diff --git a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/security/access/TablePermission.java b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/security/access/TablePermission.java
index 481655a26f7..3c75730f41a 100644
--- a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/security/access/TablePermission.java
+++ b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/security/access/TablePermission.java
@@ -320,7 +320,8 @@ public class TablePermission extends Permission {
     }
     TablePermission other = (TablePermission)obj;
 
-    if (!(table.equals(other.getTableName()) &&
+    if (!(((table == null && other.getTableName() == null) ||
+           (table != null && table.equals(other.getTableName()))) &&
         ((family == null && other.getFamily() == null) ||
          Bytes.equals(family, other.getFamily())) &&
         ((qualifier == null && other.getQualifier() == null) ||
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/security/access/TestTablePermissions.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/security/access/TestTablePermissions.java
index 9b35ed1f608..84fa04dbebe 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/security/access/TestTablePermissions.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/security/access/TestTablePermissions.java
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ public class TestTablePermissions {
     }
   };
 
+  private static String TEST_NAMESPACE = "perms_test_ns";
+  private static String TEST_NAMESPACE2 = "perms_test_ns2";
   private static TableName TEST_TABLE =
       TableName.valueOf("perms_test");
   private static TableName TEST_TABLE2 =
@@ -400,6 +402,15 @@ public class TestTablePermissions {
     p2 = new TablePermission(TEST_TABLE, null);
     assertFalse(p1.equals(p2));
     assertFalse(p2.equals(p1));
+
+    p1 = new TablePermission(TEST_NAMESPACE, TablePermission.Action.READ);
+    p2 = new TablePermission(TEST_NAMESPACE, TablePermission.Action.READ);
+    assertEquals(p1, p2);
+
+    p1 = new TablePermission(TEST_NAMESPACE, TablePermission.Action.READ);
+    p2 = new TablePermission(TEST_NAMESPACE2, TablePermission.Action.READ);
+    assertFalse(p1.equals(p2));
+    assertFalse(p2.equals(p1));
   }
 
   @Test