diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/java/akka/remote/testconductor/TestConductorProtocol.java b/akka-remote/src/main/java/akka/remote/testconductor/TestConductorProtocol.java
index 4b9da03059..3d6c145097 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/java/akka/remote/testconductor/TestConductorProtocol.java
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/java/akka/remote/testconductor/TestConductorProtocol.java
@@ -1543,6 +1543,10 @@ public final class TestConductorProtocol {
     // required string name = 1;
     boolean hasName();
     String getName();
+    
+    // optional bool failed = 2;
+    boolean hasFailed();
+    boolean getFailed();
   }
   public static final class EnterBarrier extends
       com.google.protobuf.GeneratedMessage
@@ -1605,8 +1609,19 @@ public final class TestConductorProtocol {
       }
     }
     
+    // optional bool failed = 2;
+    public static final int FAILED_FIELD_NUMBER = 2;
+    private boolean failed_;
+    public boolean hasFailed() {
+      return ((bitField0_ & 0x00000002) == 0x00000002);
+    }
+    public boolean getFailed() {
+      return failed_;
+    }
+    
     private void initFields() {
       name_ = "";
+      failed_ = false;
     }
     private byte memoizedIsInitialized = -1;
     public final boolean isInitialized() {
@@ -1627,6 +1642,9 @@ public final class TestConductorProtocol {
       if (((bitField0_ & 0x00000001) == 0x00000001)) {
         output.writeBytes(1, getNameBytes());
       }
+      if (((bitField0_ & 0x00000002) == 0x00000002)) {
+        output.writeBool(2, failed_);
+      }
       getUnknownFields().writeTo(output);
     }
     
@@ -1640,6 +1658,10 @@ public final class TestConductorProtocol {
         size += com.google.protobuf.CodedOutputStream
           .computeBytesSize(1, getNameBytes());
       }
+      if (((bitField0_ & 0x00000002) == 0x00000002)) {
+        size += com.google.protobuf.CodedOutputStream
+          .computeBoolSize(2, failed_);
+      }
       size += getUnknownFields().getSerializedSize();
       memoizedSerializedSize = size;
       return size;
@@ -1766,6 +1788,8 @@ public final class TestConductorProtocol {
         super.clear();
         name_ = "";
         bitField0_ = (bitField0_ & ~0x00000001);
+        failed_ = false;
+        bitField0_ = (bitField0_ & ~0x00000002);
         return this;
       }
       
@@ -1808,6 +1832,10 @@ public final class TestConductorProtocol {
           to_bitField0_ |= 0x00000001;
         }
         result.name_ = name_;
+        if (((from_bitField0_ & 0x00000002) == 0x00000002)) {
+          to_bitField0_ |= 0x00000002;
+        }
+        result.failed_ = failed_;
         result.bitField0_ = to_bitField0_;
         onBuilt();
         return result;
@@ -1827,6 +1855,9 @@ public final class TestConductorProtocol {
         if (other.hasName()) {
           setName(other.getName());
         }
+        if (other.hasFailed()) {
+          setFailed(other.getFailed());
+        }
         this.mergeUnknownFields(other.getUnknownFields());
         return this;
       }
@@ -1867,6 +1898,11 @@ public final class TestConductorProtocol {
               name_ = input.readBytes();
               break;
             }
+            case 16: {
+              bitField0_ |= 0x00000002;
+              failed_ = input.readBool();
+              break;
+            }
           }
         }
       }
@@ -1909,6 +1945,27 @@ public final class TestConductorProtocol {
         onChanged();
       }
       
+      // optional bool failed = 2;
+      private boolean failed_ ;
+      public boolean hasFailed() {
+        return ((bitField0_ & 0x00000002) == 0x00000002);
+      }
+      public boolean getFailed() {
+        return failed_;
+      }
+      public Builder setFailed(boolean value) {
+        bitField0_ |= 0x00000002;
+        failed_ = value;
+        onChanged();
+        return this;
+      }
+      public Builder clearFailed() {
+        bitField0_ = (bitField0_ & ~0x00000002);
+        failed_ = false;
+        onChanged();
+        return this;
+      }
+      
       // @@protoc_insertion_point(builder_scope:EnterBarrier)
     }
     
