diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index c1412b56f6a..3e3825d9256 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ Release 0.19.0 - Unreleased
    HBASE-976   HADOOP 0.19.0 RC0 is broke; replace with HEAD of branch-0.19
    HBASE-977   Arcane HStoreKey comparator bug
    HBASE-979   REST web app is not started automatically
-
+   HBASE-964   Startup stuck "waiting for root region"
+   
   IMPROVEMENTS
    HBASE-901   Add a limit to key length, check key and value length on client side
    HBASE-890   Alter table operation and also related changes in REST interface
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionServer.java b/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionServer.java
index 9a524234f8b..9f2aad8e829 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionServer.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionServer.java
@@ -123,7 +123,6 @@ public class HRegionServer implements HConstants, HRegionInterface, Runnable {
   protected final HBaseConfiguration conf;
 
   private final ServerConnection connection;
-  private final AtomicBoolean haveRootRegion = new AtomicBoolean(false);
   private FileSystem fs;
   private Path rootDir;
   private final Random rand = new Random();
@@ -304,8 +303,20 @@ public class HRegionServer implements HConstants, HRegionInterface, Runnable {
     boolean quiesceRequested = false;
     // A sleeper that sleeps for msgInterval.
     Sleeper sleeper = new Sleeper(this.msgInterval, this.stopRequested);
+    boolean haveRootRegion = false;
     try {
       init(reportForDuty(sleeper));
+      // Try to get the root region location from the master. 
+      if (!haveRootRegion) {
+        HServerAddress rootServer = hbaseMaster.getRootRegionLocation();
+        if (rootServer != null) {
+          // By setting the root region location, we bypass the wait imposed on
+          // HTable for all regions being assigned.
+          this.connection.setRootRegionLocation(
+              new HRegionLocation(HRegionInfo.ROOT_REGIONINFO, rootServer));
+          haveRootRegion = true;
+        }
+      }
       long lastMsg = 0;
       // Now ask master what it wants us to do and tell it what we have done
       for (int tries = 0; !stopRequested.get() && isHealthy();) {
@@ -693,17 +704,6 @@ public class HRegionServer implements HConstants, HRegionInterface, Runnable {
    * the end of the main HRegionServer run loop.
    */
   private void housekeeping() {
-    // Try to get the root region location from the master. 
-    if (!haveRootRegion.get()) {
-      HServerAddress rootServer = hbaseMaster.getRootRegionLocation();
-      if (rootServer != null) {
-        // By setting the root region location, we bypass the wait imposed on
-        // HTable for all regions being assigned.
-        this.connection.setRootRegionLocation(
-            new HRegionLocation(HRegionInfo.ROOT_REGIONINFO, rootServer));
-        haveRootRegion.set(true);
-      }
-    }
     // If the todo list has > 0 messages, iterate looking for open region
     // messages. Send the master a message that we're working on its
     // processing so it doesn't assign the region elsewhere.