diff --git a/akka-remote/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/remote/MultiJvmSync.scala b/akka-remote/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/remote/MultiJvmSync.scala
index 014afd0c54..2be4c156f2 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/remote/MultiJvmSync.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/remote/MultiJvmSync.scala
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ object MultiJvmSync {
     val barrier = if (AkkaRemoteSpec.testNodes eq null)
       new FileBasedBarrier(name, count, testName, nodeName, timeout)
     else
-      new ZkClient.ZkBarrier(name + "_" + nodeName, count, "/" + testName)
+      new ZkClient.ZkBarrier(nodeName, count, "/" + testName + "_" + name)
     barrier.await()
   }
 }
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/remote/ZKClient.scala b/akka-remote/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/remote/ZKClient.scala
index d6ef72ae22..52f5dc3b33 100755
--- a/akka-remote/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/remote/ZKClient.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/remote/ZKClient.scala
@@ -3,11 +3,8 @@
  */
 package akka.remote
 
-import com.typesafe.config.Config
 import org.apache.zookeeper._
 import ZooDefs.Ids
-import collection.JavaConversions._
-import java.net.InetAddress
 
 object ZkClient extends Watcher {
   // Don't forget to close!
@@ -45,37 +42,38 @@ object ZkClient extends Watcher {
       case _: KeeperException.NodeExistsException =>
     }
 
-    def enter() {
-      zk.create(root + "/" + name, Array[Byte](), Ids.OPEN_ACL_UNSAFE,
-                CreateMode.EPHEMERAL)
+    val timeoutMs = 300*1000
 
+    private def block(num: Int) {
+      val start = System.currentTimeMillis
       while (true) {
+        if (System.currentTimeMillis - start > timeoutMs)
+          throw new InterruptedException("Timed out blocking in zk")
+
         ZkClient.this.synchronized {
           val children = zk.getChildren(root, true)
-          println("Enter, children: " + children.mkString(","))
-          if (children.size < count) {
-            println("waiting")
-            ZkClient.this.wait()
+          if (children.size < num) {
+            ZkClient.this.wait(timeoutMs)
           } else
             return
         }
       }
     }
 
-    final def leave() {
-      zk.delete(root + "/" + name, -1)
+    def enter() {
+      println("ZK creating " + root + "/" + name)
+      zk.create(root + "/" + name, Array[Byte](), Ids.OPEN_ACL_UNSAFE,
+                CreateMode.EPHEMERAL)
 
-      while (true) {
-        ZkClient.this.synchronized {
-          val children = zk.getChildren(root, true)
-          println("Leave, children: " + children.mkString(","))
-          if (!children.isEmpty) {
-            println("waiting")
-            ZkClient.this.wait()
-          } else
-            return
-        }
-      }
+      block(count)
+    }
+
+    final def leave() {
+      println("ZK leaving " + root + "/" + name)
+      zk.create(root + "/" + name + ".leave", Array[Byte](), Ids.OPEN_ACL_UNSAFE,
+                CreateMode.EPHEMERAL)
+
+      block(2*count)
     }
   }