diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
index b463c3b0ea..8be6b21d25 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ import javax.management._
 import scala.collection.immutable.{ Map, SortedSet }
 import scala.annotation.tailrec
 import com.google.protobuf.ByteString
+import akka.util.internal.HashedWheelTimer
+import akka.dispatch.MonitorableThreadFactory
 
 /**
  * Interface for membership change listener.
@@ -422,28 +424,35 @@ class Cluster(system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends Extension { clusterNode ⇒
   // ===================== WORK DAEMONS =====================
   // ========================================================
 
+  private def hwt = new HashedWheelTimer(log,
+    MonitorableThreadFactory(system.name + "-cluster-scheduler", system.settings.Daemonicity, None), 50.millis,
+    system.settings.SchedulerTicksPerWheel)
+  private val clusterScheduler = new DefaultScheduler(hwt, log, system.dispatcher)
+
   // start periodic gossip to random nodes in cluster
-  private val gossipCanceller = system.scheduler.schedule(PeriodicTasksInitialDelay, GossipInterval) {
+  private val gossipTask = FixedRateTask(clusterScheduler, PeriodicTasksInitialDelay, GossipInterval) {
     gossip()
   }
 
   // start periodic heartbeat to all nodes in cluster
-  private val heartbeatCanceller = system.scheduler.schedule(PeriodicTasksInitialDelay, HeartbeatInterval) {
+  private val heartbeatTask = FixedRateTask(clusterScheduler, PeriodicTasksInitialDelay, HeartbeatInterval) {
     heartbeat()
   }
 
   // start periodic cluster failure detector reaping (moving nodes condemned by the failure detector to unreachable list)
-  private val failureDetectorReaperCanceller = system.scheduler.schedule(PeriodicTasksInitialDelay, UnreachableNodesReaperInterval) {
+  private val failureDetectorReaperTask = FixedRateTask(clusterScheduler, PeriodicTasksInitialDelay, UnreachableNodesReaperInterval) {
     reapUnreachableMembers()
   }
 
   // start periodic leader action management (only applies for the current leader)
-  private val leaderActionsCanceller = system.scheduler.schedule(PeriodicTasksInitialDelay, LeaderActionsInterval) {
+  private val leaderActionsTask = FixedRateTask(clusterScheduler, PeriodicTasksInitialDelay, LeaderActionsInterval) {
     leaderActions()
   }
 
   createMBean()
 
+  system.registerOnTermination(shutdown())
+
   log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - has started up successfully", selfAddress)
 
   // ======================================================
@@ -507,11 +516,13 @@ class Cluster(system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends Extension { clusterNode ⇒
   def shutdown(): Unit = {
     if (isRunning.compareAndSet(true, false)) {
       log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Shutting down cluster Node and cluster daemons...", selfAddress)
-      gossipCanceller.cancel()
-      heartbeatCanceller.cancel()
-      failureDetectorReaperCanceller.cancel()
-      leaderActionsCanceller.cancel()
-      system.stop(clusterDaemons)
+      gossipTask.cancel()
+      heartbeatTask.cancel()
+      failureDetectorReaperTask.cancel()
+      leaderActionsTask.cancel()
+      clusterScheduler.close()
+      if (!clusterDaemons.isTerminated)
+        system.stop(clusterDaemons)
       try {
         mBeanServer.unregisterMBean(clusterMBeanName)
       } catch {
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/FixedRateTask.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/FixedRateTask.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0f594316d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/FixedRateTask.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/**
+ *  Copyright (C) 2009-2012 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+
+package akka.cluster
+
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong
+
+import akka.actor.Scheduler
+import akka.util.Duration
+
+/**
+ * INTERNAL API
+ */
+private[akka] object FixedRateTask {
+  def apply(scheduler: Scheduler, initalDelay: Duration, delay: Duration)(f: ⇒ Unit): FixedRateTask = {
+    new FixedRateTask(scheduler, initalDelay, delay, new Runnable { def run(): Unit = f })
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * INTERNAL API
+ *
+ * Task to be scheduled periodically at a fixed rate, compensating, on average,
+ * for inaccuracy in scheduler. It will start when constructed, using the
+ * initialDelay.
+ */
+private[akka] class FixedRateTask(scheduler: Scheduler, initalDelay: Duration, delay: Duration, task: Runnable) extends Runnable {
+
+  private val delayMillis = delay.toMillis
+  private val minDelayMillis = 1L
+  private val cancelled = new AtomicBoolean(false)
+  private val counter = new AtomicLong(0L)
+  private val startTime = System.currentTimeMillis + initalDelay.toMillis
+  scheduler.scheduleOnce(initalDelay, this)
+
+  def cancel(): Unit = cancelled.set(true)
+
+  override final def run(): Unit = if (!cancelled.get) try {
+    task.run()
+  } finally if (!cancelled.get) {
+    val nextTime = startTime + delayMillis * counter.incrementAndGet
+    val nextDelayMillis = nextTime - System.currentTimeMillis
+    val nextDelay = Duration(
+      (if (nextDelayMillis <= minDelayMillis) minDelayMillis else nextDelayMillis),
+      TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
+    try {
+      scheduler.scheduleOnce(nextDelay, this)
+    } catch { case e: IllegalStateException ⇒ /* will happen when scheduler is closed, nothing wrong */ }
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/FixedRateTaskSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/FixedRateTaskSpec.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3efa3ab3ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/FixedRateTaskSpec.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/**
+ *  Copyright (C) 2009-2012 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+
+package akka.cluster
+
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger
+import akka.testkit.AkkaSpec
+import akka.util.duration._
+import akka.testkit.TimingTest
+
+@org.junit.runner.RunWith(classOf[org.scalatest.junit.JUnitRunner])
+class FixedRateTaskSpec extends AkkaSpec {
+
+  "Task scheduled at fixed rate" must {
+    "adjust for scheduler inaccuracy" taggedAs TimingTest in {
+      val counter = new AtomicInteger
+      FixedRateTask(system.scheduler, 150.millis, 150.millis) {
+        counter.incrementAndGet()
+      }
+      5000.millis.sleep()
+      counter.get must (be(33) or be(34))
+    }
+
+    "compensate for long running task" taggedAs TimingTest in {
+      val counter = new AtomicInteger
+      FixedRateTask(system.scheduler, 225.millis, 225.millis) {
+        counter.incrementAndGet()
+        80.millis.sleep()
+      }
+      5000.millis.sleep()
+      counter.get must (be(22) or be(23))
+    }
+  }
+}
+