diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index ac63fb3d3c..82f1d20755 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
 
 
 2.1.3
+ * Invalidate affected prepared statements when a table's columns
+   are altered (CASSANDRA-7910)
  * Stress - user defined writes should populate sequentally (CASSANDRA-8524)
  * Fix regression in SSTableRewriter causing some rows to become unreadable 
    during compaction (CASSANDRA-8429)
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/CFMetaData.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/CFMetaData.java
index 0730ba745a..cb176f2880 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/CFMetaData.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/CFMetaData.java
@@ -724,11 +724,15 @@ public final class CFMetaData
         return def == null ? defaultValidator : def.type;
     }
 
-    public void reload()
+    /**
+     * Updates this object in place to match the definition in the system schema tables.
+     * @return true if any columns were added, removed, or altered; otherwise, false is returned
+     */
+    public boolean reload()
     {
         try
         {
-            apply(LegacySchemaTables.createTableFromName(ksName, cfName));
+            return apply(LegacySchemaTables.createTableFromName(ksName, cfName));
         }
         catch (ConfigurationException e)
         {
@@ -739,10 +743,11 @@ public final class CFMetaData
     /**
      * Updates CFMetaData in-place to match cfm
      *
+     * @return true if any columns were added, removed, or altered; otherwise, false is returned
      * @throws ConfigurationException if ks/cf names or cf ids didn't match
      */
     @VisibleForTesting
-    public void apply(CFMetaData cfm) throws ConfigurationException
+    public boolean apply(CFMetaData cfm) throws ConfigurationException
     {
         logger.debug("applying {} to {}", cfm, this);
 
@@ -802,6 +807,10 @@ public final class CFMetaData
 
         rebuild();
         logger.debug("application result is {}", this);
+
+        return !columnDiff.entriesOnlyOnLeft().isEmpty() ||
+               !columnDiff.entriesOnlyOnRight().isEmpty() ||
+               !columnDiff.entriesDiffering().isEmpty();
     }
 
     public void validateCompatility(CFMetaData cfm) throws ConfigurationException
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/Schema.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/Schema.java
index 21244ab4eb..694c05c23d 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/Schema.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/Schema.java
@@ -472,11 +472,11 @@ public class Schema
     {
         CFMetaData cfm = getCFMetaData(ksName, tableName);
         assert cfm != null;
-        cfm.reload();
+        boolean columnsDidChange = cfm.reload();
 
         Keyspace keyspace = Keyspace.open(cfm.ksName);
         keyspace.getColumnFamilyStore(cfm.cfName).reload();
-        MigrationManager.instance.notifyUpdateColumnFamily(cfm);
+        MigrationManager.instance.notifyUpdateColumnFamily(cfm, columnsDidChange);
     }
 
     public void dropTable(String ksName, String tableName)
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/QueryProcessor.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/QueryProcessor.java
index 8531d32574..f746a85c69 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/QueryProcessor.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/QueryProcessor.java
@@ -621,13 +621,22 @@ public class QueryProcessor implements QueryHandler
             }
         }
 
+        public void onUpdateColumnFamily(String ksName, String cfName, boolean columnsDidChange)
+        {
+            logger.info("Column definitions for {}.{} changed, invalidating related prepared statements", ksName, cfName);
+            if (columnsDidChange)
+                removeInvalidPreparedStatements(ksName, cfName);
+        }
+
         public void onDropKeyspace(String ksName)
         {
+            logger.info("Keyspace {} was dropped, invalidating related prepared statements", ksName);
             removeInvalidPreparedStatements(ksName, null);
         }
 
         public void onDropColumnFamily(String ksName, String cfName)
         {
+            logger.info("Table {}.{} was dropped, invalidating related prepared statements", ksName, cfName);
             removeInvalidPreparedStatements(ksName, cfName);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/service/MigrationListener.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/service/MigrationListener.java
index 2b728d9445..358b2367c7 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/service/MigrationListener.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/service/MigrationListener.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public abstract class MigrationListener
     {
     }
 
-    public void onUpdateColumnFamily(String ksName, String cfName)
+    public void onUpdateColumnFamily(String ksName, String cfName, boolean columnsDidChange)
     {
     }
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/service/MigrationManager.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/service/MigrationManager.java
index ef1adc6b2b..97f33f65c5 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/service/MigrationManager.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/service/MigrationManager.java
@@ -195,10 +195,10 @@ public class MigrationManager
             listener.onUpdateKeyspace(ksm.name);
     }
 
-    public void notifyUpdateColumnFamily(CFMetaData cfm)
+    public void notifyUpdateColumnFamily(CFMetaData cfm, boolean columnsDidChange)
     {
         for (MigrationListener listener : listeners)
-            listener.onUpdateColumnFamily(cfm.ksName, cfm.cfName);
+            listener.onUpdateColumnFamily(cfm.ksName, cfm.cfName, columnsDidChange);
     }
 
     public void notifyUpdateUserType(UserType ut)
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/transport/Server.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/transport/Server.java
index 147d7292ba..d1fc74470e 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/transport/Server.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/transport/Server.java
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ public class Server implements CassandraDaemon.Server
             server.connectionTracker.send(new Event.SchemaChange(Event.SchemaChange.Change.UPDATED, ksName));
         }
 
-        public void onUpdateColumnFamily(String ksName, String cfName)
+        public void onUpdateColumnFamily(String ksName, String cfName, boolean columnsDidChange)
         {
             server.connectionTracker.send(new Event.SchemaChange(Event.SchemaChange.Change.UPDATED, Event.SchemaChange.Target.TABLE, ksName, cfName));
         }