diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/protobuf/ClusterMessageSerializer.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/protobuf/ClusterMessageSerializer.scala
index 3db36d2230..7af9bfb55a 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/protobuf/ClusterMessageSerializer.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/protobuf/ClusterMessageSerializer.scala
@@ -37,9 +37,12 @@ class ClusterMessageSerializer(val system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends BaseSeri
     classOf[InternalClusterAction.Join] → {
       case bytes ⇒
         val m = cm.Join.parseFrom(bytes)
+        val roles = Set.empty[String] ++ m.getRolesList.asScala
         InternalClusterAction.Join(
           uniqueAddressFromProto(m.getNode),
-          Set.empty[String] ++ m.getRolesList.asScala)
+          if (roles.find(_.startsWith(ClusterSettings.DcRolePrefix)).isDefined) roles
+          else roles + (ClusterSettings.DcRolePrefix + ClusterSettings.DefaultDataCenter)
+        )
     },
     classOf[InternalClusterAction.Welcome] → {
       case bytes ⇒
@@ -363,7 +366,7 @@ class ClusterMessageSerializer(val system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends BaseSeri
         roles += role
       }
 
-      if (!containsDc) roles + (ClusterSettings.DcRolePrefix + "default")
+      if (!containsDc) roles + (ClusterSettings.DcRolePrefix + ClusterSettings.DefaultDataCenter)
       else roles
     }
 
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/protobuf/ClusterMessageSerializerSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/protobuf/ClusterMessageSerializerSpec.scala
index d1aeeda936..26f84b678b 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/protobuf/ClusterMessageSerializerSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/protobuf/ClusterMessageSerializerSpec.scala
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class ClusterMessageSerializerSpec extends AkkaSpec(
       val uniqueAddress = UniqueAddress(address, 17L)
       val address2 = Address("akka.tcp", "system", "other.host.org", 4711)
       val uniqueAddress2 = UniqueAddress(address2, 18L)
-      checkSerialization(InternalClusterAction.Join(uniqueAddress, Set("foo", "bar")))
+      checkSerialization(InternalClusterAction.Join(uniqueAddress, Set("foo", "bar", "dc-A")))
       checkSerialization(ClusterUserAction.Leave(address))
       checkSerialization(ClusterUserAction.Down(address))
       checkSerialization(InternalClusterAction.InitJoin)
@@ -115,11 +115,16 @@ class ClusterMessageSerializerSpec extends AkkaSpec(
 
     }
 
-    "add a default data center role if none is present" in {
+    "add a default data center role to gossip if none is present" in {
       val env = roundtrip(GossipEnvelope(a1.uniqueAddress, d1.uniqueAddress, Gossip(SortedSet(a1, d1))))
       env.gossip.members.head.roles should be(Set(ClusterSettings.DcRolePrefix + "default"))
       env.gossip.members.tail.head.roles should be(Set("r1", ClusterSettings.DcRolePrefix + "foo"))
     }
+
+    "add a default data center role to internal join action if none is present" in {
+      val join = roundtrip(InternalClusterAction.Join(a1.uniqueAddress, Set()))
+      join.roles should be(Set(ClusterSettings.DcRolePrefix + "default"))
+    }
   }
   "Cluster router pool" must {
     "be serializable with no role" in {