diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/bin/yarn b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/bin/yarn
index 8e86b26cf2..6ef4e2c8e2 100755
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/bin/yarn
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/bin/yarn
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ ${HADOOP_COMMON_HOME}/${HADOOP_COMMON_LIB_JARS_DIR}"
     globalpolicygenerator)
       HADOOP_SUBCMD_SUPPORTDAEMONIZATION="true"
       HADOOP_CLASSNAME='org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.globalpolicygenerator.GlobalPolicyGenerator'
+      # Backwards compatibility
+      if [[ -n "${YARN_GLOBALPOLICYGENERATOR_HEAPSIZE}" ]]; then
+        HADOOP_HEAPSIZE_MAX="${YARN_GLOBALPOLICYGENERATOR_HEAPSIZE}"
+      fi
     ;;
     jar)
       HADOOP_CLASSNAME=org.apache.hadoop.util.RunJar
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/bin/yarn.cmd b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/bin/yarn.cmd
index 5207de816b..89dc5a3f3d 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/bin/yarn.cmd
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/bin/yarn.cmd
@@ -273,6 +273,9 @@ goto :eof
   set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;%YARN_CONF_DIR%\globalpolicygenerator-config\log4j.properties
   set CLASS=org.apache.hadoop.yarn.server.globalpolicygenerator.GlobalPolicyGenerator
   set YARN_OPTS=%YARN_OPTS% %YARN_GLOBALPOLICYGENERATOR_OPTS%
+  if defined YARN_GLOBALPOLICYGENERATOR_HEAPSIZE (
+    set JAVA_HEAP_MAX=-Xmx%YARN_GLOBALPOLICYGENERATOR_HEAPSIZE%m
+  )
   goto :eof
 
 :routeradmin
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/conf/yarn-env.sh b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/conf/yarn-env.sh
index 8d2ab06578..55d03668de 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/conf/yarn-env.sh
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/conf/yarn-env.sh
@@ -164,6 +164,11 @@
 # Global Policy Generator specific parameters
 ###
 
+# Specify the max heapsize for the Global Policy Generator.  If no units are
+# given, it will be assumed to be in MB.
+# Default is the same as HADOOP_HEAPSIZE_MAX
+#export YARN_GLOBALPOLICYGENERATOR_HEAPSIZE=
+
 # Specify the JVM options to be used when starting the GPG.
 # These options will be appended to the options specified as HADOOP_OPTS
 # and therefore may override any similar flags set in HADOOP_OPTS