diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/viewfs/ViewFileSystem.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/viewfs/ViewFileSystem.java
index 538f03a1300a3..1dd094ec97db0 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/viewfs/ViewFileSystem.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/viewfs/ViewFileSystem.java
@@ -314,7 +314,9 @@ public void initialize(final URI theUri, final Configuration conf)
       tableName = theUri.getHost();
     }
     try {
-      myUri = new URI(getScheme(), authority, "/", null, null);
+      myUri = (authority != null) ?
+          new URI(getScheme(), authority, null, null, null) :
+          new URI(getScheme(), null, "/", null, null);
       boolean initingUriAsFallbackOnNoMounts =
           supportAutoAddingFallbackOnNoMounts();
       fsState = new InodeTree<FileSystem>(conf, tableName, myUri,
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/viewfs/TestViewFileSystemWithAuthorityLocalFileSystem.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/viewfs/TestViewFileSystemWithAuthorityLocalFileSystem.java
index 877c2228c1eea..b28a416d16d33 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/viewfs/TestViewFileSystemWithAuthorityLocalFileSystem.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/viewfs/TestViewFileSystemWithAuthorityLocalFileSystem.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public void setUp() throws Exception {
     // Now create a viewfs using a mount table called "default"
     // hence viewfs://default/
     schemeWithAuthority = 
-      new URI(FsConstants.VIEWFS_SCHEME, "default", "/", null, null);
+      new URI(FsConstants.VIEWFS_SCHEME, "default", null, null, null);
     fsView = FileSystem.get(schemeWithAuthority, conf);
   }
 
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/viewfs/ViewFileSystemBaseTest.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/viewfs/ViewFileSystemBaseTest.java
index 434eff0bef32e..8a3b67a04bf23 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/viewfs/ViewFileSystemBaseTest.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/viewfs/ViewFileSystemBaseTest.java
@@ -1515,4 +1515,17 @@ public void testTargetFileSystemLazyInitializationForChecksumMethods()
     // viewfs inner cache is disabled
     assertEquals(cacheSize + 1, TestFileUtil.getCacheSize());
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testGetURI() throws Exception {
+    // test that URIs without authority return the path component.
+    URI viewFsWithoutAuthority = URI.create("viewfs:///");
+    FileSystem fs = FileSystem.get(viewFsWithoutAuthority, conf);
+    assertEquals(viewFsWithoutAuthority, fs.getUri());
+
+    // test that URIs with authority do not return the path component.
+    URI viewFsWithAuthority = URI.create("viewfs://default");
+    fs = FileSystem.get(viewFsWithAuthority, conf);
+    assertEquals(viewFsWithAuthority, fs.getUri());
+  }
 }