diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/artery/ArteryTransport.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/artery/ArteryTransport.scala
index 92fa84e5da..cc114df912 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/artery/ArteryTransport.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/artery/ArteryTransport.scala
@@ -765,18 +765,26 @@ private[remote] class ArteryTransport(_system: ExtendedActorSystem, _provider: R
         envelopePool, giveUpSendAfter, createFlightRecorderEventSink()))(Keep.right)
   }
 
-  def outboundControl(outboundContext: OutboundContext, compression: OutboundCompressions): Sink[OutboundEnvelope, (OutboundControlIngress, Future[Done])] = {
+  /**
+   * The outbound stream is defined as two parts to be able to add test stage in-between.
+   * System messages must not be dropped before the SystemMessageDelivery stage.
+   */
+  def outboundControlPart1(outboundContext: OutboundContext): Flow[OutboundEnvelope, OutboundEnvelope, SharedKillSwitch] = {
     Flow.fromGraph(killSwitch.flow[OutboundEnvelope])
       .via(new OutboundHandshake(system, outboundContext, outboundEnvelopePool, handshakeTimeout,
         handshakeRetryInterval, injectHandshakeInterval))
       .via(new SystemMessageDelivery(outboundContext, system.deadLetters, systemMessageResendInterval,
         remoteSettings.SysMsgBufferSize))
+
+    // FIXME we can also add scrubbing stage that would collapse sys msg acks/nacks and remove duplicate Quarantine messages
+  }
+
+  def outboundControlPart2(outboundContext: OutboundContext, compression: OutboundCompressions): Sink[OutboundEnvelope, (OutboundControlIngress, Future[Done])] = {
+    Flow[OutboundEnvelope]
       .viaMat(new OutboundControlJunction(outboundContext, outboundEnvelopePool))(Keep.right)
       .via(encoder(compression))
       .toMat(new AeronSink(outboundChannel(outboundContext.remoteAddress), controlStreamId, aeron, taskRunner,
         envelopePool, Duration.Inf, createFlightRecorderEventSink()))(Keep.both)
-
-    // FIXME we can also add scrubbing stage that would collapse sys msg acks/nacks and remove duplicate Quarantine messages
   }
 
   def createEncoder(compression: OutboundCompressions, bufferPool: EnvelopeBufferPool): Flow[OutboundEnvelope, EnvelopeBuffer, NotUsed] =
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/artery/Association.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/artery/Association.scala
index fdbfca9747..da3936b065 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/artery/Association.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/artery/Association.scala
@@ -310,14 +310,16 @@ private[remote] class Association(
       if (transport.remoteSettings.TestMode) {
         val ((queueValue, mgmt), (control, completed)) =
           Source.fromGraph(new SendQueue[OutboundEnvelope])
+            .via(transport.outboundControlPart1(this))
             .viaMat(transport.outboundTestFlow(this))(Keep.both)
-            .toMat(transport.outboundControl(this, compression))(Keep.both)
+            .toMat(transport.outboundControlPart2(this, compression))(Keep.both)
             .run()(materializer)
         _testStages.add(mgmt)
         (queueValue, (control, completed))
       } else {
         Source.fromGraph(new SendQueue[OutboundEnvelope])
-          .toMat(transport.outboundControl(this, compression))(Keep.both)
+          .via(transport.outboundControlPart1(this))
+          .toMat(transport.outboundControlPart2(this, compression))(Keep.both)
           .run()(materializer)
       }