diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index 31554b8801..042d3c50c3 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1383,6 +1383,8 @@ Release 0.23.7 - UNRELEASED
     HADOOP-9336. Allow UGI of current connection to be queried. (Daryn Sharp
     via kihwal)
 
+    HADOOP-9352. Expose UGI.setLoginUser for tests (daryn)
+
   OPTIMIZATIONS
 
   BUG FIXES
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/UserGroupInformation.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/UserGroupInformation.java
index b01e12b5a4..afca92f3cc 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/UserGroupInformation.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/UserGroupInformation.java
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@
 import org.apache.hadoop.util.Shell;
 import org.apache.hadoop.util.Time;
 
+import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
+
 /**
  * User and group information for Hadoop.
  * This class wraps around a JAAS Subject and provides methods to determine the
@@ -713,7 +715,8 @@ static UserGroupInformation getLoginUser() throws IOException {
 
   @InterfaceAudience.Private
   @InterfaceStability.Unstable
-  synchronized static void setLoginUser(UserGroupInformation ugi) {
+  @VisibleForTesting
+  public synchronized static void setLoginUser(UserGroupInformation ugi) {
     // if this is to become stable, should probably logout the currently
     // logged in ugi if it's different
     loginUser = ugi;
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/TestUserGroupInformation.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/TestUserGroupInformation.java
index 414aeb958d..858e33c3d1 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/TestUserGroupInformation.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/security/TestUserGroupInformation.java
@@ -644,4 +644,11 @@ public void testHasSufficientTimeElapsed() throws Exception {
     // Restore hasSufficientTimElapsed back to private
     method.setAccessible(false);
   }
+  
+  @Test(timeout=1000)
+  public void testSetLoginUser() throws IOException {
+    UserGroupInformation ugi = UserGroupInformation.createRemoteUser("test-user");
+    UserGroupInformation.setLoginUser(ugi);
+    assertEquals(ugi, UserGroupInformation.getLoginUser());
+  }
 }