diff --git a/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/mima-filters/2.6.5.backwards.excludes/shard-allocation-client.excludes b/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/mima-filters/2.6.5.backwards.excludes/shard-allocation-client.excludes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ca2bcab05a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/mima-filters/2.6.5.backwards.excludes/shard-allocation-client.excludes
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# Add methods to trait not for user extension
+ProblemFilters.exclude[ReversedMissingMethodProblem]("akka.cluster.sharding.external.javadsl.ExternalShardAllocationClient.setShardLocations")
+ProblemFilters.exclude[ReversedMissingMethodProblem]("akka.cluster.sharding.external.scaladsl.ExternalShardAllocationClient.updateShardLocations")
+
diff --git a/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/external/internal/ExternalShardAllocationClientImpl.scala b/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/external/internal/ExternalShardAllocationClientImpl.scala
index 5af5f9f28c..813d5cf640 100644
--- a/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/external/internal/ExternalShardAllocationClientImpl.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/external/internal/ExternalShardAllocationClientImpl.scala
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import akka.dispatch.MessageDispatcher
 import akka.event.Logging
 import akka.pattern.ask
 import akka.util.JavaDurationConverters._
+import akka.util.ccompat.JavaConverters._
 import akka.util.PrettyDuration._
 import akka.util.Timeout
 
@@ -92,4 +93,21 @@ final private[external] class ExternalShardAllocationClientImpl(system: ActorSys
   }
 
   override def getShardLocations(): CompletionStage[ShardLocations] = shardLocations().toJava
+
+  override def updateShardLocations(locations: Map[ShardId, Address]): Future[Done] = {
+    log.debug("updateShardLocations {} for {}", locations, Key)
+    (replicator ? Update(Key, LWWMap.empty[ShardId, String], WriteLocal, None) { existing =>
+      locations.foldLeft(existing) {
+        case (acc, (shardId, address)) => acc.put(self, shardId, address.toString)
+      }
+    }).flatMap {
+      case UpdateSuccess(_, _) => Future.successful(Done)
+      case UpdateTimeout =>
+        Future.failed(new ClientTimeoutException(s"Unable to update shard location after ${timeout.duration.pretty}"))
+    }
+  }
+
+  override def setShardLocations(locations: java.util.Map[ShardId, Address]): CompletionStage[Done] = {
+    updateShardLocations(locations.asScala.toMap).toJava
+  }
 }
diff --git a/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/external/javadsl/ExternalShardAllocationClient.scala b/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/external/javadsl/ExternalShardAllocationClient.scala
index fd561757c3..ee8d73360f 100644
--- a/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/external/javadsl/ExternalShardAllocationClient.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/external/javadsl/ExternalShardAllocationClient.scala
@@ -28,10 +28,21 @@ trait ExternalShardAllocationClient {
    *
    * @param shard    The shard identifier
    * @param location Location (akka node) to allocate the shard to
-   * @return Confirmation that the update has been propagated to a majority of cluster nodes
+   * @return Conformation that the update has been written to the local node
    */
   def setShardLocation(shard: ShardId, location: Address): CompletionStage[Done]
 
+  /**
+   * Update all of the provided ShardLocations.
+   * The [[Address]] should match one of the nodes in the cluster. If the node has not joined
+   * the cluster yet it will be moved to that node after the first cluster
+   * sharding rebalance it does.
+   *
+   * @param locations to update
+   * @return Confirmation that the update has been written to the local node
+   */
+  def setShardLocations(locations: java.util.Map[ShardId, Address]): CompletionStage[Done]
+
   /**
    * Get all the current shard locations that have been set via setShardLocation
    */
diff --git a/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/external/scaladsl/ExternalShardAllocationClient.scala b/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/external/scaladsl/ExternalShardAllocationClient.scala
index aa9e21af03..694e03c918 100644
--- a/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/external/scaladsl/ExternalShardAllocationClient.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster-sharding/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/external/scaladsl/ExternalShardAllocationClient.scala
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ trait ExternalShardAllocationClient {
    * Update the given shard's location. The [[Address]] should
    * match one of the nodes in the cluster. If the node has not joined
    * the cluster yet it will be moved to that node after the first cluster
-   * sharding rebalance.
+   * sharding rebalance it does.
    *
    * @param shard The shard identifier
    * @param location Location (akka node) to allocate the shard to
@@ -32,6 +32,17 @@ trait ExternalShardAllocationClient {
    */
   def updateShardLocation(shard: ShardId, location: Address): Future[Done]
 
+  /**
+   * Update all of the provided ShardLocations.
+   * The [[Address]] should match one of the nodes in the cluster. If the node has not joined
+   * the cluster yet it will be moved to that node after the first cluster
+   * sharding rebalance it does.
+   *
+   * @param locations to update
+   * @return Confirmation that the update has been propagates to a majority of cluster nodes
+   */
+  def updateShardLocations(locations: Map[ShardId, Address]): Future[Done]
+
   /**
    * Get all the current shard locations that have been set via updateShardLocation
    */
diff --git a/akka-cluster-sharding/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/ExternalShardAllocationSpec.scala b/akka-cluster-sharding/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/ExternalShardAllocationSpec.scala
index dbf977d8cd..89ee7a38ee 100644
--- a/akka-cluster-sharding/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/ExternalShardAllocationSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster-sharding/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/sharding/ExternalShardAllocationSpec.scala
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ abstract class ExternalShardAllocationSpec
       val forthAddress = address(forth)
       runOn(second) {
         system.log.info("Allocating {} on {}", onForthShardId, forthAddress)
-        ExternalShardAllocation(system).clientFor(typeName).updateShardLocation(onForthShardId, forthAddress)
+        ExternalShardAllocation(system).clientFor(typeName).updateShardLocations(Map(onForthShardId -> forthAddress))
       }
       enterBarrier("allocated-to-new-node")
       runOn(forth) {