diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
index 4d85d9c300..0bf7ebeba1 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/Cluster.scala
@@ -795,7 +795,6 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterCore(cluster: Cluster) extends Actor with Ac
       latestGossip = seenVersionedGossip
 
       log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Marked address [{}] as LEAVING", selfAddress, address)
-      publishState()
       notifyListeners(localGossip)
     }
   }
@@ -819,7 +818,11 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterCore(cluster: Cluster) extends Actor with Ac
    */
   def removing(address: Address): Unit = {
     log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Node has been REMOVED by the leader - shutting down...", selfAddress)
-    publishState()
+    val localGossip = latestGossip
+    // just cleaning up the gossip state
+    latestGossip = Gossip()
+    // make sure the final (removed) state is always published
+    notifyListeners(localGossip)
     cluster.shutdown()
   }
 
@@ -1309,7 +1312,7 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterCore(cluster: Cluster) extends Actor with Ac
   }
 
   def notifyListeners(oldGossip: Gossip): Unit = {
-    if (PublishStateInterval == Duration.Zero) publishState
+    if (PublishStateInterval == Duration.Zero) publishState()
 
     val oldMembersStatus = oldGossip.members.map(m ⇒ (m.address, m.status))
     val newMembersStatus = latestGossip.members.map(m ⇒ (m.address, m.status))
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/NodeUpSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/NodeUpSpec.scala
index 3da6b2715a..f951da0801 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/NodeUpSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/NodeUpSpec.scala
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ abstract class NodeUpSpec
 
     "be unaffected when joining again" taggedAs LongRunningTest in {
 
-      val unexpected = new AtomicReference[SortedSet[Member]]
+      val unexpected = new AtomicReference[SortedSet[Member]](SortedSet.empty)
       cluster.registerListener(new MembershipChangeListener {
         def notify(members: SortedSet[Member]) {
           if (members.size != 2 || members.exists(_.status != MemberStatus.Up))
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ abstract class NodeUpSpec
       // let it run for a while to make sure that nothing bad happens
       for (n ← 1 to 20) {
         100.millis.dilated.sleep()
-        unexpected.get must be(null)
+        unexpected.get must be(SortedSet.empty)
         cluster.latestGossip.members.forall(_.status == MemberStatus.Up) must be(true)
       }