diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/netty/NettyRemoteSupport.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/netty/NettyRemoteSupport.scala
index dafb703e41..98c6c99695 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/netty/NettyRemoteSupport.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/netty/NettyRemoteSupport.scala
@@ -132,8 +132,6 @@ class ActiveRemoteClient private[akka] (
   private var bootstrap: ClientBootstrap = _
   @volatile
   private[remote] var connection: ChannelFuture = _
-  @volatile
-  private[remote] var openChannels: DefaultChannelGroup = _
 
   @volatile
   private var reconnectionTimeWindowStart = 0L
@@ -165,7 +163,7 @@ class ActiveRemoteClient private[akka] (
     def attemptReconnect(): Boolean = {
       log.debug("Remote client reconnecting to [{}]", remoteAddress)
       connection = bootstrap.connect(new InetSocketAddress(remoteAddress.ip.get, remoteAddress.port))
-      openChannels.add(connection.awaitUninterruptibly.getChannel) // Wait until the connection attempt succeeds or fails.
+      connection.awaitUninterruptibly.getChannel // Wait until the connection attempt succeeds or fails.
 
       if (!connection.isSuccess) {
         notifyListeners(RemoteClientError(connection.getCause, remoteSupport, remoteAddress))
@@ -177,8 +175,6 @@ class ActiveRemoteClient private[akka] (
     }
 
     runSwitch switchOn {
-      openChannels = new DefaultDisposableChannelGroup(classOf[RemoteClient].getName)
-
       executionHandler = new ExecutionHandler(remoteSupport.executor)
 
       bootstrap = new ClientBootstrap(new NioClientSocketChannelFactory(Executors.newCachedThreadPool, Executors.newCachedThreadPool))
@@ -189,9 +185,7 @@ class ActiveRemoteClient private[akka] (
       log.debug("Starting remote client connection to [{}]", remoteAddress)
 
       connection = bootstrap.connect(new InetSocketAddress(remoteAddress.ip.get, remoteAddress.port))
-
-      val channel = connection.awaitUninterruptibly.getChannel
-      openChannels.add(channel)
+      connection.awaitUninterruptibly.getChannel // Wait until the connection attempt succeeds or fails.
 
       if (!connection.isSuccess) {
         notifyListeners(RemoteClientError(connection.getCause, remoteSupport, remoteAddress))
@@ -204,7 +198,6 @@ class ActiveRemoteClient private[akka] (
     } match {
       case true ⇒ true
       case false if reconnectIfAlreadyConnected ⇒
-        openChannels.remove(connection.getChannel)
         connection.getChannel.close()
 
         log.debug("Remote client reconnecting to [{}]", remoteAddress)
@@ -219,13 +212,12 @@ class ActiveRemoteClient private[akka] (
     log.debug("Shutting down remote client [{}]", name)
 
     notifyListeners(RemoteClientShutdown(remoteSupport, remoteAddress))
-    openChannels.close.awaitUninterruptibly
-    openChannels = null
+    connection.getChannel.close()
+    connection = null
     executionHandler.releaseExternalResources()
     executionHandler = null
     bootstrap.releaseExternalResources()
     bootstrap = null
-    connection = null
 
     log.debug("[{}] has been shut down", name)
   }
@@ -321,12 +313,8 @@ class ActiveRemoteClientHandler(
   override def channelClosed(ctx: ChannelHandlerContext, event: ChannelStateEvent) = client.runSwitch ifOn {
     if (client.isWithinReconnectionTimeWindow) {
       timer.newTimeout(new TimerTask() {
-        def run(timeout: Timeout) = {
-          if (client.isRunning) {
-            client.openChannels.remove(event.getChannel)
-            client.connect(reconnectIfAlreadyConnected = true)
-          }
-        }
+        def run(timeout: Timeout) =
+          if (client.isRunning) client.connect(reconnectIfAlreadyConnected = true)
       }, client.remoteSupport.clientSettings.ReconnectDelay.toMillis, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
     } else runOnceNow {
       client.remoteSupport.shutdownClientConnection(remoteAddress) // spawn in another thread