diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/BootableActorLoaderService.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/BootableActorLoaderService.scala
index 85ec2dc8ca..8e77eec2be 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/BootableActorLoaderService.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/BootableActorLoaderService.scala
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ import se.scalablesolutions.akka.Config._
 trait BootableActorLoaderService extends Bootable with Logging {
 
   val BOOT_CLASSES = config.getList("akka.boot")
-  var applicationLoader: Option[ClassLoader] = None
+  lazy val applicationLoader: Option[ClassLoader] = createApplicationClassLoader
   
-  protected def runApplicationBootClasses : Option[ClassLoader] = {
-    val loader =
+  protected def createApplicationClassLoader : Option[ClassLoader] = {
+    Some(
     if (HOME.isDefined) {
       val CONFIG = HOME.get + "/config"
       val DEPLOY = HOME.get + "/deploy"
@@ -35,16 +35,18 @@ trait BootableActorLoaderService extends Bootable with Logging {
       getClass.getClassLoader
     } else throw new IllegalStateException(
       "AKKA_HOME is not defined and no 'akka.conf' can be found on the classpath, aborting")
-    for (clazz <- BOOT_CLASSES) {
+    )
+  }
+
+  abstract override def onLoad = {
+    for (loader <- applicationLoader;
+         clazz <- BOOT_CLASSES)
+    {
       log.info("Loading boot class [%s]", clazz)
       loader.loadClass(clazz).newInstance
     }
-    Some(loader)
-  }
 
-  abstract override def onLoad   = {
-     applicationLoader = runApplicationBootClasses
-     super.onLoad
+    super.onLoad
   }
   
   abstract override def onUnload = {
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/BootableRemoteActorService.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/BootableRemoteActorService.scala
index b3ca8d4cb7..38202860fe 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/BootableRemoteActorService.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/BootableRemoteActorService.scala
@@ -23,12 +23,17 @@ trait BootableRemoteActorService extends Bootable with Logging {
   def startRemoteService = remoteServerThread.start
   
   abstract override def onLoad   = {
-    super.onLoad //Make sure the actors facility is loaded before we load the remote service
     if(config.getBool("akka.remote.server.service", true)){
+      log.info("Starting up Cluster Service")
+      Cluster.start
+      super.onLoad //Initialize BootableActorLoaderService before remote service
       log.info("Initializing Remote Actors Service...")
       startRemoteService
       log.info("Remote Actors Service initialized!")
     }
+    else
+      super.onLoad
+
   }
   
   abstract override def onUnload = {
@@ -36,9 +41,8 @@ trait BootableRemoteActorService extends Bootable with Logging {
   	if (remoteServerThread.isAlive) {
         log.info("Shutting down Remote Actors Service")
         RemoteNode.shutdown
-        log.info("Shutting down Cluster Service")
-        Cluster.shutdown
         remoteServerThread.join(1000)
     }
+    Cluster.shutdown
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/Cluster.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/Cluster.scala
index f355cf5ced..1505b6be45 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/Cluster.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/Cluster.scala
@@ -199,34 +199,40 @@ abstract class BasicClusterActor extends ClusterActor {
  * Loads a specified ClusterActor and delegates to that instance.
  */
 object Cluster extends Cluster with Logging {
-  private[remote] val clusterActor: Option[ClusterActor] = {
-    val name = config.getString("akka.remote.cluster.actor","not defined")
-    try { 
-        val a = Class.forName(name).newInstance.asInstanceOf[ClusterActor]
-        a.start
-        Some(a)
-      } 
-      catch { 
-        case e => log.error(e,"Couldn't load Cluster provider: [%s]",name)
-                  None
-      }
-  }
-
-  private[remote] val supervisor: Option[Supervisor] = if (clusterActor.isDefined) {
-    val sup = SupervisorFactory(
-      SupervisorConfig(
-        RestartStrategy(OneForOne, 5, 1000, List(classOf[Exception])),
-        Supervise(clusterActor.get, LifeCycle(Permanent)) :: Nil)
-      ).newInstance
-    sup.start
-    Some(sup)
-  } else None
+  @volatile private[remote] var clusterActor: Option[ClusterActor] = None
+  @volatile private[remote] var supervisor: Option[Supervisor] = None
   
   private[remote] lazy val serializer: Serializer = {
     val className = config.getString("akka.remote.cluster.serializer", Serializer.Java.getClass.getName)
     Class.forName(className).newInstance.asInstanceOf[Serializer]
   }
 
+  private[remote] def createClusterActor : Option[ClusterActor] = {
+    val name = config.getString("akka.remote.cluster.actor")
+
+    try {
+      name map { fqn =>
+        val a = Class.forName(fqn).newInstance.asInstanceOf[ClusterActor]
+        a.start
+        a
+      }
+    }
+    catch {
+      case e => log.error(e,"Couldn't load Cluster provider: [%s]",name.getOrElse("Not specified")); None
+    }
+  }
+
+  private[remote] def createSupervisor(actor : ClusterActor) : Option[Supervisor] = {
+    val sup = SupervisorFactory(
+      SupervisorConfig(
+        RestartStrategy(OneForOne, 5, 1000, List(classOf[Exception])),
+        Supervise(actor, LifeCycle(Permanent)) :: Nil)
+      ).newInstance
+    sup.start
+    Some(sup)
+  }
+
+
   def name = clusterActor.map(_.name).getOrElse("No cluster")
 
   def lookup[T](pf: PartialFunction[RemoteAddress, T]): Option[T] = clusterActor.flatMap(_.lookup(pf))
@@ -237,5 +243,19 @@ object Cluster extends Cluster with Logging {
 
   def relayMessage(to: Class[_ <: Actor], msg: AnyRef): Unit = clusterActor.foreach(_.relayMessage(to, msg))
 
-  def shutdown = supervisor.foreach(_.stop)
+  def start : Unit = synchronized {
+    if(supervisor.isEmpty) {
+      for(actor <- createClusterActor;
+          sup   <- createSupervisor(actor)) {
+          clusterActor = Some(actor)
+          supervisor   = Some(sup)
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  def shutdown : Unit = synchronized {
+    supervisor.foreach(_.stop)
+    supervisor = None
+    clusterActor = None
+  }
 }
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/RemoteServer.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/RemoteServer.scala
index 580cbc48cd..c52bd75afa 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/RemoteServer.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/RemoteServer.scala
@@ -112,8 +112,6 @@ object RemoteServer {
     
   private[remote] def unregister(hostname: String, port: Int) =
     remoteServers.remove(Address(hostname, port))
-
-  private[remote] def canShutDownCluster: Boolean = remoteServers.isEmpty
 }
 
 /**
@@ -186,7 +184,6 @@ class RemoteServer extends Logging {
     openChannels.close.awaitUninterruptibly(1000)
     bootstrap.releaseExternalResources
     Cluster.deregisterLocalNode(hostname, port)
-    if (RemoteServer.canShutDownCluster) Cluster.shutdown
   }
 }