diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/lib/server/Server.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/lib/server/Server.java
index feefcef525..2b2d746af9 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/lib/server/Server.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/lib/server/Server.java
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ public class Server {
    * path.
    */
   private String checkAbsolutePath(String value, String name) {
-    if (!value.startsWith("/")) {
+    if (!new File(value).isAbsolute()) {
       throw new IllegalArgumentException(
         MessageFormat.format("[{0}] must be an absolute path [{1}]", name, value));
     }
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/http/client/BaseTestHttpFSWith.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/http/client/BaseTestHttpFSWith.java
index 3d96fd8326..2ec1fcb933 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/http/client/BaseTestHttpFSWith.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/http/client/BaseTestHttpFSWith.java
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ public abstract class BaseTestHttpFSWith extends HFSTestCase {
     }
   }
 
-  private void testSetPermission() throws Exception {
+  protected void testSetPermission() throws Exception {
     FileSystem fs = FileSystem.get(getProxiedFSConf());
     Path path = new Path(getProxiedFSTestDir(), "foodir");
     fs.mkdirs(path);
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/http/client/TestHttpFSFileSystemLocalFileSystem.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/http/client/TestHttpFSFileSystemLocalFileSystem.java
index 0cb0cc64b3..e9a80e3465 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/http/client/TestHttpFSFileSystemLocalFileSystem.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/http/client/TestHttpFSFileSystemLocalFileSystem.java
@@ -20,8 +20,13 @@ package org.apache.hadoop.fs.http.client;
 
 import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.CommonConfigurationKeysPublic;
+import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileStatus;
+import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileSystem;
+import org.apache.hadoop.fs.permission.FsAction;
+import org.apache.hadoop.fs.permission.FsPermission;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path;
 import org.apache.hadoop.test.TestDirHelper;
+import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.junit.runners.Parameterized;
 
@@ -65,21 +70,31 @@ public class TestHttpFSFileSystemLocalFileSystem extends BaseTestHttpFSWith {
   }
 
   protected Path addPrefix(Path path) {
-    URI uri = path.toUri();
-    try {
-      if (uri.getAuthority() != null) {
-        uri = new URI(uri.getScheme(),
-                      uri.getAuthority(), PATH_PREFIX + uri.getPath());
-      }
-      else {
-        if (uri.getPath().startsWith("/")) {
-          uri = new URI(PATH_PREFIX + uri.getPath());
-        }
-      }
-    } catch (URISyntaxException ex) {
-      throw new RuntimeException("It should not happen: " + ex.toString(), ex);
-    }
-    return new Path(uri);
+    return Path.mergePaths(new Path(PATH_PREFIX), path);
   }
 
+  @Override
+  protected void testSetPermission() throws Exception {
+    if (Path.WINDOWS) {
+      FileSystem fs = FileSystem.get(getProxiedFSConf());
+      Path path = new Path(getProxiedFSTestDir(), "foodir");
+      fs.mkdirs(path);
+
+      fs = getHttpFSFileSystem();
+      FsPermission permission1 = new FsPermission(FsAction.READ_WRITE, FsAction.NONE, FsAction.NONE);
+      fs.setPermission(path, permission1);
+      fs.close();
+
+      fs = FileSystem.get(getProxiedFSConf());
+      FileStatus status1 = fs.getFileStatus(path);
+      fs.close();
+      FsPermission permission2 = status1.getPermission();
+      Assert.assertEquals(permission2, permission1);
+
+      // sticky bit not supported on Windows with local file system, so the
+      // subclass skips that part of the test
+    } else {
+      super.testSetPermission();
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/lib/server/TestServer.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/lib/server/TestServer.java
index 2e28441d71..a6a139f23e 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/lib/server/TestServer.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/lib/server/TestServer.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.test.HTestCase;
 import org.apache.hadoop.test.TestDir;
 import org.apache.hadoop.test.TestDirHelper;
 import org.apache.hadoop.test.TestException;
+import org.apache.hadoop.util.Shell;
 import org.apache.hadoop.util.StringUtils;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
@@ -50,21 +51,24 @@ public class TestServer extends HTestCase {
   @Test
   @TestDir
   public void constructorsGetters() throws Exception {
-    Server server = new Server("server", "/a", "/b", "/c", "/d", new Configuration(false));
-    assertEquals(server.getHomeDir(), "/a");
-    assertEquals(server.getConfigDir(), "/b");
-    assertEquals(server.getLogDir(), "/c");
-    assertEquals(server.getTempDir(), "/d");
+    Server server = new Server("server", getAbsolutePath("/a"),
+      getAbsolutePath("/b"), getAbsolutePath("/c"), getAbsolutePath("/d"),
+      new Configuration(false));
+    assertEquals(server.getHomeDir(), getAbsolutePath("/a"));
+    assertEquals(server.getConfigDir(), getAbsolutePath("/b"));
+    assertEquals(server.getLogDir(), getAbsolutePath("/c"));
+    assertEquals(server.getTempDir(), getAbsolutePath("/d"));
     assertEquals(server.getName(), "server");
     assertEquals(server.getPrefix(), "server");
     assertEquals(server.getPrefixedName("name"), "server.name");
     assertNotNull(server.getConfig());
 
