diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Actor.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Actor.scala
index 8b284b52bc..1bd4351b0d 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Actor.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Actor.scala
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ object Actor extends ListenerManagement {
   class LoggingReceive(source: AnyRef, r: Receive) extends Receive {
     def isDefinedAt(o: Any) = {
       val handled = r.isDefinedAt(o)
-      EventHandler.debug(source, "Received " + (if (handled) "handled" else "unhandled") + " message " + o)
+      EventHandler.debug(source, "received " + (if (handled) "handled" else "unhandled") + " message " + o)
       handled
     }
     def apply(o: Any): Unit = r(o)
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterInterface.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterInterface.scala
index 3b92fd04a5..346aa06c62 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterInterface.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterInterface.scala
@@ -505,8 +505,6 @@ trait ClusterNode {
 
   private[cluster] def remoteSocketAddressForNode(node: String): Option[InetSocketAddress]
 
-  private[cluster] def createActorsAtAddressPath()
-
   private[cluster] def membershipPathFor(node: String): String
   private[cluster] def configurationPathFor(key: String): String
 
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
index e40d014dc0..5b8a72a66e 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
@@ -1261,12 +1261,10 @@ class DefaultClusterNode private[akka] (
         "\n\tserializer = [%s]")
         .format(nodeAddress.clusterName, nodeAddress.nodeName, port, zkServerAddresses, serializer))
     EventHandler.info(this, "Starting up remote server [%s]".format(remoteServerAddress.toString))
-    createRootClusterNode()
-    val isLeader = joinLeaderElection()
-    if (isLeader) createNodeStructureIfNeeded()
+    createZooKeeperPathStructureIfNeeded()
     registerListeners()
     joinCluster()
-    createActorsAtAddressPath()
+    joinLeaderElection()
     fetchMembershipNodes()
     EventHandler.info(this, "Cluster node [%s] started successfully".format(nodeAddress))
   }
@@ -1387,6 +1385,7 @@ class DefaultClusterNode private[akka] (
         EventHandler.error(error, this, error.toString)
         throw error
     }
+    ignore[ZkNodeExistsException](zkClient.createPersistent(nodeToUuidsPathFor(nodeAddress.nodeName)))
   }
 
   private[cluster] def joinLeaderElection(): Boolean = {
@@ -1406,10 +1405,6 @@ class DefaultClusterNode private[akka] (
     }
   }
 
-  private[cluster] def createActorsAtAddressPath() {
-    ignore[ZkNodeExistsException](zkClient.createPersistent(nodeToUuidsPathFor(nodeAddress.nodeName)))
-  }
-
   private[cluster] def failOverClusterActorRefConnections(from: InetSocketAddress, to: InetSocketAddress) {
     clusterActorRefs.values(from) foreach (_.failOver(from, to))
   }
@@ -1511,14 +1506,12 @@ class DefaultClusterNode private[akka] (
     }
   }
 
-  private def createRootClusterNode() {
+  private def createZooKeeperPathStructureIfNeeded() {
     ignore[ZkNodeExistsException] {
       zkClient.create(CLUSTER_PATH, null, CreateMode.PERSISTENT)
       EventHandler.info(this, "Created node [%s]".format(CLUSTER_PATH))
     }
-  }
 
-  private def createNodeStructureIfNeeded() {
     basePaths.foreach { path ⇒
       try {
         ignore[ZkNodeExistsException](zkClient.create(path, null, CreateMode.PERSISTENT))