diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index 94a9f884cf..311e3b055a 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -258,6 +258,9 @@ Branch-2 ( Unreleased changes )
     called with a null key or value. (Madhukara Phatak
     and Suresh Srinivas via harsh)
 
+    HADOOP-7818. DiskChecker#checkDir should fail if the directory is
+    not executable. (Madhukara Phatak via harsh)
+
   BUG FIXES
 
     HADOOP-8372. NetUtils.normalizeHostName() incorrectly handles hostname
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/DiskChecker.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/DiskChecker.java
index fb21ab518c..ac635a9c22 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/DiskChecker.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/DiskChecker.java
@@ -78,26 +78,32 @@ public static boolean mkdirsWithExistsCheck(File dir) {
   }
   
   /**
-   * Create the directory if it doesn't exist and
+   * Create the directory if it doesn't exist and check that dir is readable,
+   * writable and executable
+   *  
    * @param dir
    * @throws DiskErrorException
    */
   public static void checkDir(File dir) throws DiskErrorException {
     if (!mkdirsWithExistsCheck(dir))
-      throw new DiskErrorException("can not create directory: " 
+      throw new DiskErrorException("Can not create directory: "
                                    + dir.toString());
-        
+
     if (!dir.isDirectory())
-      throw new DiskErrorException("not a directory: " 
+      throw new DiskErrorException("Not a directory: "
                                    + dir.toString());
-            
+
     if (!dir.canRead())
-      throw new DiskErrorException("directory is not readable: " 
+      throw new DiskErrorException("Directory is not readable: "
                                    + dir.toString());
-            
+
     if (!dir.canWrite())
-      throw new DiskErrorException("directory is not writable: " 
+      throw new DiskErrorException("Directory is not writable: "
                                    + dir.toString());
+
+    if (!dir.canExecute())
+      throw new DiskErrorException("Directory is not executable: "
+	  + dir.toString());
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/TestDiskChecker.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/TestDiskChecker.java
index 3748cfe347..e8ff9fffd8 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/TestDiskChecker.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/TestDiskChecker.java
@@ -124,4 +124,53 @@ private void _checkDirs(boolean isDir, FsPermission perm, boolean success)
     }
     System.out.println("checkDir success: "+ success);
   }
+
+  /**
+   * These test cases test to test the creation of a local folder with correct
+   * permission for result of mapper.
+   */
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCheckDir_normal_local() throws Throwable {
+    _checkDirs(true, "755", true);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCheckDir_notDir_local() throws Throwable {
+    _checkDirs(false, "000", false);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCheckDir_notReadable_local() throws Throwable {
+    _checkDirs(true, "000", false);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCheckDir_notWritable_local() throws Throwable {
+    _checkDirs(true, "444", false);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCheckDir_notListable_local() throws Throwable {
+    _checkDirs(true, "666", false);
+  }
+
+  private void _checkDirs(boolean isDir, String perm, boolean success)
+      throws Throwable {
+    File localDir = File.createTempFile("test", "tmp");
+    localDir.delete();
+    localDir.mkdir();
+    Runtime.getRuntime().exec(
+	"chmod " + perm + "  " + localDir.getAbsolutePath()).waitFor();
+    try {
+      DiskChecker.checkDir(localDir);
+      assertTrue("checkDir success", success);
+    } catch (DiskErrorException e) {
+      e.printStackTrace();
+      assertFalse("checkDir success", success);
+    }
+    localDir.delete();
+    System.out.println("checkDir success: " + success);
+
+  }
 }