTimestampForAge = timestamp;
+    ageOfLastShippedOp.set(System.currentTimeMillis() - lastTimestampForAge);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Convenience method to use the last given timestamp to refresh the age
+   * of the last edit. Used when replication fails and need to keep that
+   * metric accurate.
+   */
+  public void refreshAgeOfLastShippedOp() {
+    setAgeOfLastShippedOp(lastTimestampForAge);
   }
 
   @Override