diff --git a/yarn/src/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/rabit/ApplicationMaster.java b/yarn/src/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/rabit/ApplicationMaster.java
index 2d8074f1e..64dec550c 100644
--- a/yarn/src/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/rabit/ApplicationMaster.java
+++ b/yarn/src/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/rabit/ApplicationMaster.java
@@ -270,9 +270,16 @@ public class ApplicationMaster {
         task.containerRequest = null;
         ContainerLaunchContext ctx = Records
                 .newRecord(ContainerLaunchContext.class);
+        String hadoop = "hadoop";
+        if (System.getenv("HADOOP_HOME") != null) {
+          hadoop = "${HADOOP_HOME}/bin/hadoop";
+        } else if (System.getenv("HADOOP_PREFIX") != null) {
+          hadoop = "${HADOOP_PREFIX}/bin/hadoop";
+        }
+        
         String cmd = 
                 // use this to setup CLASSPATH correctly for libhdfs 
-                "CLASSPATH=${CLASSPATH}:`${HADOOP_HOME}/bin/hadoop classpath --glob` "
+                "CLASSPATH=${CLASSPATH}:`" + hadoop + " classpath --glob` "
                 + this.command + " 1>"
                 + ApplicationConstants.LOG_DIR_EXPANSION_VAR + "/stdout"
                 + " 2>" + ApplicationConstants.LOG_DIR_EXPANSION_VAR