diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterDaemon.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterDaemon.scala
index d35c77a19a..a779f4a2fc 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterDaemon.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterDaemon.scala
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterCoreDaemon(publisher: ActorRef) extends Acto
 
       latestGossip = seenVersionedGossip
 
-      log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Marked address [{}] as LEAVING", selfAddress, address)
+      log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Marked address [{}] as [{}]", selfAddress, address, Leaving)
       publish(latestGossip)
     }
   }
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterCoreDaemon(publisher: ActorRef) extends Acto
    * State transition to EXITING.
    */
   def exiting(address: Address): Unit = {
-    log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Marked node [{}] as EXITING", selfAddress, address)
+    log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Marked node [{}] as [{}]", selfAddress, address, Exiting)
     // FIXME implement when we implement hand-off
   }
 
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterCoreDaemon(publisher: ActorRef) extends Acto
 
     val newMembers = downedMember match {
       case Some(m) ⇒
-        log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Marking node [{}] as DOWN", selfAddress, m.address)
+        log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Marking node [{}] as [{}]", selfAddress, m.address, Down)
         localMembers - m
       case None ⇒ localMembers
     }
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterCoreDaemon(publisher: ActorRef) extends Acto
       localUnreachableMembers.map { member ⇒
         // no need to DOWN members already DOWN
         if (member.address == address && member.status != Down) {
-          log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Marking unreachable node [{}] as DOWN", selfAddress, member.address)
+          log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Marking unreachable node [{}] as [{}]", selfAddress, member.address, Down)
           member copy (status = Down)
         } else member
       }
@@ -786,25 +786,30 @@ private[cluster] final class ClusterCoreDaemon(publisher: ActorRef) extends Acto
         // ----------------------
 
         // log the move of members from joining to up
-        upMembers foreach { member ⇒ log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Leader is moving node [{}] from JOINING to UP", selfAddress, member.address) }
+        upMembers foreach { member ⇒
+          log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Leader is moving node [{}] from [{}] to [{}]",
+            selfAddress, member.address, member.status, Up)
+        }
 
         //  tell all removed members to remove and shut down themselves
         removedMembers foreach { member ⇒
           val address = member.address
-          log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Leader is moving node [{}] from EXITING to REMOVED - and removing node from node ring", selfAddress, address)
+          log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Leader is moving node [{}] from [{}] to [{}] - and removing node from node ring",
+            selfAddress, address, member.status, Removed)
           clusterCore(address) ! ClusterLeaderAction.Remove(address)
         }
 
         //  tell all exiting members to exit
         exitingMembers foreach { member ⇒
           val address = member.address
-          log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Leader is moving node [{}] from LEAVING to EXITING", selfAddress, address)
+          log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Leader is moving node [{}] from [{}] to [{}]",
+            selfAddress, address, member.status, Exiting)
           clusterCore(address) ! ClusterLeaderAction.Exit(address) // FIXME should use ? to await completion of handoff?
         }
 
         // log the auto-downing of the unreachable nodes
         unreachableButNotDownedMembers foreach { member ⇒
-          log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Leader is marking unreachable node [{}] as DOWN", selfAddress, member.address)
+          log.info("Cluster Node [{}] - Leader is marking unreachable node [{}] as [{}]", selfAddress, member.address, Down)
         }
 
         publish(latestGossip)
diff --git a/akka-contrib/src/main/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterSingletonManager.scala b/akka-contrib/src/main/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterSingletonManager.scala
index ebb57512c1..be5dfa4717 100644
--- a/akka-contrib/src/main/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterSingletonManager.scala
+++ b/akka-contrib/src/main/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterSingletonManager.scala
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ class ClusterSingletonManager(
     case Event(MemberRemoved(m), BecomingLeaderData(Some(previousLeader))) if m.address == previousLeader ⇒
       logInfo("Previous leader [{}] removed", previousLeader)
       addRemoved(m.address)
-      gotoLeader(None)
+      stay
 
     case Event(TakeOverFromMe, BecomingLeaderData(None)) ⇒
       sender ! HandOverToMe
@@ -439,10 +439,10 @@ class ClusterSingletonManager(
         logInfo("Retry [{}], sending HandOverToMe to [{}]", count, previousLeaderOption)
         previousLeaderOption foreach { peer(_) ! HandOverToMe }
         setTimer(HandOverRetryTimer, HandOverRetry(count + 1), retryInterval, repeat = false)
-      } else if (previousLeaderOption.isEmpty) {
+      } else if (previousLeaderOption forall removed.contains) {
         // can't send HandOverToMe, previousLeader unknown for new node (or restart)
         // previous leader might be down or removed, so no TakeOverFromMe message is received
-        logInfo("Timeout in BecomingLeader. Previous leader unknown and no TakeOver request.")
+        logInfo("Timeout in BecomingLeader. Previous leader unknown, removed and no TakeOver request.")
         gotoLeader(None)
       } else
         throw new ClusterSingletonManagerIsStuck(
diff --git a/akka-contrib/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterSingletonManagerSpec.scala b/akka-contrib/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterSingletonManagerSpec.scala
index 8e56c2d7b7..835a78290b 100644
--- a/akka-contrib/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterSingletonManagerSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-contrib/src/multi-jvm/scala/akka/contrib/pattern/ClusterSingletonManagerSpec.scala
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ class ClusterSingletonManagerSpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ClusterSingletonManagerS
       enterBarrier("after-leave")
     }
 
-    "take over when leader crashes in 5 nodes cluster" in within(35 seconds) {
+    "take over when leader crashes in 5 nodes cluster" in within(60 seconds) {
       system.eventStream.publish(Mute(EventFilter.warning(pattern = ".*received dead letter from.*")))
       system.eventStream.publish(Mute(EventFilter.error(pattern = ".*Disassociated.*")))
       system.eventStream.publish(Mute(EventFilter.error(pattern = ".*Association failed.*")))
@@ -324,12 +324,12 @@ class ClusterSingletonManagerSpec extends MultiNodeSpec(ClusterSingletonManagerS
       verify(sortedClusterRoles(2), msg = 8, expectedCurrent = 0)
     }
 
-    "take over when two leaders crash in 3 nodes cluster" in within(45 seconds) {
+    "take over when two leaders crash in 3 nodes cluster" in within(60 seconds) {
       crash(sortedClusterRoles(2), sortedClusterRoles(3))
       verify(sortedClusterRoles(4), msg = 9, expectedCurrent = 0)
     }
 
-    "take over when leader crashes in 2 nodes cluster" in within(25 seconds) {
+    "take over when leader crashes in 2 nodes cluster" in within(60 seconds) {
       crash(sortedClusterRoles(4))
       verify(sortedClusterRoles(5), msg = 10, expectedCurrent = 0)
     }