diff --git a/akka-cluster-sharding/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/ClusterShardingSpec.scala b/akka-cluster-sharding/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/ClusterShardingSpec.scala
index fe14bb4fc7..1fc5f1ce97 100644
--- a/akka-cluster-sharding/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/ClusterShardingSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster-sharding/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/ClusterShardingSpec.scala
@@ -6,13 +6,11 @@ package akka.cluster.sharding
 
 import scala.concurrent.duration._
 import scala.language.postfixOps
-
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
-
 import akka.actor._
 import akka.cluster.Cluster
 import akka.cluster.ddata.{ Replicator, ReplicatorSettings }
-import akka.cluster.sharding.ShardCoordinator.Internal.{ HandOff, ShardStopped }
+import akka.cluster.sharding.ShardCoordinator.Internal.{ BeginHandOff, BeginHandOffAck, HandOff, ShardStopped }
 import akka.cluster.sharding.ShardCoordinator.ShardAllocationStrategy
 import akka.cluster.sharding.ShardRegion.{ CurrentRegions, GetCurrentRegions, Passivate }
 import akka.cluster.sharding.internal.{ DDataRememberEntitiesProvider, EventSourcedRememberEntitiesProvider }
@@ -766,16 +764,28 @@ abstract class ClusterShardingSpec(multiNodeConfig: ClusterShardingSpecConfig)
       }
       enterBarrier("persistent-started")
 
+      // watch-out, these two var are only init on 3rd node
+      var shard: ActorSelection = null
+      var region: ActorSelection = null
       runOn(third) {
         //Create an increment counter 1
         persistentEntitiesRegion ! EntityEnvelope(1, Increment)
         persistentEntitiesRegion ! Get(1)
         expectMsg(1)
 
-        //Shut down the shard and confirm it's dead
-        val shard = system.actorSelection(lastSender.path.parent)
-        val region = system.actorSelection(lastSender.path.parent.parent)
+        shard = system.actorSelection(lastSender.path.parent)
+        region = system.actorSelection(lastSender.path.parent.parent)
+      }
+      enterBarrier("counter-incremented")
 
+      // clean up shard cache everywhere
+      runOn(third, fourth, fifth) {
+        persistentEntitiesRegion ! BeginHandOff("1")
+        expectMsg(10 seconds, "ShardStopped not received", BeginHandOffAck("1"))
+      }
+      enterBarrier("everybody-hand-off-ack")
+
+      runOn(third) {
         //Stop the shard cleanly
         region ! HandOff("1")
         expectMsg(10 seconds, "ShardStopped not received", ShardStopped("1"))
@@ -787,8 +797,10 @@ abstract class ClusterShardingSpec(multiNodeConfig: ClusterShardingSpecConfig)
         }, 5 seconds, 500 millis)
 
         //Get the path to where the shard now resides
-        persistentEntitiesRegion ! Get(13)
-        expectMsg(0)
+        awaitAssert({
+          persistentEntitiesRegion ! Get(13)
+          expectMsg(0)
+        }, 5 seconds, 500 millis)
 
         //Check that counter 1 is now alive again, even though we have
         // not sent a message to it via the ShardRegion
@@ -804,7 +816,6 @@ abstract class ClusterShardingSpec(multiNodeConfig: ClusterShardingSpecConfig)
         counter1 ! Get(1)
         expectMsg(1)
       }
-
       enterBarrier("after-shard-restart")
 
       runOn(fourth) {