diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterDaemon.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterDaemon.scala
index 106de783ae..c6154716b1 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterDaemon.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterDaemon.scala
@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@ import scala.collection.immutable
 import scala.concurrent.duration._
 import scala.concurrent.forkjoin.ThreadLocalRandom
 import scala.util.control.NonFatal
-import akka.actor.{ Actor, ActorLogging, ActorRef, Address, Cancellable, Props, ReceiveTimeout, RootActorPath, Scheduler }
+import akka.actor.{ Actor, ActorLogging, ActorRef, Address, Cancellable, Props, PoisonPill, ReceiveTimeout, RootActorPath, Scheduler }
+import akka.actor.OneForOneStrategy
 import akka.actor.Status.Failure
+import akka.actor.SupervisorStrategy.Stop
 import akka.event.EventStream
 import akka.pattern.ask
 import akka.util.Timeout
@@ -103,6 +105,8 @@ private[cluster] object InternalClusterAction {
 
   case object GetClusterCoreRef
 
+  case class PublisherCreated(publisher: ActorRef)
+
   /**
    * Comand to [[akka.cluster.ClusterDaemon]] to create a
    * [[akka.cluster.OnMemberUpListener]].
@@ -122,8 +126,6 @@ private[cluster] object InternalClusterAction {
   case class PublishChanges(newGossip: Gossip) extends PublishMessage
   case class PublishEvent(event: ClusterDomainEvent) extends PublishMessage
   case object PublishStart extends PublishMessage
-  case object PublishDone extends PublishMessage
-  case object PublishDoneFinished extends PublishMessage
 }
 
 /**
@@ -151,28 +153,61 @@ private[cluster] object ClusterLeaderAction {
  * Supervisor managing the different Cluster daemons.
  */
 private[cluster] final class ClusterDaemon(settings: ClusterSettings) extends Actor with ActorLogging {
-
+  import InternalClusterAction._
   // Important - don't use Cluster(context.system) here because that would
   // cause deadlock. The Cluster extension is currently being created and is waiting
   // for response from GetClusterCoreRef in its constructor.
-
-  val publisher = context.actorOf(Props[ClusterDomainEventPublisher].
-    withDispatcher(context.props.dispatcher), name = "publisher")
-  val core = context.actorOf(Props(new ClusterCoreDaemon(publisher)).
+  val coreSupervisor = context.actorOf(Props[ClusterCoreSupervisor].
     withDispatcher(context.props.dispatcher), name = "core")
   context.actorOf(Props[ClusterHeartbeatReceiver].
     withDispatcher(context.props.dispatcher), name = "heartbeatReceiver")
-  if (settings.MetricsEnabled) context.actorOf(Props(new ClusterMetricsCollector(publisher)).
-    withDispatcher(context.props.dispatcher), name = "metrics")
 
   def receive = {
-    case InternalClusterAction.GetClusterCoreRef ⇒ sender ! core
-    case InternalClusterAction.AddOnMemberUpListener(code) ⇒
+    case msg @ GetClusterCoreRef ⇒ coreSupervisor forward msg
+    case AddOnMemberUpListener(code) ⇒
       context.actorOf(Props(new OnMemberUpListener(code)))
+    case PublisherCreated(publisher) ⇒
+      if (settings.MetricsEnabled) {
+        // metrics must be started after core/publisher to be able
+        // to inject the publisher ref to the ClusterMetricsCollector
+        context.actorOf(Props(new ClusterMetricsCollector(publisher)).
+          withDispatcher(context.props.dispatcher), name = "metrics")
+      }
   }
 
 }
 
+/**
+ * INTERNAL API.
+ *
+ * ClusterCoreDaemon and ClusterDomainEventPublisher can't be restarted because the state
+ * would be obsolete. Shutdown the member if any those actors crashed.
+ */
+private[cluster] final class ClusterCoreSupervisor extends Actor with ActorLogging {
+  import InternalClusterAction._
+
+  val publisher = context.actorOf(Props[ClusterDomainEventPublisher].
+    withDispatcher(context.props.dispatcher), name = "publisher")
+  val coreDaemon = context.watch(context.actorOf(Props(new ClusterCoreDaemon(publisher)).
+    withDispatcher(context.props.dispatcher), name = "daemon"))
+
+  context.parent ! PublisherCreated(publisher)
+
+  override val supervisorStrategy =
+    OneForOneStrategy() {
+      case NonFatal(e) ⇒
+        log.error(e, "Cluster node [{}] crashed, [{}] - shutting down...", Cluster(context.system).selfAddress, e.getMessage)
+        self ! PoisonPill
+        Stop
+    }
+
+  override def postStop(): Unit = Cluster(context.system).shutdown()
+
+  def receive = {
+    case InternalClusterAction.GetClusterCoreRef ⇒ sender ! coreDaemon
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * INTERNAL API.
  */
@@ -196,7 +231,7 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterCoreDaemon(publisher: ActorRef) extends Acto
    * Looks up and returns the remote cluster command connection for the specific address.
    */
   private def clusterCore(address: Address): ActorRef =
-    context.actorFor(RootActorPath(address) / "system" / "cluster" / "core")
+    context.actorFor(RootActorPath(address) / "system" / "cluster" / "core" / "daemon")
 
