diff --git a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/Admin.java b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/Admin.java
index 233935d9e94..5419c169830 100644
--- a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/Admin.java
+++ b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/Admin.java
@@ -124,6 +124,14 @@ public interface Admin extends Abortable, Closeable {
    */
   List<TableDescriptor> listTableDescriptors() throws IOException;
 
+  /**
+   * List all userspace tables and whether or not include system tables.
+   *
+   * @return a list of TableDescriptors
+   * @throws IOException if a remote or network exception occurs
+   */
+  List<TableDescriptor> listTableDescriptors(boolean includeSysTables) throws IOException;
+
   /**
    * List all the userspace tables that match the given pattern.
    *
diff --git a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/AdminOverAsyncAdmin.java b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/AdminOverAsyncAdmin.java
index 530fb04b077..f1f5b2ae2d0 100644
--- a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/AdminOverAsyncAdmin.java
+++ b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/AdminOverAsyncAdmin.java
@@ -131,6 +131,12 @@ class AdminOverAsyncAdmin implements Admin {
     return get(admin.listTableDescriptors());
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public List<TableDescriptor> listTableDescriptors(boolean includeSysTables)
+      throws IOException {
+    return get(admin.listTableDescriptors(includeSysTables));
+  }
+
   @Override
   public List<TableDescriptor> listTableDescriptors(Pattern pattern, boolean includeSysTables)
       throws IOException {
diff --git a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/RawAsyncHBaseAdmin.java b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/RawAsyncHBaseAdmin.java
index 2c51ef4dc8f..8c6ec0de8a3 100644
--- a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/RawAsyncHBaseAdmin.java
+++ b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/RawAsyncHBaseAdmin.java
@@ -493,7 +493,8 @@ class RawAsyncHBaseAdmin implements AsyncAdmin {
   public CompletableFuture<List<TableDescriptor>> listTableDescriptors(Pattern pattern,
       boolean includeSysTables) {
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(pattern,
-      "pattern is null. If you don't specify a pattern, use listTables(boolean) instead");
+      "pattern is null. If you don't specify a pattern, "
+          + "use listTableDescriptors(boolean) instead");
     return getTableDescriptors(RequestConverter.buildGetTableDescriptorsRequest(pattern,
       includeSysTables));
   }
@@ -501,7 +502,8 @@ class RawAsyncHBaseAdmin implements AsyncAdmin {
   @Override
   public CompletableFuture<List<TableDescriptor>> listTableDescriptors(List<TableName> tableNames) {
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(tableNames,
-      "tableNames is null. If you don't specify tableNames, " + "use listTables(boolean) instead");
+      "tableNames is null. If you don't specify tableNames, "
+          + "use listTableDescriptors(boolean) instead");
     if (tableNames.isEmpty()) {
       return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(Collections.emptyList());
     }
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/resources/hbase-webapps/master/rsgroup.jsp b/hbase-server/src/main/resources/hbase-webapps/master/rsgroup.jsp
index 0e5d6ac49ef..86260347d17 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/resources/hbase-webapps/master/rsgroup.jsp
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/resources/hbase-webapps/master/rsgroup.jsp
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@
     <% if (rsGroupTables != null && rsGroupTables.size() > 0) {
         List<TableDescriptor> tables;
         try (Admin admin = master.getConnection().getAdmin()) {
-            tables = master.isInitialized() ? admin.listTableDescriptors((Pattern)null, true) : null;
+            tables = master.isInitialized() ? admin.listTableDescriptors(true) : null;
         }
          Map<TableName, HTableDescriptor> tableDescriptors
             = tables.stream().collect(Collectors.toMap(TableDescriptor::getTableName, p -> new HTableDescriptor(p)));
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestAdmin.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestAdmin.java
index 6ff5dfa7a9b..d1ba1a71075 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestAdmin.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestAdmin.java
@@ -57,6 +57,18 @@ public class TestAdmin extends TestAdminBase {
 
   private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(TestAdmin.class);
 
+  @Test
+  public void testListTableDescriptors() throws IOException{
+    TableDescriptor metaTableDescriptor =  TEST_UTIL.getAdmin().
+        getDescriptor(TableName.META_TABLE_NAME);
+    List<TableDescriptor> tableDescriptors = TEST_UTIL.getAdmin().
+        listTableDescriptors(true);
+    assertTrue(tableDescriptors.contains(metaTableDescriptor));
+    tableDescriptors = TEST_UTIL.getAdmin().
+        listTableDescriptors(false);
+    assertFalse(tableDescriptors.contains(metaTableDescriptor));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testCreateTable() throws IOException {
     List<TableDescriptor> tables = ADMIN.listTableDescriptors();
diff --git a/hbase-thrift/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/thrift2/client/ThriftAdmin.java b/hbase-thrift/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/thrift2/client/ThriftAdmin.java
index 2f4ce92b33a..f3fdde72667 100644
--- a/hbase-thrift/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/thrift2/client/ThriftAdmin.java
+++ b/hbase-thrift/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/thrift2/client/ThriftAdmin.java
@@ -139,6 +139,11 @@ public class ThriftAdmin implements Admin {
     return listTableDescriptors((Pattern) null);
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public List<TableDescriptor> listTableDescriptors(boolean includeSysTables) throws IOException {
+    return listTableDescriptors(null, includeSysTables);
+  }
+
   @Override
   public List<TableDescriptor> listTableDescriptors(Pattern pattern) throws IOException {
     return listTableDescriptors(pattern, false);