-    server = new Server("server", "/a", "/b", "/c", "/d");
-    assertEquals(server.getHomeDir(), "/a");
-    assertEquals(server.getConfigDir(), "/b");
-    assertEquals(server.getLogDir(), "/c");
-    assertEquals(server.getTempDir(), "/d");
+    server = new Server("server", getAbsolutePath("/a"), getAbsolutePath("/b"),
+      getAbsolutePath("/c"), getAbsolutePath("/d"));
+    assertEquals(server.getHomeDir(), getAbsolutePath("/a"));
+    assertEquals(server.getConfigDir(), getAbsolutePath("/b"));
+    assertEquals(server.getLogDir(), getAbsolutePath("/c"));
+    assertEquals(server.getTempDir(), getAbsolutePath("/d"));
     assertEquals(server.getName(), "server");
     assertEquals(server.getPrefix(), "server");
     assertEquals(server.getPrefixedName("name"), "server.name");
@@ -793,4 +797,14 @@ public class TestServer extends HTestCase {
     server.destroy();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Creates an absolute path by appending the given relative path to the test
+   * root.
+   * 
+   * @param relativePath String relative path
+   * @return String absolute path formed by appending relative path to test root
+   */
+  private static String getAbsolutePath(String relativePath) {
+    return new File(TestDirHelper.getTestDir(), relativePath).getAbsolutePath();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/lib/servlet/TestHostnameFilter.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/lib/servlet/TestHostnameFilter.java
index 3148d3a682..203796ead8 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/lib/servlet/TestHostnameFilter.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/lib/servlet/TestHostnameFilter.java
@@ -50,7 +50,10 @@ public class TestHostnameFilter extends HTestCase {
       @Override
       public void doFilter(ServletRequest servletRequest, ServletResponse servletResponse)
         throws IOException, ServletException {
-        assertTrue(HostnameFilter.get().contains("localhost"));
+        // Hostname was set to "localhost", but may get resolved automatically to
+        // "127.0.0.1" depending on OS.
+        assertTrue(HostnameFilter.get().contains("localhost") ||
+          HostnameFilter.get().contains("127.0.0.1"));
         invoked.set(true);
       }
     };
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/TestDirHelper.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/TestDirHelper.java
index 4d11691c67..d20658fe4e 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/TestDirHelper.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/TestDirHelper.java
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public class TestDirHelper implements MethodRule {
   static {
     try {
       TEST_DIR_ROOT = System.getProperty(TEST_DIR_PROP, new File("target").getAbsolutePath());
-      if (!TEST_DIR_ROOT.startsWith("/")) {
+      if (!new File(TEST_DIR_ROOT).isAbsolute()) {
         System.err.println(MessageFormat.format("System property [{0}]=[{1}] must be set to an absolute path",
                                                 TEST_DIR_PROP, TEST_DIR_ROOT));
         System.exit(-1);
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/TestHdfsHelper.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/TestHdfsHelper.java
index 26d253fecb..8e1fc2f239 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/TestHdfsHelper.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-httpfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/test/TestHdfsHelper.java
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ public class TestHdfsHelper extends TestDirHelper {
 
     private Path resetHdfsTestDir(Configuration conf) {
 
-      Path testDir = new Path("./" + TEST_DIR_ROOT, testName + "-" + counter.getAndIncrement());
+      Path testDir = new Path("/tmp/" + testName + "-" +
+        counter.getAndIncrement());
       try {
         // currentUser
         FileSystem fs = FileSystem.get(conf);
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index 0c5551dfdb..3760157078 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -327,6 +327,8 @@ Trunk (Unreleased)
 
     HDFS-4572. Fix TestJournal failures on Windows. (Arpit Agarwal via suresh)
 
+    HDFS-4287. HTTPFS tests fail on Windows. (Chris Nauroth via suresh)
+
 Release 2.0.5-beta - UNRELEASED
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES