diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
index 1467df7e92..4d21d8108d 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
@@ -249,24 +249,13 @@ class Cluster(val system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends Extension {
     clusterCore ! InternalClusterAction.Unsubscribe(subscriber, Some(to))
 
   /**
-   * Publish current (full) state of the cluster to subscribers,
-   * that are subscribing to [[akka.cluster.ClusterEvent.ClusterDomainEvent]]
-   * or [[akka.cluster.ClusterEvent.CurrentClusterState]].
-   * If you want this to happen periodically you need to schedule a call to
-   * this method yourself.
-   */
-  @deprecated("Use sendCurrentClusterState instead of publishCurrentClusterState", "2.3")
-  def publishCurrentClusterState(): Unit =
-    clusterCore ! InternalClusterAction.PublishCurrentClusterState(None)
-
-  /**
-   * Publish current (full) state of the cluster to the specified
+   * Send current (full) state of the cluster to the specified
    * receiver. If you want this to happen periodically you need to schedule
    * a call to this method yourself. Note that you can also retrieve the current
    * state with [[#state]].
    */
   def sendCurrentClusterState(receiver: ActorRef): Unit =
-    clusterCore ! InternalClusterAction.PublishCurrentClusterState(Some(receiver))
+    clusterCore ! InternalClusterAction.SendCurrentClusterState(receiver)
 
   /**
    * Try to join this cluster node with the node specified by 'address'.
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterDaemon.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterDaemon.scala
index d2b91e3f12..08e1a1b6bd 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterDaemon.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterDaemon.scala
@@ -137,10 +137,9 @@ private[cluster] object InternalClusterAction {
   final case class Subscribe(subscriber: ActorRef, initialStateMode: SubscriptionInitialStateMode, to: Set[Class[_]]) extends SubscriptionMessage
   final case class Unsubscribe(subscriber: ActorRef, to: Option[Class[_]]) extends SubscriptionMessage
   /**
-   * @param receiver if `receiver` is defined the event will only be sent to that
-   *   actor, otherwise it will be sent to all subscribers via the `eventStream`.
+   * @param receiver [[akka.cluster.ClusterEvent.CurrentClusterState]] will be sent to the `receiver`
    */
-  final case class PublishCurrentClusterState(receiver: Option[ActorRef]) extends SubscriptionMessage
+  final case class SendCurrentClusterState(receiver: ActorRef) extends SubscriptionMessage
 
   sealed trait PublishMessage
   final case class PublishChanges(newGossip: Gossip) extends PublishMessage
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterEvent.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterEvent.scala
index f90261a65a..0076821323 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterEvent.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterEvent.scala
@@ -328,12 +328,12 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterDomainEventPublisher extends Actor with Acto
   }
 
   def receive = {
-    case PublishChanges(newGossip)            ⇒ publishChanges(newGossip)
-    case currentStats: CurrentInternalStats   ⇒ publishInternalStats(currentStats)
-    case PublishCurrentClusterState(receiver) ⇒ publishCurrentClusterState(receiver)
-    case Subscribe(subscriber, initMode, to)  ⇒ subscribe(subscriber, initMode, to)
-    case Unsubscribe(subscriber, to)          ⇒ unsubscribe(subscriber, to)
-    case PublishEvent(event)                  ⇒ publish(event)
+    case PublishChanges(newGossip)           ⇒ publishChanges(newGossip)
+    case currentStats: CurrentInternalStats  ⇒ publishInternalStats(currentStats)
+    case SendCurrentClusterState(receiver)   ⇒ sendCurrentClusterState(receiver)
+    case Subscribe(subscriber, initMode, to) ⇒ subscribe(subscriber, initMode, to)
+    case Unsubscribe(subscriber, to)         ⇒ unsubscribe(subscriber, to)
+    case PublishEvent(event)                 ⇒ publish(event)
   }
 
   def eventStream: EventStream = context.system.eventStream
@@ -342,17 +342,14 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterDomainEventPublisher extends Actor with Acto
    * The current snapshot state corresponding to latest gossip
    * to mimic what you would have seen if you were listening to the events.
    */
-  def publishCurrentClusterState(receiver: Option[ActorRef]): Unit = {
+  def sendCurrentClusterState(receiver: ActorRef): Unit = {
     val state = CurrentClusterState(
       members = latestGossip.members,
       unreachable = latestGossip.overview.reachability.allUnreachableOrTerminated map latestGossip.member,
       seenBy = latestGossip.seenBy.map(_.address),
       leader = latestGossip.leader.map(_.address),
       roleLeaderMap = latestGossip.allRoles.map(r ⇒ r -> latestGossip.roleLeader(r).map(_.address))(collection.breakOut))
-    receiver match {
-      case Some(ref) ⇒ ref ! state
-      case None      ⇒ publish(state)
-    }
+    receiver ! state
   }
 
   def subscribe(subscriber: ActorRef, initMode: SubscriptionInitialStateMode, to: Set[Class[_]]): Unit = {
@@ -364,7 +361,7 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterDomainEventPublisher extends Actor with Acto
         }
         publishDiff(Gossip.empty, latestGossip, pub)
       case InitialStateAsSnapshot ⇒
-        publishCurrentClusterState(Some(subscriber))
+        sendCurrentClusterState(subscriber)
     }
 
     to foreach { eventStream.subscribe(subscriber, _) }
@@ -397,12 +394,6 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterDomainEventPublisher extends Actor with Acto
 
   def publish(event: AnyRef): Unit = eventStream publish event
 
-  def publishStart(): Unit =
-    if (latestGossip ne Gossip.empty) {
-      clearState()
-      publishCurrentClusterState(None)
-    }
-
   def clearState(): Unit = {
     latestGossip = Gossip.empty
   }
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterSpec.scala
index 58b5975d52..0aa2a67bb3 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterSpec.scala
@@ -86,19 +86,6 @@ class ClusterSpec extends AkkaSpec(ClusterSpec.config) with ImplicitSender {
       }
     }
 
-    "publish CurrentClusterState to subscribers when requested" in {
-      try {
-        cluster.subscribe(testActor, classOf[ClusterEvent.ClusterDomainEvent], classOf[ClusterEvent.CurrentClusterState])
-        // first, is in response to the subscription
-        expectMsgClass(classOf[ClusterEvent.CurrentClusterState])
-
-        cluster.publishCurrentClusterState()
-        expectMsgClass(classOf[ClusterEvent.CurrentClusterState])
-      } finally {
-        cluster.unsubscribe(testActor)
-      }
-    }
-
     "send CurrentClusterState to one receiver when requested" in {
       cluster.sendCurrentClusterState(testActor)
       expectMsgClass(classOf[ClusterEvent.CurrentClusterState])
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/project/migration-guide-2.3.x-2.4.x.rst b/akka-docs/rst/project/migration-guide-2.3.x-2.4.x.rst
index ba539ef13a..361ef2752e 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/project/migration-guide-2.3.x-2.4.x.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/project/migration-guide-2.3.x-2.4.x.rst
@@ -27,3 +27,4 @@ The following, previously deprecated, features have been removed:
 * akka-dataflow
 * akka-transactor
 * durable mailboxes (akka-mailboxes-common, akka-file-mailbox)
+* Cluster.publishCurrentClusterState