diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
index 67ea0c4cd0..c495e470ce 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
@@ -522,24 +522,28 @@ class Cluster(system: ExtendedActorSystem, val failureDetector: FailureDetector)
   }
 
   // start periodic gossip to random nodes in cluster
-  private val gossipTask = FixedRateTask(clusterScheduler, PeriodicTasksInitialDelay, GossipInterval) {
-    gossip()
-  }
+  private val gossipTask =
+    FixedRateTask(clusterScheduler, PeriodicTasksInitialDelay.max(GossipInterval), GossipInterval) {
+      gossip()
+    }
 
   // start periodic heartbeat to all nodes in cluster
-  private val heartbeatTask = FixedRateTask(clusterScheduler, PeriodicTasksInitialDelay, HeartbeatInterval) {
-    heartbeat()
-  }
+  private val heartbeatTask =
+    FixedRateTask(clusterScheduler, PeriodicTasksInitialDelay.max(HeartbeatInterval), HeartbeatInterval) {
+      heartbeat()
+    }
 
   // start periodic cluster failure detector reaping (moving nodes condemned by the failure detector to unreachable list)
-  private val failureDetectorReaperTask = FixedRateTask(clusterScheduler, PeriodicTasksInitialDelay, UnreachableNodesReaperInterval) {
-    reapUnreachableMembers()
-  }
+  private val failureDetectorReaperTask =
+    FixedRateTask(clusterScheduler, PeriodicTasksInitialDelay.max(UnreachableNodesReaperInterval), UnreachableNodesReaperInterval) {
+      reapUnreachableMembers()
+    }
 
   // start periodic leader action management (only applies for the current leader)
-  private val leaderActionsTask = FixedRateTask(clusterScheduler, PeriodicTasksInitialDelay, LeaderActionsInterval) {
-    leaderActions()
-  }
+  private val leaderActionsTask =
+    FixedRateTask(clusterScheduler, PeriodicTasksInitialDelay.max(LeaderActionsInterval), LeaderActionsInterval) {
+      leaderActions()
+    }
 
   createMBean()
 
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MembershipChangeListenerExitingSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MembershipChangeListenerExitingSpec.scala
index d9b2c7b876..88cee08191 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MembershipChangeListenerExitingSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MembershipChangeListenerExitingSpec.scala
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ object MembershipChangeListenerExitingMultiJvmSpec extends MultiNodeConfig {
       .withFallback(ConfigFactory.parseString("""
         akka.cluster {
           leader-actions-interval           = 5 s  # increase the leader action task interval
-          unreachable-nodes-reaper-interval = 30 s # turn "off" reaping to unreachable node set
+          unreachable-nodes-reaper-interval = 300 s # turn "off" reaping to unreachable node set
         }
       """)
         .withFallback(MultiNodeClusterSpec.clusterConfig)))
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MembershipChangeListenerLeavingSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MembershipChangeListenerLeavingSpec.scala
index eda29ea0f0..0640e58175 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MembershipChangeListenerLeavingSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MembershipChangeListenerLeavingSpec.scala
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ object MembershipChangeListenerLeavingMultiJvmSpec extends MultiNodeConfig {
     debugConfig(on = false)
       .withFallback(ConfigFactory.parseString("""
         akka.cluster.leader-actions-interval           = 5 s
-        akka.cluster.unreachable-nodes-reaper-interval = 30 s
+        akka.cluster.unreachable-nodes-reaper-interval = 300 s # turn "off"
       """))
       .withFallback(MultiNodeClusterSpec.clusterConfig))
 }
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/NodeLeavingAndExitingSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/NodeLeavingAndExitingSpec.scala
index 6378a74040..fc62c17c1d 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/NodeLeavingAndExitingSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/NodeLeavingAndExitingSpec.scala
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ object NodeLeavingAndExitingMultiJvmSpec extends MultiNodeConfig {
       .withFallback(ConfigFactory.parseString("""
         akka.cluster {
           leader-actions-interval           = 5 s  # increase the leader action task frequency to make sure we get a chance to test the LEAVING state
-          unreachable-nodes-reaper-interval = 30 s
+          unreachable-nodes-reaper-interval = 300 s # turn "off"
         }
       """)
         .withFallback(MultiNodeClusterSpec.clusterConfig)))