diff --git a/akka-contrib/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ReliableProxySpec.scala b/akka-contrib/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ReliableProxySpec.scala
index f71bb0116b..97b886dc79 100644
--- a/akka-contrib/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ReliableProxySpec.scala
+++ b/akka-contrib/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ReliableProxySpec.scala
@@ -41,62 +41,71 @@ class ReliableProxySpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ReliableProxySpec) with STMultiNod
     }
   }
 
-  runOn(remote) {
-    system.actorOf(Props(new Actor {
-      def receive = {
-        case x ⇒ testActor ! x
-      }
-    }), "echo")
-  }
+  @volatile var target: ActorRef = system.deadLetters
+  @volatile var proxy: ActorRef = system.deadLetters
 
-  val target = system.actorFor(node(remote) / "user" / "echo")
-
-  var proxy: ActorRef = _
   def expectState(s: State) = expectMsg(FSM.CurrentState(proxy, s))
   def expectTransition(s1: State, s2: State) = expectMsg(FSM.Transition(proxy, s1, s2))
-
-  runOn(local) {
-    //#demo
-    import akka.contrib.pattern.ReliableProxy
-    
-    proxy = system.actorOf(Props(new ReliableProxy(target, 100.millis)), "proxy")
-    //#demo
-    proxy ! FSM.SubscribeTransitionCallBack(testActor)
-    expectState(Idle)
-    //#demo
-    proxy ! "hello"
-    //#demo
-    expectTransition(Idle, Active)
-    expectTransition(Active, Idle)
-  }
-  runOn(remote) {
-    expectMsg("hello")
-  }
+  
+  def sendN(n: Int) =  (1 to n) foreach (proxy ! _)
+  def expectN(n: Int) = (1 to n) foreach { n ⇒ expectMsg(n); lastSender must be === target }
 
   "A ReliableProxy" must {
 
+    "initialize properly" in {
+      runOn(remote) {
+        target = system.actorOf(Props(new Actor {
+          def receive = {
+            case x ⇒ testActor ! x
+          }
+        }), "echo")
+      }
+
+      enterBarrier("initialize")
+
+      runOn(local) {
+        //#demo
+        import akka.contrib.pattern.ReliableProxy
+
+        target = system.actorFor(node(remote) / "user" / "echo")
+        proxy = system.actorOf(Props(new ReliableProxy(target, 100.millis)), "proxy")
+        //#demo
+        proxy ! FSM.SubscribeTransitionCallBack(testActor)
+        expectState(Idle)
+        //#demo
+        proxy ! "hello"
+        //#demo
+        expectTransition(Idle, Active)
+        expectTransition(Active, Idle)
+      }
+
+      runOn(remote) {
+        expectMsg("hello")
+      }
+    }
+
     "forward messages in sequence" in {
       runOn(local) {
-        (1 to 100) foreach (proxy ! _)
+        sendN(100)
         expectTransition(Idle, Active)
         expectTransition(Active, Idle)
       }
       runOn(remote) {
         within(1 second) {
-          (1 to 100) foreach { n ⇒ expectMsg(n); lastSender must be === target }
+          expectN(100)
         }
       }
       
       enterBarrier("test1a")
       
       runOn(local) {
-        (1 to 100) foreach (proxy ! _)
+        sendN(100)
         expectTransition(Idle, Active)
         expectTransition(Active, Idle)
       }
       runOn(remote) {
         within(1 second) {
-          (1 to 100) foreach { n ⇒ expectMsg(n); lastSender must be === target }
+          expectN(100)
         }
       }
       
@@ -106,7 +115,7 @@ class ReliableProxySpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ReliableProxySpec) with STMultiNod
     "retry when sending fails" in {
       runOn(local) {
         testConductor.blackhole(local, remote, Direction.Send).await
-        (1 to 100) foreach (proxy ! _)
+        sendN(100)
         within(1 second) {
           expectTransition(Idle, Active)
           expectNoMsg
@@ -127,7 +136,7 @@ class ReliableProxySpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ReliableProxySpec) with STMultiNod
       }
       runOn(remote) {
         within(1 second) {
-          (1 to 100) foreach { n ⇒ expectMsg(n); lastSender must be === target }
+          expectN(100)
         }
       }
       
@@ -137,7 +146,7 @@ class ReliableProxySpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ReliableProxySpec) with STMultiNod
     "retry when receiving fails" in {
       runOn(local) {
         testConductor.blackhole(local, remote, Direction.Receive).await
-        (1 to 100) foreach (proxy ! _)
+        sendN(100)
         within(1 second) {
           expectTransition(Idle, Active)
           expectNoMsg
@@ -145,7 +154,7 @@ class ReliableProxySpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ReliableProxySpec) with STMultiNod
       }
       runOn(remote) {
         within(1 second) {
-          (1 to 100) foreach { n ⇒ expectMsg(n); lastSender must be === target }
+          expectN(100)
         }
       }
       
@@ -162,7 +171,7 @@ class ReliableProxySpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ReliableProxySpec) with STMultiNod
     "resend across a slow link" in {
       runOn(local) {
         testConductor.throttle(local, remote, Direction.Send, rateMBit = 0.1).await
-        (1 to 50) foreach (proxy ! _)
+        sendN(50)
         within(5 seconds) {
           expectTransition(Idle, Active)
           expectTransition(Active, Idle)
@@ -170,7 +179,7 @@ class ReliableProxySpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ReliableProxySpec) with STMultiNod
       }
       runOn(remote) {
         within(5 seconds) {
-          (1 to 50) foreach { n ⇒ expectMsg(n); lastSender must be === target }
+          expectN(50)
         }
       }
       
@@ -179,7 +188,7 @@ class ReliableProxySpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ReliableProxySpec) with STMultiNod
       runOn(local) {
         testConductor.throttle(local, remote, Direction.Send, rateMBit = -1).await
         testConductor.throttle(local, remote, Direction.Receive, rateMBit = 0.1).await
-        (1 to 50) foreach (proxy ! _)
+        sendN(50)
         within(5 seconds) {
           expectTransition(Idle, Active)
           expectTransition(Active, Idle)
@@ -187,7 +196,7 @@ class ReliableProxySpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ReliableProxySpec) with STMultiNod
       }
       runOn(remote) {
         within(1 second) {
-          (1 to 50) foreach { n ⇒ expectMsg(n); lastSender must be === target }
+          expectN(50)
         }
       }