diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/LeaderInitiatedRecoveryOnCommitTest.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/LeaderInitiatedRecoveryOnCommitTest.java
index 7c724f19427..b1f840110a9 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/LeaderInitiatedRecoveryOnCommitTest.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/LeaderInitiatedRecoveryOnCommitTest.java
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ package org.apache.solr.cloud;
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import org.apache.http.NoHttpResponseException;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.embedded.JettySolrRunner;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.impl.HttpSolrClient;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.request.CollectionAdminRequest;
+import org.apache.solr.common.SolrException;
 import org.apache.solr.common.cloud.Replica;
-import org.apache.solr.common.cloud.ZkCoreNodeProps;
-import org.apache.solr.common.cloud.ZkStateReader;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import java.io.File;
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ public class LeaderInitiatedRecoveryOnCommitTest extends BasicDistributedZkTest
   }
 
   private void multiShardTest() throws Exception {
+
+    log.info("Running multiShardTest");
+
     // create a collection that has 2 shard and 2 replicas
     String testCollectionName = "c8n_2x2_commits";
     createCollection(testCollectionName, 2, 2, 1);
@@ -78,16 +81,17 @@ public class LeaderInitiatedRecoveryOnCommitTest extends BasicDistributedZkTest
             + printClusterStateInfo(),
         notLeaders.size() == 1);
 
+    log.info("All replicas active for "+testCollectionName);
+
     // let's put the leader in its own partition, no replicas can contact it now
     Replica leader = cloudClient.getZkStateReader().getLeaderRetry(testCollectionName, "shard1");
+    log.info("Creating partition to leader at "+leader.getCoreUrl());
     SocketProxy leaderProxy = getProxyForReplica(leader);
     leaderProxy.close();
 
     // let's find the leader of shard2 and ask him to commit
     Replica shard2Leader = cloudClient.getZkStateReader().getLeaderRetry(testCollectionName, "shard2");
-    try (HttpSolrClient server = new HttpSolrClient(ZkCoreNodeProps.getCoreUrl(shard2Leader.getStr("base_url"), shard2Leader.getStr("core")))) {
-      server.commit();
-    }
+    sendCommitWithRetry(shard2Leader);
 
     Thread.sleep(sleepMsBeforeHealPartition);
 
@@ -95,6 +99,7 @@ public class LeaderInitiatedRecoveryOnCommitTest extends BasicDistributedZkTest
     leader = cloudClient.getZkStateReader().getLeaderRetry(testCollectionName, "shard1");
     assertSame("Leader was not active", Replica.State.ACTIVE, leader.getState());
 
+    log.info("Healing partitioned replica at "+leader.getCoreUrl());
     leaderProxy.reopen();
     Thread.sleep(sleepMsBeforeHealPartition);
 
@@ -107,9 +112,13 @@ public class LeaderInitiatedRecoveryOnCommitTest extends BasicDistributedZkTest
       // don't fail the test
       log.warn("Could not delete collection {} after test completed", testCollectionName);
     }
+
+    log.info("multiShardTest completed OK");
   }
 
   private void oneShardTest() throws Exception {
+    log.info("Running oneShardTest");
+
     // create a collection that has 1 shard and 3 replicas
     String testCollectionName = "c8n_1x3_commits";
     createCollection(testCollectionName, 1, 3, 1);
@@ -122,22 +131,23 @@ public class LeaderInitiatedRecoveryOnCommitTest extends BasicDistributedZkTest
             + printClusterStateInfo(),
         notLeaders.size() == 2);
 
+    log.info("All replicas active for "+testCollectionName);
+
     // let's put the leader in its own partition, no replicas can contact it now
     Replica leader = cloudClient.getZkStateReader().getLeaderRetry(testCollectionName, "shard1");
+    log.info("Creating partition to leader at "+leader.getCoreUrl());
     SocketProxy leaderProxy = getProxyForReplica(leader);
     leaderProxy.close();
 
