diff --git a/akka-persistence/src/main/scala/akka/persistence/Eventsourced.scala b/akka-persistence/src/main/scala/akka/persistence/Eventsourced.scala
index 8b79336755..efdc1db2e6 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/src/main/scala/akka/persistence/Eventsourced.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/src/main/scala/akka/persistence/Eventsourced.scala
@@ -541,7 +541,9 @@ private[persistence] trait Eventsourced extends Snapshotter with PersistenceStas
           setLastSequenceNr(highestSeqNr)
           _recoveryRunning = false
           try Eventsourced.super.aroundReceive(recoveryBehavior, RecoveryCompleted)
-          finally transitToProcessingState()
+          finally transitToProcessingState() // in finally in case exception and resume strategy
+          // if exception from RecoveryCompleted the permit is returned in below catch
+          returnRecoveryPermit()
         case ReplayMessagesFailure(cause) ⇒
           timeoutCancellable.cancel()
           try onRecoveryFailure(cause, event = None) finally context.stop(self)
@@ -567,8 +569,6 @@ private[persistence] trait Eventsourced extends Snapshotter with PersistenceStas
         extension.recoveryPermitter.tell(RecoveryPermitter.ReturnRecoveryPermit, self)
 
       private def transitToProcessingState(): Unit = {
-        returnRecoveryPermit()
-
         if (eventBatch.nonEmpty) flushBatch()
 
         if (pendingStashingPersistInvocations > 0) changeState(persistingEvents)
diff --git a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/RecoveryPermitterSpec.scala b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/RecoveryPermitterSpec.scala
index ffc04155b7..6285d38a63 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/RecoveryPermitterSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/RecoveryPermitterSpec.scala
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 package akka.persistence
 
 import scala.concurrent.duration._
+import scala.util.control.NoStackTrace
+
 import akka.actor._
 import akka.event.Logging
 import akka.event.Logging.Warning
@@ -14,10 +16,13 @@ import akka.testkit.TestActors
 
 object RecoveryPermitterSpec {
 
-  def testProps(name: String, probe: ActorRef): Props =
-    Props(new TestPersistentActor(name, probe))
+  class TestExc extends RuntimeException("simulated exc") with NoStackTrace
 
-  class TestPersistentActor(name: String, probe: ActorRef) extends PersistentActor {
+  def testProps(name: String, probe: ActorRef, throwFromRecoveryCompleted: Boolean = false): Props =
+    Props(new TestPersistentActor(name, probe, throwFromRecoveryCompleted))
+
+  class TestPersistentActor(name: String, probe: ActorRef, throwFromRecoveryCompleted: Boolean)
+    extends PersistentActor {
 
     override def persistenceId = name
 
@@ -28,6 +33,8 @@ object RecoveryPermitterSpec {
     override def receiveRecover: Receive = {
       case RecoveryCompleted ⇒
         probe ! RecoveryCompleted
+        if (throwFromRecoveryCompleted)
+          throw new TestExc
     }
     override def receiveCommand: Receive = {
       case "stop" ⇒
@@ -46,6 +53,8 @@ class RecoveryPermitterSpec extends PersistenceSpec(ConfigFactory.parseString(
   import RecoveryPermitterSpec._
   import RecoveryPermitter._
 
+  system.eventStream.publish(TestEvent.Mute(EventFilter[TestExc]()))
+
   val permitter = Persistence(system).recoveryPermitter
   val p1 = TestProbe()
   val p2 = TestProbe()
@@ -152,6 +161,31 @@ class RecoveryPermitterSpec extends PersistenceSpec(ConfigFactory.parseString(
       permitter.tell(ReturnRecoveryPermit, p3.ref)
       permitter.tell(ReturnRecoveryPermit, p4.ref)
     }
+
+    "return permit when actor throws from RecoveryCompleted" in {
+      requestPermit(p1)
+      requestPermit(p2)
+
+      val persistentActor = system.actorOf(testProps("p3", p3.ref, throwFromRecoveryCompleted = true))
+      p3.expectMsg(RecoveryCompleted)
+      p3.expectMsg("postStop")
+      // it's restarting
+      (1 to 5).foreach { _ ⇒
+        p3.expectMsg(RecoveryCompleted)
+        p3.expectMsg("postStop")
+      }
+      // stop it
+      val stopProbe = TestProbe()
+      stopProbe.watch(persistentActor)
+      system.stop(persistentActor)
+      stopProbe.expectTerminated(persistentActor)
+
+      requestPermit(p4)
+
+      permitter.tell(ReturnRecoveryPermit, p1.ref)
+      permitter.tell(ReturnRecoveryPermit, p2.ref)
+      permitter.tell(ReturnRecoveryPermit, p4.ref)
+    }
   }
 
 }