diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/conf/Configuration.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/conf/Configuration.java
index 1e8ed503c3..dbbc8ff20e 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/conf/Configuration.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/conf/Configuration.java
@@ -943,10 +943,15 @@ private static int[] findSubVariable(String eval) {
    *
    * If var is unbounded the current state of expansion "prefix${var}suffix" is
    * returned.
-   *
-   * If a cycle is detected: replacing var1 requires replacing var2 ... requires
-   * replacing var1, i.e., the cycle is shorter than
-   * {@link Configuration#MAX_SUBST} then the original expr is returned.
+   * <p>
+   * This function also detects self-referential substitutions, i.e.
+   * <pre>
+   *   {@code
+   *   foo.bar = ${foo.bar}
+   *   }
+   * </pre>
+   * If a cycle is detected then the original expr is returned. Loops
+   * involving multiple substitutions are not detected.
    *
    * @param expr the literal value of a config key
    * @return null if expr is null, otherwise the value resulting from expanding
@@ -959,7 +964,6 @@ private String substituteVars(String expr) {
       return null;
     }
     String eval = expr;
-    Set<String> evalSet = null;
     for(int s = 0; s < MAX_SUBST; s++) {
       final int[] varBounds = findSubVariable(eval);
       if (varBounds[SUB_START_IDX] == -1) {
@@ -1004,15 +1008,12 @@ private String substituteVars(String expr) {
         return eval; // return literal ${var}: var is unbound
       }
 
-      // prevent recursive resolution
-      //
       final int dollar = varBounds[SUB_START_IDX] - "${".length();
       final int afterRightBrace = varBounds[SUB_END_IDX] + "}".length();
       final String refVar = eval.substring(dollar, afterRightBrace);
-      if (evalSet == null) {
-        evalSet = new HashSet<String>();
-      }
-      if (!evalSet.add(refVar)) {
+
+      // detect self-referential values
+      if (val.contains(refVar)) {
         return expr; // return original expression if there is a loop
       }
 
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/conf/TestConfiguration.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/conf/TestConfiguration.java
index 917ccbce29..17112f5c9f 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/conf/TestConfiguration.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/conf/TestConfiguration.java
@@ -168,6 +168,9 @@ public void testVariableSubstitution() throws IOException {
     declareProperty("my.fullfile", "${my.base}/${my.file}${my.suffix}", "/tmp/hadoop_user/hello.txt");
     // check that undefined variables are returned as-is
     declareProperty("my.failsexpand", "a${my.undefvar}b", "a${my.undefvar}b");
+    // check that multiple variable references are resolved
+    declareProperty("my.user.group", "${user.name} ${user.name}",
+        "hadoop_user hadoop_user");
     endConfig();
     Path fileResource = new Path(CONFIG);
     mock.addResource(fileResource);
@@ -1508,7 +1511,7 @@ public void testSettingKeyNull() throws Exception {
     }
   }
 
-  public void testInvalidSubstitutation() {
+  public void testInvalidSubstitution() {
     final Configuration configuration = new Configuration(false);
 
     // 2-var loops
@@ -1522,25 +1525,6 @@ public void testInvalidSubstitutation() {
       configuration.set(key, keyExpression);
       assertEquals("Unexpected value", keyExpression, configuration.get(key));
     }
-
-    //
-    // 3-variable loops
-    //
-
-    final String expVal1 = "${test.var2}";
-    String testVar1 = "test.var1";
-    configuration.set(testVar1, expVal1);
-    configuration.set("test.var2", "${test.var3}");
-    configuration.set("test.var3", "${test.var1}");
-    assertEquals("Unexpected value", expVal1, configuration.get(testVar1));
-
-    // 3-variable loop with non-empty value prefix/suffix
-    //
-    final String expVal2 = "foo2${test.var2}bar2";
-    configuration.set(testVar1, expVal2);
-    configuration.set("test.var2", "foo3${test.var3}bar3");
-    configuration.set("test.var3", "foo1${test.var1}bar1");
-    assertEquals("Unexpected value", expVal2, configuration.get(testVar1));
   }
 
   public void testIncompleteSubbing() {