diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/Path.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/Path.java
index f70ff01e4a..f4dec29a64 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/Path.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/Path.java
@@ -465,7 +465,12 @@ private Path getParentUtil() {
    * @return a new path with the suffix added
    */
   public Path suffix(String suffix) {
-    return new Path(getParent(), getName()+suffix);
+    Path parent = getParent();
+    if (parent == null) {
+      return new Path("/", getName() + suffix);
+    }
+
+    return new Path(parent, getName() + suffix);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestPath.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestPath.java
index 18f88084c3..e775d1d069 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestPath.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/TestPath.java
@@ -528,4 +528,11 @@ public void testSerDeser() throws Throwable {
     }
 
   }
+
+  @Test(timeout = 30000)
+  public void testSuffixFromRoot() {
+    Path root = new Path("/");
+    Assert.assertNull(root.getParent());
+    Assert.assertEquals(new Path("/bar"), root.suffix("bar"));
+  }
 }