diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/resources/reference.conf b/akka-cluster/src/main/resources/reference.conf
index d226506acc..a1497ed4b6 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/resources/reference.conf
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/resources/reference.conf
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ akka {
     # If seed-nodes is empty it will join itself and become a single node cluster.
     auto-join = on
 
-    # should the 'leader' in the cluster be allowed to automatically mark unreachable nodes as DOWN?
+    # Should the 'leader' in the cluster be allowed to automatically mark unreachable nodes as DOWN?
+    # Using auto-down implies that two separate clusters will be formed in case of network partition.
     auto-down = on
 
     # the number of gossip daemon actors
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MultiNodeClusterSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MultiNodeClusterSpec.scala
index ed95013bf4..3264c661b0 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MultiNodeClusterSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MultiNodeClusterSpec.scala
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ trait MultiNodeClusterSpec extends FailureDetectorStrategy with Suite { self: Mu
     }
   }
 
-  def roleOfLeader(nodesInCluster: Seq[RoleName]): RoleName = {
+  def roleOfLeader(nodesInCluster: Seq[RoleName] = roles): RoleName = {
     nodesInCluster.length must not be (0)
     nodesInCluster.sorted.head
   }
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/SplitBrainSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/SplitBrainSpec.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..24e94f715d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/SplitBrainSpec.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+/**
+ *  Copyright (C) 2009-2012 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+package akka.cluster
+
+import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
+import akka.remote.testkit.MultiNodeConfig
+import akka.remote.testkit.MultiNodeSpec
+import akka.testkit._
+import akka.util.duration._
+import akka.actor.Address
+import akka.remote.testconductor.Direction
+
+object SplitBrainMultiJvmSpec extends MultiNodeConfig {
+  val first = role("first")
+  val second = role("second")
+  val third = role("third")
+  val fourth = role("fourth")
+  val fifth = role("fifth")
+
+  commonConfig(debugConfig(on = false).
+    withFallback(ConfigFactory.parseString("""
+        akka.cluster {
+          auto-down = on
+          failure-detector.threshold = 4
+        }""")).
+    withFallback(MultiNodeClusterSpec.clusterConfig))
+}
+
+class SplitBrainWithFailureDetectorPuppetMultiJvmNode1 extends SplitBrainSpec with FailureDetectorPuppetStrategy
+class SplitBrainWithFailureDetectorPuppetMultiJvmNode2 extends SplitBrainSpec with FailureDetectorPuppetStrategy
+class SplitBrainWithFailureDetectorPuppetMultiJvmNode3 extends SplitBrainSpec with FailureDetectorPuppetStrategy
+class SplitBrainWithFailureDetectorPuppetMultiJvmNode4 extends SplitBrainSpec with FailureDetectorPuppetStrategy
+class SplitBrainWithFailureDetectorPuppetMultiJvmNode5 extends SplitBrainSpec with FailureDetectorPuppetStrategy
+
+class SplitBrainWithAccrualFailureDetectorMultiJvmNode1 extends SplitBrainSpec with AccrualFailureDetectorStrategy
+class SplitBrainWithAccrualFailureDetectorMultiJvmNode2 extends SplitBrainSpec with AccrualFailureDetectorStrategy
+class SplitBrainWithAccrualFailureDetectorMultiJvmNode3 extends SplitBrainSpec with AccrualFailureDetectorStrategy
+class SplitBrainWithAccrualFailureDetectorMultiJvmNode4 extends SplitBrainSpec with AccrualFailureDetectorStrategy
+class SplitBrainWithAccrualFailureDetectorMultiJvmNode5 extends SplitBrainSpec with AccrualFailureDetectorStrategy
+
+abstract class SplitBrainSpec
+  extends MultiNodeSpec(SplitBrainMultiJvmSpec)
+  with MultiNodeClusterSpec {
+
+  import SplitBrainMultiJvmSpec._
+
+  val side1 = IndexedSeq(first, second)
+  val side2 = IndexedSeq(third, fourth, fifth)
+
+  "A cluster of 5 members" must {
+
+    "reach initial convergence" taggedAs LongRunningTest in {
+      awaitClusterUp(first, second, third, fourth, fifth)
+
+      enterBarrier("after-1")
+    }
+
+    "detect network partition and mark nodes on other side as unreachable" taggedAs LongRunningTest in {
+      val thirdAddress = address(third)
+      enterBarrier("before-split")
+
+      runOn(first) {
+        // split the cluster in two parts (first, second) / (third, fourth, fifth)
+        for (role1 ← side1; role2 ← side2) {
+          testConductor.blackhole(role1, role2, Direction.Both).await
+        }
+      }
+      enterBarrier("after-split")
+
+      runOn(side1.last) {
+        for (role ← side2) markNodeAsUnavailable(role)
+      }
+      runOn(side2.last) {
+        for (role ← side1) markNodeAsUnavailable(role)
+      }
+
+      runOn(side1: _*) {
+        awaitCond(cluster.latestGossip.overview.unreachable.map(_.address) == (side2.toSet map address), 20 seconds)
+      }
+      runOn(side2: _*) {
+        awaitCond(cluster.latestGossip.overview.unreachable.map(_.address) == (side1.toSet map address), 20 seconds)
+      }
+
+      enterBarrier("after-2")
+    }
+
+    "auto-down the other nodes and form new cluster with potentially new leader" taggedAs LongRunningTest in {
+
+      runOn(side1: _*) {
+        // auto-down = on
+        awaitCond(cluster.latestGossip.overview.unreachable.forall(m ⇒ m.status == MemberStatus.Down), 15 seconds)
+        cluster.latestGossip.overview.unreachable.map(_.address) must be(side2.toSet map address)
+        awaitUpConvergence(side1.size, side2 map address)
+        assertLeader(side1: _*)
+      }
+
+      runOn(side2: _*) {
+        // auto-down = on
+        awaitCond(cluster.latestGossip.overview.unreachable.forall(m ⇒ m.status == MemberStatus.Down), 15 seconds)
+        cluster.latestGossip.overview.unreachable.map(_.address) must be(side1.toSet map address)
+        awaitUpConvergence(side2.size, side1 map address)
+        assertLeader(side2: _*)
+      }
+
+      enterBarrier("after-3")
+    }
+
+  }
+
+}