diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/StreamRefSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/StreamRefSpec.scala
index f8c7410c22..1394ca1b97 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/StreamRefSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/StreamRefSpec.scala
@@ -5,11 +5,7 @@
 package akka.cluster
 
 import akka.Done
-import akka.actor.Actor
-import akka.actor.ActorIdentity
-import akka.actor.ActorRef
-import akka.actor.Identify
-import akka.actor.Props
+import akka.actor.{ Actor, ActorIdentity, ActorLogging, ActorRef, Identify, Props }
 import akka.remote.testkit.MultiNodeConfig
 import akka.remote.testkit.MultiNodeSpec
 import akka.remote.transport.ThrottlerTransportAdapter.Direction
@@ -52,7 +48,7 @@ object StreamRefSpec extends MultiNodeConfig {
       Props(new DataSource(streamLifecycleProbe))
   }
 
-  class DataSource(streamLifecycleProbe: ActorRef) extends Actor {
+  class DataSource(streamLifecycleProbe: ActorRef) extends Actor with ActorLogging {
     import context.dispatcher
     implicit val mat = Materializer(context)
 
@@ -72,8 +68,11 @@ object StreamRefSpec extends MultiNodeConfig {
             .run()
 
         done.onComplete {
-          case Success(_) => streamLifecycleProbe ! s"completed-$streamId"
-          case Failure(_) => streamLifecycleProbe ! s"failed-$streamId"
+          case Success(_) =>
+            streamLifecycleProbe ! s"completed-$streamId"
+          case Failure(ex) =>
+            log.info("Source stream completed with failure: {}", ex)
+            streamLifecycleProbe ! s"failed-$streamId"
         }
 
         // wrap the SourceRef in some domain message, such that the sender knows what source it is
@@ -94,7 +93,7 @@ object StreamRefSpec extends MultiNodeConfig {
       Props(new DataReceiver(streamLifecycleProbe))
   }
 
-  class DataReceiver(streamLifecycleProbe: ActorRef) extends Actor {
+  class DataReceiver(streamLifecycleProbe: ActorRef) extends Actor with ActorLogging {
 
     import context.dispatcher
     implicit val mat = Materializer(context)
@@ -115,7 +114,9 @@ object StreamRefSpec extends MultiNodeConfig {
 
         done.onComplete {
           case Success(_) => streamLifecycleProbe ! s"completed-$nodeId"
-          case Failure(_) => streamLifecycleProbe ! s"failed-$nodeId"
+          case Failure(ex) =>
+            log.info("Sink stream completed with failure: {}", ex)
+            streamLifecycleProbe ! s"failed-$nodeId"
         }
 
         // wrap the SinkRef in some domain message, such that the sender knows what source it is
@@ -186,8 +187,8 @@ abstract class StreamRefSpec extends MultiNodeSpec(StreamRefSpec) with MultiNode
         destinationForSource.expectError().getClass should ===(classOf[RemoteStreamRefActorTerminatedException])
       }
       runOn(second) {
-        // it will be cancelled, i.e. competed
-        dataSourceLifecycle.expectMsg("completed-1337")
+        // it will be cancelled with a failure
+        dataSourceLifecycle.expectMsg("failed-1337")
       }
 
       enterBarrier("after-2")
@@ -239,7 +240,8 @@ abstract class StreamRefSpec extends MultiNodeSpec(StreamRefSpec) with MultiNode
       enterBarrier("members-removed")
 
       runOn(first) {
-        streamLifecycle1.expectMsg("completed-system-42-tmp")
+        // failure propagated upstream
+        streamLifecycle1.expectMsg("failed-system-42-tmp")
       }
       runOn(third) {
         streamLifecycle3.expectMsg("failed-system-42-tmp")
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/main/paradox/project/migration-guide-2.5.x-2.6.x.md b/akka-docs/src/main/paradox/project/migration-guide-2.5.x-2.6.x.md
index 437a96c52a..fea8fc2ae6 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/main/paradox/project/migration-guide-2.5.x-2.6.x.md
+++ b/akka-docs/src/main/paradox/project/migration-guide-2.5.x-2.6.x.md
@@ -550,6 +550,7 @@ The following operators have a slight change in behavior because of this:
 * `FileIO.fromPath`, `FileIO.fromFile` and `StreamConverters.fromInputStream`  will fail the materialized future with 
   an `IOOperationIncompleteException` when downstream fails
 * `.watchTermination` will fail the materialized `Future` or `CompletionStage` rather than completing it when downstream fails
+* `StreamRef` - `SourceRef` will cancel with a failure when the receiving node is downed 
 
 This also means that custom `GraphStage` implementations should be changed to pass on the
 cancellation cause when downstream cancels by implementing the `OutHandler.onDownstreamFinish` signature