diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/HMaster.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/HMaster.java
index 3f93921f404d..5bfda15a2466 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/HMaster.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/HMaster.java
@@ -1104,7 +1104,9 @@ private void finishActiveMasterInitialization(MonitoredTask status) throws IOExc
     this.clusterStatusChore = new ClusterStatusChore(this, balancer);
     getChoreService().scheduleChore(clusterStatusChore);
     this.balancerChore = new BalancerChore(this);
-    getChoreService().scheduleChore(balancerChore);
+    if (this.loadBalancerTracker.isBalancerOn()) {
+      getChoreService().scheduleChore(balancerChore);
+    }
     this.normalizerChore = new RegionNormalizerChore(this);
     getChoreService().scheduleChore(normalizerChore);
     this.catalogJanitorChore = new CatalogJanitor(this);
@@ -1673,6 +1675,29 @@ private void balanceThrottling(long nextBalanceStartTime, int maxRegionsInTransi
     if (interrupted) Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Turn the balancer on/off
+   *
+   * @param on boolean value indicates whether to turn the balancer on
+   */
+  void switchBalancer(boolean on) {
+    if (on) {
+      scheduleBalancerChore();
+    } else {
+      cancelBalancerChore();
+    }
+  }
+
+  private synchronized void scheduleBalancerChore() {
+    if (!getChoreService().isChoreScheduled(this.balancerChore)) {
+      getChoreService().scheduleChore(this.balancerChore);
+    }
+  }
+
+  private void cancelBalancerChore() {
+    getChoreService().cancelChore(this.balancerChore);
+  }
+
   public boolean balance() throws IOException {
     return balance(false);
   }
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/MasterRpcServices.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/MasterRpcServices.java
index e55a39dc784a..698ccbfbdf10 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/MasterRpcServices.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/MasterRpcServices.java
@@ -447,9 +447,11 @@ boolean switchBalancer(final boolean b, BalanceSwitchMode mode) throws IOExcepti
         if (mode == BalanceSwitchMode.SYNC) {
           synchronized (master.getLoadBalancer()) {
             master.loadBalancerTracker.setBalancerOn(newValue);
+            master.switchBalancer(newValue);
           }
         } else {
           master.loadBalancerTracker.setBalancerOn(newValue);
+          master.switchBalancer(newValue);
         }
       } catch (KeeperException ke) {
         throw new IOException(ke);
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestAsyncRegionAdminApi.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestAsyncRegionAdminApi.java
index 28e60d2f9576..16b0bafd6ca1 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestAsyncRegionAdminApi.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestAsyncRegionAdminApi.java
@@ -173,7 +173,6 @@ public void testMoveRegion() throws Exception {
       }
       Thread.sleep(100);
     }
-    admin.balancerSwitch(true).join();
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/TestSplitTransactionOnCluster.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/TestSplitTransactionOnCluster.java
index 88c3dffcac27..78458e70279e 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/TestSplitTransactionOnCluster.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/TestSplitTransactionOnCluster.java
@@ -224,7 +224,6 @@ public void testRITStateForRollback() throws Exception {
       }
       assertTrue(cluster.getMaster().getAssignmentManager().getRegionStates().isRegionOnline(hri));
     } finally {
-      admin.balancerSwitch(true, false);
       master.setCatalogJanitorEnabled(true);
       abortAndWaitForMaster();
       TESTING_UTIL.deleteTable(tableName);
@@ -346,7 +345,6 @@ public void testSplitRollbackOnRegionClosing() throws Exception {
       checkAndGetDaughters(tableName);
       // OK, so split happened after we cleared the blocking node.
     } finally {
-      admin.balancerSwitch(true, false);
       cluster.getMaster().setCatalogJanitorEnabled(true);
       t.close();
     }
@@ -423,7 +421,6 @@ public void testShutdownFixupWhenDaughterHasSplit() throws Exception {
       }
     } finally {
       LOG.info("EXITING");
-      admin.balancerSwitch(true, false);
       cluster.getMaster().setCatalogJanitorEnabled(true);
       t.close();
     }
@@ -549,7 +546,6 @@ public void testMasterRestartAtRegionSplitPendingCatalogJanitor()
       ServerName regionServerOfRegion = regionStates.getRegionServerOfRegion(hri);
       assertEquals(null, regionServerOfRegion);
     } finally {
-      TESTING_UTIL.getAdmin().balancerSwitch(true, false);
       cluster.getMaster().setCatalogJanitorEnabled(true);
     }
   }
@@ -621,7 +617,6 @@ public void testSplitWithRegionReplicas() throws Exception {
       SlowMeCopro.getPrimaryCdl().get().countDown();
     } finally {
       SlowMeCopro.getPrimaryCdl().get().countDown();
-      admin.balancerSwitch(true, false);
       cluster.getMaster().setCatalogJanitorEnabled(true);
       t.close();
     }
@@ -730,7 +725,6 @@ public void testSplitRegionWithNoStoreFiles() throws Exception {
       assertFalse("Split region can't be unassigned", regionStates.isRegionInTransition(hri));
       assertTrue(regionStates.isRegionInState(hri, State.SPLIT));
     } finally {
-      admin.balancerSwitch(true, false);
       cluster.getMaster().setCatalogJanitorEnabled(true);
     }
   }