diff --git a/solr/CHANGES.txt b/solr/CHANGES.txt
index 1ca68e2860a..0884640c4aa 100644
--- a/solr/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/solr/CHANGES.txt
@@ -379,6 +379,9 @@ Bug Fixes
  
 * SOLR-3352: eDismax: pf2 should kick in for a query with 2 terms (janhoy)
 
+* SOLR-3361: ReplicationHandler "maxNumberOfBackups" doesn't work if backups are triggered on commit
+  (James Dyer, Tomas Fernandez Lobbe)
+
 Other Changes
 ----------------------
 
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/ReplicationHandler.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/ReplicationHandler.java
index 11c226f1027..f954118a336 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/ReplicationHandler.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/ReplicationHandler.java
@@ -993,9 +993,13 @@ public class ReplicationHandler extends RequestHandlerBase implements SolrCoreAw
           ***/
         }
         if (snapshoot) {
-          try {
+          try {            
+            int numberToKeep = numberBackupsToKeep;
+            if (numberToKeep < 1) {
+              numberToKeep = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
+            }            
             SnapShooter snapShooter = new SnapShooter(core, null);
-            snapShooter.createSnapAsync(currentCommitPoint, ReplicationHandler.this);
+            snapShooter.createSnapAsync(currentCommitPoint, numberToKeep, ReplicationHandler.this);
           } catch (Exception e) {
             LOG.error("Exception while snapshooting", e);
           }
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test-files/solr/conf/solrconfig-master1-keepOneBackup.xml b/solr/core/src/test-files/solr/conf/solrconfig-master1-keepOneBackup.xml
index 13a14dac232..ed223e09609 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test-files/solr/conf/solrconfig-master1-keepOneBackup.xml
+++ b/solr/core/src/test-files/solr/conf/solrconfig-master1-keepOneBackup.xml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 
   <requestHandler name="/replication" class="solr.ReplicationHandler">
     <lst name="master">
-      <str name="replicateAfter">commit</str>
+      <str name="backupAfter">commit</str>
       <str name="confFiles">schema-replication2.xml:schema.xml</str>
     </lst>    
     <str name="maxNumberOfBackups">1</str>
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/handler/TestReplicationHandler.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/handler/TestReplicationHandler.java
index 05d79dcc9ec..4efa357e15f 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/handler/TestReplicationHandler.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/handler/TestReplicationHandler.java
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ public class TestReplicationHandler extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
   }
 
   public void test() throws Exception {
-    doTestReplicateAfterCoreReload();
+   doTestReplicateAfterCoreReload();
     doTestDetails();
     doTestReplicateAfterWrite2Slave();
     doTestIndexAndConfigReplication();
@@ -776,7 +776,6 @@ public class TestReplicationHandler extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
     if(random().nextBoolean()) {
       configFile = "solrconfig-master1-keepOneBackup.xml";
       addNumberToKeepInRequest = false;
-      backupKeepParamName = ReplicationHandler.NUMBER_BACKUPS_TO_KEEP_INIT_PARAM;
     }
     
     masterJetty.stop();
@@ -864,8 +863,16 @@ public class TestReplicationHandler extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
     File[] snapDir = new File[2];
     String firstBackupTimestamp = null;
     for(int i=0 ; i<2 ; i++) {
-      BackupThread backupThread = new BackupThread(addNumberToKeepInRequest, backupKeepParamName);
-      backupThread.start();
+      BackupThread backupThread = null;
+      if(!addNumberToKeepInRequest) {
+        if(random().nextBoolean()) {
+          masterClient.commit();
+        } else {
+          backupThread = new BackupThread(addNumberToKeepInRequest, backupKeepParamName);
+          backupThread.start();
+        }
+      }
+      
       
       File dataDir = new File(master.getDataDir());
       
@@ -890,7 +897,7 @@ public class TestReplicationHandler extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
         waitCnt++;
       }
       
-      if(backupThread.fail != null) {
+      if(backupThread!= null && backupThread.fail != null) {
         fail(backupThread.fail);
       }