@@ -3300,17 +3357,17 @@ public final class TestConductorProtocol {
       "\022\025\n\005hello\030\001 \001(\0132\006.Hello\022\036\n\007barrier\030\002 \001(\013" +
       "2\r.EnterBarrier\022\037\n\007failure\030\003 \001(\0132\016.Injec" +
       "tFailure\022\014\n\004done\030\004 \001(\t\"0\n\005Hello\022\014\n\004name\030" +
-      "\001 \002(\t\022\031\n\007address\030\002 \002(\0132\010.Address\"\034\n\014Ente" +
-      "rBarrier\022\014\n\004name\030\001 \002(\t\"G\n\007Address\022\020\n\010pro" +
-      "tocol\030\001 \002(\t\022\016\n\006system\030\002 \002(\t\022\014\n\004host\030\003 \002(" +
-      "\t\022\014\n\004port\030\004 \002(\005\"\212\001\n\rInjectFailure\022\032\n\007fai" +
-      "lure\030\001 \002(\0162\t.FailType\022\035\n\tdirection\030\002 \001(\016" +
-      "2\n.Direction\022\031\n\007address\030\003 \001(\0132\010.Address\022",
-      "\020\n\010rateMBit\030\006 \001(\002\022\021\n\texitValue\030\007 \001(\005*A\n\010" +
-      "FailType\022\014\n\010Throttle\020\001\022\016\n\nDisconnect\020\002\022\t" +
-      "\n\005Abort\020\003\022\014\n\010Shutdown\020\004*,\n\tDirection\022\010\n\004" +
-      "Send\020\001\022\013\n\007Receive\020\002\022\010\n\004Both\020\003B\035\n\031akka.re" +
-      "mote.testconductorH\001"
+      "\001 \002(\t\022\031\n\007address\030\002 \002(\0132\010.Address\",\n\014Ente" +
+      "rBarrier\022\014\n\004name\030\001 \002(\t\022\016\n\006failed\030\002 \001(\010\"G" +
+      "\n\007Address\022\020\n\010protocol\030\001 \002(\t\022\016\n\006system\030\002 " +
+      "\002(\t\022\014\n\004host\030\003 \002(\t\022\014\n\004port\030\004 \002(\005\"\212\001\n\rInje" +
+      "ctFailure\022\032\n\007failure\030\001 \002(\0162\t.FailType\022\035\n" +
+      "\tdirection\030\002 \001(\0162\n.Direction\022\031\n\007address\030",
+      "\003 \001(\0132\010.Address\022\020\n\010rateMBit\030\006 \001(\002\022\021\n\texi" +
+      "tValue\030\007 \001(\005*A\n\010FailType\022\014\n\010Throttle\020\001\022\016" +
+      "\n\nDisconnect\020\002\022\t\n\005Abort\020\003\022\014\n\010Shutdown\020\004*" +
+      ",\n\tDirection\022\010\n\004Send\020\001\022\013\n\007Receive\020\002\022\010\n\004B" +
+      "oth\020\003B\035\n\031akka.remote.testconductorH\001"
     };
     com.google.protobuf.Descriptors.FileDescriptor.InternalDescriptorAssigner assigner =
       new com.google.protobuf.Descriptors.FileDescriptor.InternalDescriptorAssigner() {
@@ -3338,7 +3395,7 @@ public final class TestConductorProtocol {
           internal_static_EnterBarrier_fieldAccessorTable = new
             com.google.protobuf.GeneratedMessage.FieldAccessorTable(
               internal_static_EnterBarrier_descriptor,
-              new java.lang.String[] { "Name", },
+              new java.lang.String[] { "Name", "Failed", },
               akka.remote.testconductor.TestConductorProtocol.EnterBarrier.class,
               akka.remote.testconductor.TestConductorProtocol.EnterBarrier.Builder.class);
           internal_static_Address_descriptor =
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/protocol/TestConductorProtocol.proto b/akka-remote/src/main/protocol/TestConductorProtocol.proto
index e483bf4f01..007965b2e8 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/protocol/TestConductorProtocol.proto
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/protocol/TestConductorProtocol.proto
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ message Hello {
 
 message EnterBarrier {
   required string name = 1;
+  optional bool failed = 2;
 }
 
 message Address {
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/Conductor.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/Conductor.scala
index 7e3d315fea..2bbae6d28b 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/Conductor.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/Conductor.scala
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import akka.event.LoggingReceive
 import akka.actor.Address
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress
 import akka.dispatch.Future
+import akka.actor.OneForOneStrategy
+import akka.actor.SupervisorStrategy
 
 trait Conductor extends RunControl with FailureInject { this: TestConductorExt ⇒
 
@@ -194,6 +196,15 @@ class Controller(_participants: Int) extends Actor {
   val connection = RemoteConnection(Server, settings.host, settings.port,
     new ConductorHandler(context.system, self, Logging(context.system, "ConductorHandler")))
 
+  override def supervisorStrategy = OneForOneStrategy() {
+    case e: BarrierCoordinator.BarrierTimeoutException ⇒ SupervisorStrategy.Resume
+    case e: BarrierCoordinator.WrongBarrierException ⇒
+      // I think we are lacking a means of communication here: this is not correct!
+      for (i ← 1 to e.data.clients) barrier ! ClientConnected
+      for (c ← e.data.arrived) c ! BarrierFailed(e.barrier)
+      SupervisorStrategy.Restart
+  }
+
   val barrier = context.actorOf(Props[BarrierCoordinator], "barriers")
   var nodes = Map[String, NodeInfo]()
 
