diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index 12e4bc5784..78ccde43a8 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -350,6 +350,9 @@ Release 2.0.0 - UNRELEASED
     HDFS-3211. Add fence(..) and replace NamenodeRegistration with JournalInfo
     and epoch in JournalProtocol. (suresh via szetszwo)
 
+    HDFS-3240. Drop log level of "heartbeat: ..." in BPServiceActor to DEBUG
+    (todd)
+
   OPTIMIZATIONS
 
     HDFS-3024. Improve performance of stringification in addStoredBlock (todd)
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/BPServiceActor.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/BPServiceActor.java
index a0850f8b4e..25e3a6781e 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/BPServiceActor.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/BPServiceActor.java
@@ -417,7 +417,9 @@ DatanodeCommand blockReport() throws IOException {
   
   
   HeartbeatResponse sendHeartBeat() throws IOException {
-    LOG.info("heartbeat: " + this);
+    if (LOG.isDebugEnabled()) {
+      LOG.debug("Sending heartbeat from service actor: " + this);
+    }
     // reports number of failed volumes
     StorageReport[] report = { new StorageReport(bpRegistration.getStorageID(),
         false,