diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/routing/ConsistentHash.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/routing/ConsistentHash.scala
index bc86f5f82d..fca0837662 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/routing/ConsistentHash.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/routing/ConsistentHash.scala
@@ -24,10 +24,9 @@ class ConsistentHash[T] private (nodes: Map[Int, T], virtualNodesFactor: Int) {
   if (virtualNodesFactor < 1) throw new IllegalArgumentException("virtualNodesFactor must be >= 1")
 
   // sorted hash values of the nodes
-  private val nodeRing: Array[Int] = {
-    val nodeRing = nodes.keys.toArray
-    Arrays.sort(nodeRing)
-    nodeRing
+  private val (nodeHashRing: Array[Int], nodeRing: Vector[T]) = {
+    val (nhr: IndexedSeq[Int], nr: IndexedSeq[AnyRef]) = nodes.toArray.sortBy(_._1).unzip
+    (nhr.toArray, Vector[T]() ++ nr)
   }
 
   /**
@@ -62,6 +61,17 @@ class ConsistentHash[T] private (nodes: Map[Int, T], virtualNodesFactor: Int) {
    */
   def remove(node: T): ConsistentHash[T] = this :- node
 
+  // converts the result of Arrays.binarySearch into a index in the nodeRing array
+  // see documentation of Arrays.binarySearch for what it returns
+  private def idx(i: Int): Int = {
+    if (i >= 0) i // exact match
+    else {
+      val j = math.abs(i + 1)
+      if (j >= nodeHashRing.length) 0 // after last, use first
+      else j // next node clockwise
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Get the node responsible for the data key.
    * Can only be used if nodes exists in the node ring,
@@ -70,18 +80,18 @@ class ConsistentHash[T] private (nodes: Map[Int, T], virtualNodesFactor: Int) {
   def nodeFor(key: Array[Byte]): T = {
     if (isEmpty) throw new IllegalStateException("Can't get node for [%s] from an empty node ring" format key)
 
-    // converts the result of Arrays.binarySearch into a index in the nodeRing array
-    // see documentation of Arrays.binarySearch for what it returns
-    def idx(i: Int): Int = {
-      if (i >= 0) i // exact match
-      else {
-        val j = math.abs(i + 1)
-        if (j >= nodeRing.length) 0 // after last, use first
-        else j // next node clockwise
-      }
-    }
-    val nodeRingIndex = idx(Arrays.binarySearch(nodeRing, hashFor(key)))
-    nodes(nodeRing(nodeRingIndex))
+    nodeRing(idx(Arrays.binarySearch(nodeHashRing, hashFor(key))))
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Get the node responsible for the data key.
+   * Can only be used if nodes exists in the node ring,
+   * otherwise throws `IllegalStateException`
+   */
+  def nodeFor(key: String): T = {
+    if (isEmpty) throw new IllegalStateException("Can't get node for [%s] from an empty node ring" format key)
+
+    nodeRing(idx(Arrays.binarySearch(nodeHashRing, hashFor(key))))
   }
 
   /**
@@ -111,5 +121,6 @@ object ConsistentHash {
     hashFor((node + ":" + vnode).getBytes("UTF-8"))
 
   private def hashFor(bytes: Array[Byte]): Int = MurmurHash.arrayHash(bytes)
-}
 
+  private def hashFor(string: String): Int = MurmurHash.stringHash(string)
+}
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/routing/ConsistentHashingRouter.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/routing/ConsistentHashingRouter.scala
index 4937691d88..3b9802d7fd 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/routing/ConsistentHashingRouter.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/routing/ConsistentHashingRouter.scala
@@ -264,14 +264,13 @@ trait ConsistentHashingLike { this: RouterConfig ⇒
     }
 
     def target(hashData: Any): ActorRef = try {
-      val hash = hashData match {
-        case bytes: Array[Byte] ⇒ bytes
-        case str: String        ⇒ str.getBytes("UTF-8")
-        case x: AnyRef          ⇒ SerializationExtension(routeeProvider.context.system).serialize(x).get
-      }
       val currentConsistenHash = updateConsistentHash()
       if (currentConsistenHash.isEmpty) routeeProvider.context.system.deadLetters
-      else currentConsistenHash.nodeFor(hash)
+      else hashData match {
+        case bytes: Array[Byte] ⇒ currentConsistenHash.nodeFor(bytes)
+        case str: String        ⇒ currentConsistenHash.nodeFor(str)
+        case x: AnyRef          ⇒ currentConsistenHash.nodeFor(SerializationExtension(routeeProvider.context.system).serialize(x).get)
+      }
     } catch {
       case NonFatal(e) ⇒
         // serialization failed