diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index 14a95499f5..595d64915c 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -535,6 +535,9 @@ Release 2.0.0 - UNRELEASED
     HDFS-3165. HDFS Balancer scripts are refering to wrong path of
     hadoop-daemon.sh (Amith D K via eli)
 
+    HDFS-891. DataNode no longer needs to check for dfs.network.script.
+    (harsh via eli)
+
   BREAKDOWN OF HDFS-1623 SUBTASKS
 
     HDFS-2179. Add fencing framework and mechanisms for NameNode HA. (todd)
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/DataNode.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/DataNode.java
index f04fea8204..6bb78df6bc 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/DataNode.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/DataNode.java
@@ -1513,11 +1513,6 @@ public static DataNode instantiateDataNode(String args [], Configuration conf,
       printUsage();
       return null;
     }
-    if (conf.get("dfs.network.script") != null) {
-      LOG.error("This configuration for rack identification is not supported" +
-          " anymore. RackID resolution is handled by the NameNode.");
-      System.exit(-1);
-    }
     Collection<URI> dataDirs = getStorageDirs(conf);
     UserGroupInformation.setConfiguration(conf);
     SecurityUtil.login(conf, DFS_DATANODE_KEYTAB_FILE_KEY,