@@ -240,7 +251,8 @@ object BarrierCoordinator {
   case object Waiting extends State
 
   case class Data(clients: Int, barrier: String, arrived: List[ActorRef])
-  class BarrierTimeoutException(msg: String) extends RuntimeException(msg) with NoStackTrace
+  class BarrierTimeoutException(val data: Data) extends RuntimeException(data.barrier) with NoStackTrace
+  class WrongBarrierException(val barrier: String, val client: ActorRef, val data: Data) extends RuntimeException(barrier) with NoStackTrace
 }
 
 class BarrierCoordinator extends Actor with LoggingFSM[BarrierCoordinator.State, BarrierCoordinator.Data] {
@@ -262,13 +274,13 @@ class BarrierCoordinator extends Actor with LoggingFSM[BarrierCoordinator.State,
   }
 
   onTransition {
-    case Idle -> Waiting ⇒ setTimer("Timeout", StateTimeout, 30 seconds, false)
+    case Idle -> Waiting ⇒ setTimer("Timeout", StateTimeout, TestConductor().Settings.BarrierTimeout.duration, false)
     case Waiting -> Idle ⇒ cancelTimer("Timeout")
   }
 
   when(Waiting) {
     case Event(e @ EnterBarrier(name), d @ Data(num, barrier, arrived)) ⇒
-      if (name != barrier) throw new IllegalStateException("trying enter barrier '" + name + "' while barrier '" + barrier + "' is active")
+      if (name != barrier) throw new WrongBarrierException(barrier, sender, d)
       val together = sender :: arrived
       if (together.size == num) {
         together foreach (_ ! Send(e))
@@ -287,8 +299,8 @@ class BarrierCoordinator extends Actor with LoggingFSM[BarrierCoordinator.State,
       } else {
         stay using d.copy(clients = expected)
       }
-    case Event(StateTimeout, Data(num, barrier, arrived)) ⇒
-      throw new BarrierTimeoutException("only " + arrived.size + " of " + num + " arrived at barrier " + barrier)
+    case Event(StateTimeout, data) ⇒
+      throw new BarrierTimeoutException(data)
   }
 
   initialize
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/DataTypes.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/DataTypes.scala
index 90d7eeccd5..cadd69f786 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/DataTypes.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/DataTypes.scala
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ sealed trait NetworkOp // messages sent over the wire
 
 case class Hello(name: String, addr: Address) extends NetworkOp
 case class EnterBarrier(name: String) extends ClientOp with ServerOp with NetworkOp
+case class BarrierFailed(name: String) extends NetworkOp
 case class Throttle(node: String, target: String, direction: Direction, rateMBit: Float) extends ServerOp
 case class ThrottleMsg(target: Address, direction: Direction, rateMBit: Float) extends NetworkOp
 case class Disconnect(node: String, target: String, abort: Boolean) extends ServerOp
@@ -41,6 +42,8 @@ class MsgEncoder extends OneToOneEncoder {
           w.setHello(TCP.Hello.newBuilder.setName(name).setAddress(addr))
         case EnterBarrier(name) ⇒
           w.setBarrier(TCP.EnterBarrier.newBuilder.setName(name))
+        case BarrierFailed(name) ⇒
+          w.setBarrier(TCP.EnterBarrier.newBuilder.setName(name).setFailed(true))
         case ThrottleMsg(target, dir, rate) ⇒
           w.setFailure(TCP.InjectFailure.newBuilder.setAddress(target)
             .setFailure(TCP.FailType.Throttle).setDirection(dir).setRateMBit(rate))
@@ -64,7 +67,9 @@ class MsgDecoder extends OneToOneDecoder {
         val h = w.getHello
         Hello(h.getName, h.getAddress)
       } else if (w.hasBarrier) {
-        EnterBarrier(w.getBarrier.getName)
+        val barrier = w.getBarrier
+        if (barrier.hasFailed && barrier.getFailed) BarrierFailed(barrier.getName)
+        else EnterBarrier(w.getBarrier.getName)
       } else if (w.hasFailure) {
         val f = w.getFailure
         import TCP.{ FailType ⇒ FT }
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/Player.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/Player.scala
index f7d2fbd532..6e78610cfb 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/Player.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/testconductor/Player.scala
@@ -129,6 +129,9 @@ class ClientFSM(port: Int) extends Actor with LoggingFSM[ClientFSM.State, Client
         sender ! b
       }
       stay using Data(channel, None)
+    case Event(BarrierFailed(b), Data(channel, Some((_, sender)))) ⇒
+      sender ! Status.Failure(new RuntimeException("barrier failed: " + b))
+      stay using Data(channel, None)
     case Event(ThrottleMsg(target, dir, rate), _) ⇒
       import settings.QueryTimeout
       import context.dispatcher