diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/DistCp.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/DistCp.java
index 141f45d61f..cba4754579 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/DistCp.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/DistCp.java
@@ -140,9 +140,7 @@ public int run(String[] argv) {
     
     try {
       context = new DistCpContext(OptionsParser.parse(argv));
-      checkSplitLargeFile();
-      setTargetPathExists();
-      LOG.info("Input Options: " + context);
+      LOG.info("Input Options: {}", context);
     } catch (Throwable e) {
       LOG.error("Invalid arguments: ", e);
       System.err.println("Invalid arguments: " + e.getMessage());
@@ -152,7 +150,7 @@ public int run(String[] argv) {
 
     Job job = null;
     try {
-      job = execute();
+      job = execute(true);
     } catch (InvalidInputException e) {
       LOG.error("Invalid input: ", e);
       return DistCpConstants.INVALID_ARGUMENT;
@@ -169,7 +167,7 @@ public int run(String[] argv) {
       LOG.error("Exception encountered ", e);
       return DistCpConstants.UNKNOWN_ERROR;
     } finally {
-      //Blocking distcp so close the job after its done
+      // Blocking distcp so close the job after it's done
       if (job != null && context.shouldBlock()) {
         try {
           job.close();
@@ -182,14 +180,30 @@ public int run(String[] argv) {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Implements the core-execution. Creates the file-list for copy,
-   * and launches the Hadoop-job, to do the copy.
+   * Original entrypoint of a distcp job. Calls {@link DistCp#execute(boolean)}
+   * without doing extra context checks and setting some configs.
    * @return Job handle
-   * @throws Exception
+   * @throws Exception when fails to submit distcp job or distcp job fails
    */
   public Job execute() throws Exception {
+    return execute(false);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Implements the core-execution. Creates the file-list for copy,
+   * and launches the Hadoop-job, to do the copy.
+   * @param extraContextChecks if true, does extra context checks and sets some configs.
+   * @return Job handle
+   * @throws Exception when fails to submit distcp job or distcp job fails, or context checks fail
+   */
+  public Job execute(boolean extraContextChecks) throws Exception {
     Preconditions.checkState(context != null,
         "The DistCpContext should have been created before running DistCp!");
+    if (extraContextChecks) {
+      checkSplitLargeFile();
+      setTargetPathExists();
+    }
+
     Job job = createAndSubmitJob();
 
     if (context.shouldBlock()) {
diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/TestExternalCall.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/TestExternalCall.java
index eba86a985a..435181ce59 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/TestExternalCall.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/TestExternalCall.java
@@ -156,7 +156,10 @@ public void testCleanupOfJob() throws Exception {
     DistCp distcp = mock(DistCp.class);
     Job job = spy(Job.class);
     Mockito.when(distcp.getConf()).thenReturn(conf);
-    Mockito.when(distcp.execute()).thenReturn(job);
+    Mockito.when(distcp.createAndSubmitJob()).thenReturn(job);
+    Mockito.when(distcp.execute()).thenCallRealMethod();
+    Mockito.when(distcp.execute(Mockito.anyBoolean())).thenCallRealMethod();
+    Mockito.doReturn(true).when(job).waitForCompletion(Mockito.anyBoolean());
     Mockito.when(distcp.run(Mockito.any())).thenCallRealMethod();
     String[] arg = { soure.toString(), target.toString() };