diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/SurviveNetworkInstabilitySpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/SurviveNetworkInstabilitySpec.scala
index f5ccc4d93f..2bd7297766 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/SurviveNetworkInstabilitySpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/SurviveNetworkInstabilitySpec.scala
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import akka.remote.RemoteActorRefProvider
 import akka.actor.ActorRef
 import akka.dispatch.sysmsg.Failed
 import akka.actor.PoisonPill
+import akka.actor.Terminated
 
 object SurviveNetworkInstabilityMultiJvmSpec extends MultiNodeConfig {
   val first = role("first")
@@ -33,43 +34,30 @@ object SurviveNetworkInstabilityMultiJvmSpec extends MultiNodeConfig {
   val eighth = role("eighth")
 
   commonConfig(debugConfig(on = false).withFallback(
-    ConfigFactory.parseString("akka.remote.system-message-buffer-size=20")).
+    ConfigFactory.parseString("akka.remote.system-message-buffer-size=100")).
     withFallback(MultiNodeClusterSpec.clusterConfig))
 
   testTransport(on = true)
 
-  deployOn(second, """"/parent/*" {
-      remote = "@third@"
-    }""")
-
-  class Parent extends Actor {
-    def receive = {
-      case p: Props ⇒ sender() ! context.actorOf(p)
-    }
-  }
-
-  class RemoteChild extends Actor {
-    import context.dispatcher
-
-    def receive = {
-      case "hello" ⇒
-        context.actorSelection("/user/bad") ! self
-        sender() ! "hello"
-      case "boom" ⇒ throw new SimulatedException
-    }
-  }
-
-  class BadGuy extends Actor {
-    var victims = Vector.empty[ActorRef]
-    def receive = {
-      case ref: ActorRef ⇒ victims :+= ref
-      case "boom"        ⇒ victims foreach { _ ! "boom" }
-    }
-  }
-
   class Echo extends Actor {
     def receive = {
-      case m ⇒ sender() ! m
+      case m ⇒ sender ! m
+    }
+  }
+
+  case class Targets(refs: Set[ActorRef])
+  case object TargetsRegistered
+
+  class Watcher extends Actor {
+    var targets = Set.empty[ActorRef]
+
+    def receive = {
+      case Targets(refs) ⇒
+        targets = refs
+        sender() ! TargetsRegistered
+      case "boom" ⇒
+        targets.foreach(context.watch)
+      case Terminated(_) ⇒
     }
   }
 
@@ -103,7 +91,6 @@ abstract class SurviveNetworkInstabilitySpec
   }
 
   system.actorOf(Props[Echo], "echo")
-  val bad = system.actorOf(Props[BadGuy], "bad")
 
   def assertCanTalk(alive: RoleName*): Unit = {
     runOn(alive: _*) {
@@ -265,31 +252,23 @@ abstract class SurviveNetworkInstabilitySpec
     "down and remove quarantined node" taggedAs LongRunningTest in within(60.seconds) {
       val others = Vector(first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh)
 
+      runOn(third) {
+        system.actorOf(Props[Watcher], "watcher")
+
+        // undelivered system messages in RemoteChild on third should trigger QuarantinedEvent
+        system.eventStream.subscribe(testActor, classOf[QuarantinedEvent])
+      }
+      enterBarrier("watcher-created")
+
       runOn(second) {
         val sysMsgBufferSize = system.asInstanceOf[ExtendedActorSystem].provider.asInstanceOf[RemoteActorRefProvider].
           remoteSettings.SysMsgBufferSize
-        val parent = system.actorOf(Props[Parent], "parent")
-        // fill up the system message redeliver buffer with many failing actors
-        for (_ ← 1 to sysMsgBufferSize + 1) {
-          // remote deployment to third
-          parent ! Props[RemoteChild]
-          val child = receiveOne(remainingOrDefault) match {
-            case a: ActorRef ⇒ a
-            case other       ⇒ fail(s"expected ActorRef, got $other")
-          }
-          child ! "hello"
-          expectMsg("hello")
-          lastSender.path.address should be(address(third))
-        }
+        val refs = Vector.fill(sysMsgBufferSize + 1)(system.actorOf(Props[Echo])).toSet
+        system.actorSelection(node(third) / "user" / "watcher") ! Targets(refs)
+        expectMsg(TargetsRegistered)
       }
-      runOn(third) {
-        // undelivered system messages in RemoteChild on third should trigger QuarantinedEvent
-        system.eventStream.subscribe(testActor, classOf[QuarantinedEvent])
 
-        // after quarantined it will drop the Failed messages to deadLetters
-        muteDeadLetters(classOf[Failed])(system)
-      }
-      enterBarrier("children-deployed")
+      enterBarrier("targets-registered")
 
       runOn(first) {
         for (role ← others)
@@ -298,10 +277,9 @@ abstract class SurviveNetworkInstabilitySpec
       enterBarrier("blackhole-6")
 
       runOn(third) {
-        // this will trigger Exception in RemoteChild on third, and the failures
-        // can't be reported to parent on second, resulting in too many outstanding
+        // this will trigger watch of targets on second, resulting in too many outstanding
         // system messages and quarantine
-        bad ! "boom"
+        system.actorSelection("/user/watcher") ! "boom"
         within(10.seconds) {
           expectMsgType[QuarantinedEvent].address should be(address(second))
         }
@@ -383,4 +361,4 @@ abstract class SurviveNetworkInstabilitySpec
 
   }
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}