diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index 705b8a9aff..5600cdc6a5 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1178,6 +1178,9 @@ Release 2.1.0-beta - 2013-07-02
     HDFS-4951. FsShell commands using secure httpfs throw exceptions due 
     to missing TokenRenewer. (rknater via tucu)
 
+    HDFS-4969. WebhdfsFileSystem expects non-standard WEBHDFS Json element. 
+    (rkanter via tucu)
+
 Release 2.0.5-alpha - 06/06/2013
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/web/JsonUtil.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/web/JsonUtil.java
index 623ac89222..3afc59b1d9 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/web/JsonUtil.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/web/JsonUtil.java
@@ -248,7 +248,9 @@ public static HdfsFileStatus toFileStatus(final Map<?, ?> json, boolean includes
     final short replication = (short) (long) (Long) m.get("replication");
     final long fileId = m.containsKey("fileId") ? (Long) m.get("fileId")
         : INodeId.GRANDFATHER_INODE_ID;
-    final int childrenNum = (int) (long) (Long) m.get("childrenNum");
+    Long childrenNumLong = (Long) m.get("childrenNum");
+    final int childrenNum = (childrenNumLong == null) ? 0
+            : childrenNumLong.intValue();
     return new HdfsFileStatus(len, type == PathType.DIRECTORY, replication,
         blockSize, mTime, aTime, permission, owner, group,
         symlink, DFSUtil.string2Bytes(localName), fileId, childrenNum);