diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index 497456e0c2..f542317acd 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -453,6 +453,9 @@ Release 2.4.0 - UNRELEASED
 
     HDFS-3128. Unit tests should not use a test root in /tmp. (wang)
 
+    HDFS-5948. TestBackupNode flakes with port in use error. (Haohui Mai
+    via Arpit Agarwal)
+
 Release 2.3.1 - UNRELEASED
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestBackupNode.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestBackupNode.java
index fc56eb48c2..f01be4b99f 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestBackupNode.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/TestBackupNode.java
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ void testCheckpoint(StartupOption op) throws Exception {
     HAUtil.setAllowStandbyReads(conf, true);
     short replication = (short)conf.getInt("dfs.replication", 3);
     int numDatanodes = Math.max(3, replication);
+    conf.set(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_BACKUP_HTTP_ADDRESS_KEY, "localhost:0");
     conf.set(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_BLOCKREPORT_INITIAL_DELAY_KEY, "0");
     conf.setInt(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_DATANODE_SCAN_PERIOD_HOURS_KEY, -1); // disable block scanner
     conf.setInt(DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_CHECKPOINT_TXNS_KEY, 1);