diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/HMaster.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/HMaster.java
index b49b5c20f33..31df068e436 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/HMaster.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/HMaster.java
@@ -2085,13 +2085,8 @@ Server {
         LOG.warn("assignRegion specifier type: expected: " + RegionSpecifierType.REGION_NAME
           + " actual: " + type);
       }
-      RegionStates regionStates = assignmentManager.getRegionStates();
-      HRegionInfo regionInfo = regionStates.getRegionInfo(regionName);
+      HRegionInfo regionInfo = assignmentManager.getRegionStates().getRegionInfo(regionName);
       if (regionInfo == null) throw new UnknownRegionException(Bytes.toString(regionName));
-      RegionState regionState = regionStates.getRegionState(regionInfo);
-      if (regionState != null && !regionState.isOffline()) {
-        throw new IOException("Region " + regionInfo + " is not offline");
-      }
       if (cpHost != null) {
         if (cpHost.preAssign(regionInfo)) {
           return arr;
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/RegionStates.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/RegionStates.java
index 7f382fd552d..7eff4129cd2 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/RegionStates.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/RegionStates.java
@@ -132,13 +132,6 @@ public class RegionStates {
     return regionAssignments.containsKey(hri);
   }
 
-  /**
-   * @return the server the specified region assigned to; null if not assigned.
-   */
-  public synchronized ServerName getAssignedServer(final HRegionInfo hri) {
-    return regionAssignments.get(hri);
-  }
-
   /**
    * Wait for the state map to be updated by assignment manager.
    */
@@ -526,11 +519,7 @@ public class RegionStates {
     try {
       Pair<HRegionInfo, ServerName> p =
         MetaReader.getRegion(server.getCatalogTracker(), regionName);
-      HRegionInfo hri = p == null ? null : p.getFirst();
-      if (hri != null) {
-        createRegionState(hri);
-      }
-      return hri;
+      return p == null ? null : p.getFirst();
     } catch (IOException e) {
       server.abort("Aborting because error occoured while reading " +
         Bytes.toStringBinary(regionName) + " from .META.", e);
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/ruby/shell/commands/assign.rb b/hbase-server/src/main/ruby/shell/commands/assign.rb
index 7dc470811b4..4c83d3cf200 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/ruby/shell/commands/assign.rb
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/ruby/shell/commands/assign.rb
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ module Shell
       def help
         return <<-EOF
 Assign a region.Use with caution.If region already assigned,
-this command will throw an exception. For experts only.
+this command will just go ahead and reassign
+the region anyways. For experts only.
 EOF
       end