diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/GossipDigestAck2VerbHandler.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/GossipDigestAck2VerbHandler.java
index e9108e9542..84bc3cbf09 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/GossipDigestAck2VerbHandler.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/GossipDigestAck2VerbHandler.java
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ public class GossipDigestAck2VerbHandler implements IVerbHandler
             InetAddress from = message.getFrom();
             logger_.trace("Received a GossipDigestAck2Message from {}", from);
         }
+        if (!Gossiper.instance.isEnabled())
+        {
+            if (logger_.isTraceEnabled())
+                logger_.trace("Ignoring GossipDigestAck2Message because gossip is disabled");
+            return;
+        }
 
         byte[] bytes = message.getMessageBody();
         DataInputStream dis = new DataInputStream( new FastByteArrayInputStream(bytes) );
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java
index 813c4c64b6..997ff71ca0 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java
@@ -1134,7 +1134,7 @@ public class Gossiper implements IFailureDetectionEventListener, GossiperMBean
         logger.info("Announcing shutdown");
         try
         {
-            Thread.sleep(intervalInMillis);
+            Thread.sleep(intervalInMillis * 2);
         }
         catch (InterruptedException e)
         {