diff --git a/akka-contrib/docs/cluster-client.rst b/akka-contrib/docs/cluster-client.rst
index 8bc06edc05..f4a769669b 100644
--- a/akka-contrib/docs/cluster-client.rst
+++ b/akka-contrib/docs/cluster-client.rst
@@ -50,6 +50,15 @@ The ``sender`` of the response messages, as seen by the client, is preserved
 as the original sender, so the client can choose to send subsequent messages
 directly to the actor in the cluster.
 
+While establishing a connection to a receptionist the ``ClusterClient`` will buffer
+messages and send them when the connection is established. If the buffer is full
+the ``ClusterClient`` will throw ``akka.actor.StashOverflowException``, which can be
+handled in by the supervision strategy of the parent actor. The size of the buffer 
+can be configured by the following ``stash-capacity`` setting of the mailbox that is 
+used by the ``ClusterClient`` actor. 
+
+.. includecode:: @contribSrc@/src/main/resources/reference.conf#cluster-client-mailbox-config
+
 An Example
 ----------
 
diff --git a/akka-contrib/src/main/resources/reference.conf b/akka-contrib/src/main/resources/reference.conf
index fa680512ef..7ccfd8d04b 100644
--- a/akka-contrib/src/main/resources/reference.conf
+++ b/akka-contrib/src/main/resources/reference.conf
@@ -42,3 +42,12 @@ akka.contrib.cluster.receptionist {
   response-tunnel-receive-timeout = 30s
 }
 # //#receptionist-ext-config
+
+# //#cluster-client-mailbox-config
+akka.contrib.cluster.client {
+  mailbox {
+    mailbox-type = "akka.dispatch.UnboundedDequeBasedMailbox"
+    stash-capacity = 1000
+  }
+}
+# //#cluster-client-mailbox-config
diff --git a/akka-contrib/src/main/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterClient.scala b/akka-contrib/src/main/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterClient.scala
index 0c9829b988..b42332f7ab 100644
--- a/akka-contrib/src/main/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterClient.scala
+++ b/akka-contrib/src/main/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterClient.scala
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import akka.cluster.Member
 import akka.cluster.MemberStatus
 import akka.routing.ConsistentHash
 import akka.routing.MurmurHash
+import akka.actor.Stash
 
 object ClusterClient {
 
@@ -37,7 +38,8 @@ object ClusterClient {
     initialContacts: Set[ActorSelection],
     pingInterval: FiniteDuration = 3.second,
     refreshContactsInterval: FiniteDuration = 1.minute): Props =
-    Props(classOf[ClusterClient], initialContacts, pingInterval, refreshContactsInterval)
+    Props(classOf[ClusterClient], initialContacts, pingInterval, refreshContactsInterval).
+      withMailbox("akka.contrib.cluster.client.mailbox")
 
   /**
    * Java API: Factory method for `ClusterClient` [[akka.actor.Props]].
@@ -112,7 +114,7 @@ class ClusterClient(
   initialContacts: Set[ActorSelection],
   pingInterval: FiniteDuration,
   refreshContactsInterval: FiniteDuration)
-  extends Actor with ActorLogging {
+  extends Actor with Stash with ActorLogging {
 
   import ClusterClient._
   import ClusterClient.Internal._
@@ -143,12 +145,13 @@ class ClusterClient(
     case ActorIdentity(_, Some(receptionist)) ⇒
       context watch receptionist
       log.info("Connected to [{}]", receptionist.path)
+      unstashAll()
       context.become(active(receptionist))
     case ActorIdentity(_, None) ⇒ // ok, use another instead
     case PingTick               ⇒ sendGetContacts()
     case Pong                   ⇒
     case RefreshContactsTick    ⇒
-    case msg                    ⇒ context.system.deadLetters forward msg
+    case msg                    ⇒ stash()
   }
 
   def active(receptionist: ActorRef): Actor.Receive = {
diff --git a/akka-contrib/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterClientSpec.scala b/akka-contrib/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterClientSpec.scala
index 242cee629a..d4dfcc77da 100644
--- a/akka-contrib/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterClientSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-contrib/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterClientSpec.scala
@@ -103,11 +103,8 @@ class ClusterClientSpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ClusterClientSpec) with STMultiNod
     "communicate to actor on any node in cluster" in within(10 seconds) {
       runOn(client) {
         val c = system.actorOf(ClusterClient.props(initialContacts))
-
-        awaitAssert {
-          c ! ClusterClient.Send("/user/testService", "hello", localAffinity = true)
-          expectMsg(1 second, "ack")
-        }
+        c ! ClusterClient.Send("/user/testService", "hello", localAffinity = true)
+        expectMsg("ack")
       }
       runOn(fourth) {
         expectMsg("hello")
@@ -133,6 +130,11 @@ class ClusterClientSpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ClusterClientSpec) with STMultiNod
       }
       //#server
 
+      runOn(host1, host2, host3) {
+        awaitCount(4)
+      }
+      enterBarrier("services-replicated")
+
       //#client
       runOn(client) {
         val c = system.actorOf(ClusterClient.props(initialContacts))
@@ -141,6 +143,11 @@ class ClusterClientSpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ClusterClientSpec) with STMultiNod
       }
       //#client
 
+      runOn(client) {
+        // note that "hi" was sent to 2 "serviceB"
+        receiveN(3).toSet must be(Set("hello", "hi"))
+      }
+
       { //not used, only demo
         //#initialContacts
         val initialContacts = Set(
@@ -165,10 +172,8 @@ class ClusterClientSpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ClusterClientSpec) with STMultiNod
       runOn(client) {
         val c = system.actorOf(ClusterClient.props(initialContacts))
 
-        awaitAssert {
-          c ! ClusterClient.Send("/user/service2", "bonjour", localAffinity = true)
-          expectMsg(1 second, "ack")
-        }
+        c ! ClusterClient.Send("/user/service2", "bonjour", localAffinity = true)
+        expectMsg("ack")
         val lastSenderAddress = lastSender.path.address
         val receptionistRoleName = roleName(lastSenderAddress) match {
           case Some(r) ⇒ r