   val heartbeatSender = context.actorOf(Props[ClusterHeartbeatSender].
     withDispatcher(UseDispatcher), name = "heartbeatSender")
@@ -381,14 +416,7 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterCoreDaemon(publisher: ActorRef) extends Acto
    */
   def removing(address: Address): Unit = {
     log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Node has been REMOVED by the leader - shutting down...", selfAddress)
-    // just cleaning up the gossip state
-    latestGossip = Gossip.empty
-    publish(latestGossip)
-    context.become(removed)
-    // make sure the final (removed) state is published
-    // before shutting down
-    implicit val timeout = Timeout(5 seconds)
-    publisher ? PublishDone onComplete { case _ ⇒ cluster.shutdown() }
+    cluster.shutdown()
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterEvent.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterEvent.scala
index 8b0e7a4ffc..393f71cc57 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterEvent.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterEvent.scala
@@ -341,6 +341,15 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterDomainEventPublisher extends Actor with Acto
   var latestConvergedGossip: Gossip = Gossip.empty
   var bufferedEvents: immutable.IndexedSeq[ClusterDomainEvent] = Vector.empty
 
+  override def preRestart(reason: Throwable, message: Option[Any]) {
+    // don't postStop when restarted, no children to stop
+  }
+
+  override def postStop(): Unit = {
+    // publish the final removed state before shutting down
+    publishChanges(Gossip.empty)
+  }
+
   def receive = {
     case PublishChanges(newGossip)            ⇒ publishChanges(newGossip)
     case currentStats: CurrentInternalStats   ⇒ publishInternalStats(currentStats)
@@ -349,7 +358,6 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterDomainEventPublisher extends Actor with Acto
     case Unsubscribe(subscriber, to)          ⇒ unsubscribe(subscriber, to)
     case PublishEvent(event)                  ⇒ publish(event)
     case PublishStart                         ⇒ publishStart()
-    case PublishDone                          ⇒ publishDone(sender)
   }
 
   def eventStream: EventStream = context.system.eventStream
@@ -435,11 +443,6 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterDomainEventPublisher extends Actor with Acto
       publishCurrentClusterState(None)
     }
 
-  def publishDone(receiver: ActorRef): Unit = {
-    clearState()
-    receiver ! PublishDoneFinished
-  }
-
   def clearState(): Unit = {
     latestGossip = Gossip.empty
     latestConvergedGossip = Gossip.empty
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/LeaderLeavingSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/LeaderLeavingSpec.scala
index bcd8b48c61..0f6ff1b904 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/LeaderLeavingSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/LeaderLeavingSpec.scala
@@ -59,9 +59,6 @@ abstract class LeaderLeavingSpec
           // verify that the LEADER is shut down
           awaitCond(cluster.isTerminated)
 
-          // verify that the LEADER is REMOVED
-          awaitCond(clusterView.status == Removed)
-
         } else {
 
           val leavingLatch = TestLatch()
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MembershipChangeListenerExitingSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MembershipChangeListenerExitingSpec.scala
index 6b3bac9341..b83bcd12a8 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MembershipChangeListenerExitingSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/MembershipChangeListenerExitingSpec.scala
@@ -51,7 +51,24 @@ abstract class MembershipChangeListenerExitingSpec
       }
 
       runOn(second) {
+        val exitingLatch = TestLatch()
+        val removedLatch = TestLatch()
+        val secondAddress = address(second)
+        cluster.subscribe(system.actorOf(Props(new Actor {
+          def receive = {
+            case state: CurrentClusterState ⇒
+              if (state.members.exists(m ⇒ m.address == secondAddress && m.status == Exiting))
+                exitingLatch.countDown()
+            case MemberExited(m) if m.address == secondAddress ⇒
+              exitingLatch.countDown()
+            case MemberRemoved(m) if m.address == secondAddress ⇒
+              removedLatch.countDown()
+            case _ ⇒ // ignore
+          }
+        })), classOf[MemberEvent])
         enterBarrier("registered-listener")
+        exitingLatch.await
+        removedLatch.await
       }
 
       runOn(third) {
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/NodeLeavingAndExitingAndBeingRemovedSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/NodeLeavingAndExitingAndBeingRemovedSpec.scala
index f6d132df42..e3c5f6d1c7 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/NodeLeavingAndExitingAndBeingRemovedSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/cluster/NodeLeavingAndExitingAndBeingRemovedSpec.scala
@@ -50,9 +50,8 @@ abstract class NodeLeavingAndExitingAndBeingRemovedSpec
       }
 
       runOn(second) {
-        // verify that the second node is shut down and has status REMOVED
+        // verify that the second node is shut down
         awaitCond(cluster.isTerminated, reaperWaitingTime)
-        awaitCond(clusterView.status == MemberStatus.Removed, reaperWaitingTime)
       }
 
       enterBarrier("finished")
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterSpec.scala b/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterSpec.scala
index 242775fb40..20a5023f4a 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/test/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterSpec.scala
@@ -91,5 +91,15 @@ class ClusterSpec extends AkkaSpec(ClusterSpec.config) with ImplicitSender {
       expectMsgClass(classOf[ClusterEvent.CurrentClusterState])
     }
 
+    // this must be the last test step, since the cluster is shutdown
+    "publish MemberRemoved when shutdown" in {
+      cluster.subscribe(testActor, classOf[ClusterEvent.MemberRemoved])
+      // first, is in response to the subscription
+      expectMsgClass(classOf[ClusterEvent.CurrentClusterState])
+
+      cluster.shutdown()
+      expectMsgType[ClusterEvent.MemberRemoved].member.address must be(selfAddress)
+    }
+
   }
 }