     Replica replica = notLeaders.get(0);
-    try (HttpSolrClient client = new HttpSolrClient(ZkCoreNodeProps.getCoreUrl(replica.getStr("base_url"), replica.getStr("core")))) {
-      client.commit();
-    }
-
+    sendCommitWithRetry(replica);
     Thread.sleep(sleepMsBeforeHealPartition);
 
     cloudClient.getZkStateReader().updateClusterState(true); // get the latest state
     leader = cloudClient.getZkStateReader().getLeaderRetry(testCollectionName, "shard1");
     assertSame("Leader was not active", Replica.State.ACTIVE, leader.getState());
 
+    log.info("Healing partitioned replica at "+leader.getCoreUrl());
     leaderProxy.reopen();
     Thread.sleep(sleepMsBeforeHealPartition);
 
@@ -150,6 +160,8 @@ public class LeaderInitiatedRecoveryOnCommitTest extends BasicDistributedZkTest
       // don't fail the test
       log.warn("Could not delete collection {} after test completed", testCollectionName);
     }
+
+    log.info("oneShardTest completed OK");
   }
 
   /**
@@ -162,4 +174,29 @@ public class LeaderInitiatedRecoveryOnCommitTest extends BasicDistributedZkTest
     return createProxiedJetty(solrHome, dataDir, shardList, solrConfigOverride, schemaOverride);
   }
 
+  protected void sendCommitWithRetry(Replica replica) throws Exception {
+    String replicaCoreUrl = replica.getCoreUrl();
+    log.info("Sending commit request to: "+replicaCoreUrl);
+    long startMs = System.currentTimeMillis();
+    try (HttpSolrClient client = new HttpSolrClient(replicaCoreUrl)) {
+      try {
+        client.commit();
+
+        long tookMs = System.currentTimeMillis() - startMs;
+        log.info("Sent commit request to "+replicaCoreUrl+" OK, took: "+tookMs);
+      } catch (Exception exc) {
+        Throwable rootCause = SolrException.getRootCause(exc);
+        if (rootCause instanceof NoHttpResponseException) {
+          log.warn("No HTTP response from sending commit request to "+replicaCoreUrl+
+              "; will re-try after waiting 3 seconds");
+          Thread.sleep(3000);
+          client.commit();
+          log.info("Second attempt at sending commit to "+replicaCoreUrl+" succeeded.");
+        } else {
+          throw exc;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/solr/test-framework/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/SocketProxy.java b/solr/test-framework/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/SocketProxy.java
index 77bfdb0a425..413834f7cff 100644
--- a/solr/test-framework/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/SocketProxy.java
+++ b/solr/test-framework/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/SocketProxy.java
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ public class SocketProxy {
   private static final transient Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(SocketProxy.class);
   
   public static final int ACCEPT_TIMEOUT_MILLIS = 100;
+
+  // should be as large as the HttpShardHandlerFactory socket timeout ... or larger?
+  public static final int PUMP_SOCKET_TIMEOUT_MS = 100 * 1000;
   
   private URI proxyUrl;
   private URI target;
@@ -148,7 +151,7 @@ public class SocketProxy {
     synchronized (this.connections) {
       connections = new ArrayList<Bridge>(this.connections);
     }
-    log.warn("Closing " + connections.size()+" connections to: "+getUrl());
+    log.warn("Closing " + connections.size()+" connections to: "+getUrl()+", target: "+target);
     for (Bridge con : connections) {
       closeConnection(con);
     }
@@ -338,7 +341,7 @@ public class SocketProxy {
         byte[] buf = new byte[1024];
 
         try {
-          src.setSoTimeout(10 * 1000);
+          src.setSoTimeout(PUMP_SOCKET_TIMEOUT_MS);
         } catch (SocketException e) {
           log.error("Failed to set socket timeout on "+src+" due to: "+e);
           throw new RuntimeException(e);