diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/LargeClusterSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/LargeClusterSpec.scala
index 1ebb930df6..06e3caeac8 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/LargeClusterSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/LargeClusterSpec.scala
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ abstract class LargeClusterSpec
     runOn(runOnRoles: _*) {
       systems.size must be(nodesPerDatacenter) // make sure it is initialized
 
-      val clusterNodes = ifNode(from)(joiningClusterNodes)(systems.map(Cluster(_)).toSet)
+      val clusterNodes = if(isNode(from)) joiningClusterNodes else systems.map(Cluster(_)).toSet
       val startGossipCounts = Map.empty[Cluster, Long] ++
         clusterNodes.map(c ⇒ (c -> c.readView.latestStats.receivedGossipCount))
       def gossipCount(c: Cluster): Long = {
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ abstract class LargeClusterSpec
       if (bulk.nonEmpty) {
         val totalNodes = nodesPerDatacenter * 4 + bulk.size
         within(expectedMaxDuration(totalNodes)) {
-          val joiningClusters = ifNode(fifthDatacenter)(bulk.map(Cluster(_)).toSet)(Set.empty)
+          val joiningClusters = if(isNode(fifthDatacenter)) bulk.map(Cluster(_)).toSet else Set.empty[Cluster]
           join(joiningClusters, from = fifthDatacenter, to = firstDatacenter, totalNodes,
             runOnRoles = firstDatacenter, secondDatacenter, thirdDatacenter, fourthDatacenter, fifthDatacenter)
           enterBarrier("fifth-datacenter-joined-" + bulk.size)
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ abstract class LargeClusterSpec
       for (i ← 0 until oneByOne.size) {
         val totalNodes = nodesPerDatacenter * 4 + bulk.size + i + 1
         within(expectedMaxDuration(totalNodes)) {
-          val joiningClusters = ifNode(fifthDatacenter)(Set(Cluster(oneByOne(i))))(Set.empty)
+          val joiningClusters = if(isNode(fifthDatacenter)) Set(Cluster(oneByOne(i))) else Set.empty[Cluster]
           join(joiningClusters, from = fifthDatacenter, to = firstDatacenter, totalNodes,
             runOnRoles = firstDatacenter, secondDatacenter, thirdDatacenter, fourthDatacenter, fifthDatacenter)
           enterBarrier("fifth-datacenter-joined-" + (bulk.size + i))
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 5ff931f1c2..12fc8ebbc6 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MultiNodeClusterSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MultiNodeClusterSpec.scala
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ trait MultiNodeClusterSpec extends Suite with STMultiNodeSpec { self: MultiNodeS
     val expectedLeader = roleOfLeader(nodesInCluster)
     val leader = clusterView.leader
     val isLeader = leader == Some(clusterView.selfAddress)
-    assert(isLeader == ifNode(expectedLeader)(true)(false),
+    assert(isLeader == isNode(expectedLeader),
       "expectedLeader [%s], got leader [%s], members [%s]".format(expectedLeader, leader, clusterView.members))
     clusterView.status must (be(MemberStatus.Up) or be(MemberStatus.Leaving))
   }
diff --git a/akka-remote-tests/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testkit/MultiNodeSpec.scala b/akka-remote-tests/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testkit/MultiNodeSpec.scala
index 9d5fd4b55e..c40a4e5a7b 100644
--- a/akka-remote-tests/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testkit/MultiNodeSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-remote-tests/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testkit/MultiNodeSpec.scala
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@ abstract class MultiNodeConfig {
   /**
    * Register a config override for a specific participant.
    */
-  def nodeConfig(role: RoleName, config: Config): Unit = _nodeConf += role -> config
+  def nodeConfig(roles: RoleName*)(configs: Config*): Unit = {
+    val c = configs.reduceLeft(_ withFallback _)
+    _nodeConf ++= roles map { _ -> c }
+  }
 
   /**
    * Include for verbose debug logging
@@ -318,18 +321,15 @@ abstract class MultiNodeSpec(val myself: RoleName, _system: ActorSystem, _roles:
    * to the `roleMap`).
    */
   def runOn(nodes: RoleName*)(thunk: ⇒ Unit): Unit = {
-    if (nodes exists (_ == myself)) {
+    if (isNode(nodes: _*)) {
       thunk
     }
   }
 
   /**
-   * Execute the `yes` block of code only on the given nodes (names according
-   * to the `roleMap`) else execute the `no` block of code.
+   * Verify that the running node matches one of the given nodes
    */
-  def ifNode[T](nodes: RoleName*)(yes: ⇒ T)(no: ⇒ T): T = {
-    if (nodes exists (_ == myself)) yes else no
-  }
+  def isNode(nodes: RoleName*): Boolean = nodes contains myself
 
   /**
    * Enter the named barriers in the order given. Use the remaining duration from
diff --git a/akka-remote-tests/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/TestConductorSpec.scala b/akka-remote-tests/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/TestConductorSpec.scala
index 1b5ac90772..544ee03ead 100644
--- a/akka-remote-tests/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/TestConductorSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-remote-tests/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/TestConductorSpec.scala
@@ -89,11 +89,8 @@ class TestConductorSpec extends MultiNodeSpec(TestConductorMultiJvmSpec) with ST
       }
 
       val (min, max) =
-        ifNode(master) {
-          (0 seconds, 500 millis)
-        } {
-          (0.6 seconds, 2 seconds)
-        }
+        if(isNode(master))(0 seconds, 500 millis)
+        else (0.6 seconds, 2 seconds)
 
       within(min, max) {
         expectMsg(500 millis, 10)