diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/DistCpOptions.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/DistCpOptions.java
index ece1a9426e..f33f7fdcb9 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/DistCpOptions.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/DistCpOptions.java
@@ -534,11 +534,6 @@ private void validate() {
             + "mutually exclusive");
       }
 
-      if (!syncFolder && skipCRC) {
-        throw new IllegalArgumentException(
-            "Skip CRC is valid only with update options");
-      }
-
       if (!syncFolder && append) {
         throw new IllegalArgumentException(
             "Append is valid only with update options");
diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/mapred/RetriableFileCopyCommand.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/mapred/RetriableFileCopyCommand.java
index 031106134c..55f90d032c 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/mapred/RetriableFileCopyCommand.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/mapred/RetriableFileCopyCommand.java
@@ -210,15 +210,30 @@ private void compareCheckSums(FileSystem sourceFS, Path source,
       throws IOException {
     if (!DistCpUtils.checksumsAreEqual(sourceFS, source, sourceChecksum,
         targetFS, target)) {
-      StringBuilder errorMessage = new StringBuilder("Check-sum mismatch between ")
-          .append(source).append(" and ").append(target).append(".");
-      if (sourceFS.getFileStatus(source).getBlockSize() !=
+      StringBuilder errorMessage =
+          new StringBuilder("Checksum mismatch between ")
+              .append(source).append(" and ").append(target).append(".");
+      boolean addSkipHint = false;
+      String srcScheme = sourceFS.getScheme();
+      String targetScheme = targetFS.getScheme();
+      if (!srcScheme.equals(targetScheme)
+          && !(srcScheme.contains("hdfs") && targetScheme.contains("hdfs"))) {
+        // the filesystems are different and they aren't both hdfs connectors
+        errorMessage.append("Source and destination filesystems are of"
+            + " different types\n")
+            .append("Their checksum algorithms may be incompatible");
+        addSkipHint = true;
+      } else if (sourceFS.getFileStatus(source).getBlockSize() !=
           targetFS.getFileStatus(target).getBlockSize()) {
-        errorMessage.append(" Source and target differ in block-size.")
-            .append(" Use -pb to preserve block-sizes during copy.")
-            .append(" Alternatively, skip checksum-checks altogether, using -skipCrc.")
+        errorMessage.append(" Source and target differ in block-size.\n")
+            .append(" Use -pb to preserve block-sizes during copy.");
+        addSkipHint = true;
+      }
+      if (addSkipHint) {
+        errorMessage.append(" You can skip checksum-checks altogether "
+            + " with -skipcrccheck.\n")
             .append(" (NOTE: By skipping checksums, one runs the risk of " +
-                "masking data-corruption during file-transfer.)");
+                "masking data-corruption during file-transfer.)\n");
       }
       throw new IOException(errorMessage.toString());
     }
diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/mapred/TestCopyMapper.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/mapred/TestCopyMapper.java
index da51326454..bbe7e8d925 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/mapred/TestCopyMapper.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/mapred/TestCopyMapper.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 import org.apache.hadoop.metrics2.MetricsRecordBuilder;
 import org.apache.hadoop.security.AccessControlException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.security.UserGroupInformation;
+import org.apache.hadoop.test.GenericTestUtils;
 import org.apache.hadoop.tools.CopyListingFileStatus;
 import org.apache.hadoop.tools.DistCpConstants;
 import org.apache.hadoop.tools.DistCpOptionSwitch;
@@ -937,7 +938,7 @@ public void testPreserveBlockSizeAndReplication() {
   }
 
   @Test(timeout=40000)
-  public void testCopyFailOnBlockSizeDifference() {
+  public void testCopyFailOnBlockSizeDifference() throws Exception {
     try {
       deleteState();
       createSourceDataWithDifferentBlockSize();
@@ -964,12 +965,11 @@ public void testCopyFailOnBlockSizeDifference() {
 
       Assert.fail("Copy should have failed because of block-size difference.");
     }
-    catch (Exception exception) {
-      // Check that the exception suggests the use of -pb/-skipCrc.
-      Assert.assertTrue("Failure exception should have suggested the use of -pb.",
-          exception.getCause().getCause().getMessage().contains("pb"));
-      Assert.assertTrue("Failure exception should have suggested the use of -skipCrc.",
-          exception.getCause().getCause().getMessage().contains("skipCrc"));
+    catch (IOException exception) {
+      // Check that the exception suggests the use of -pb/-skipcrccheck.
+      Throwable cause = exception.getCause().getCause();
+      GenericTestUtils.assertExceptionContains("-pb", cause);
+      GenericTestUtils.assertExceptionContains("-skipcrccheck", cause);
     }
   }