diff --git a/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/ClusterState.java b/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/ClusterState.java
index 164be383c04..bd1c2760c66 100644
--- a/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/ClusterState.java
+++ b/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/ClusterState.java
@@ -225,10 +225,21 @@ public class ClusterState implements JSONWriter.Writable {
   }
 
   private static DocCollection collectionFromObjects(String name, Map<String,Object> objs) {
-    Map<String,Object> props = (Map<String,Object>)objs.get(DocCollection.PROPERTIES);
-    if (props == null) props = Collections.emptyMap();
+    Map<String,Object> props;
+    Map<String,Slice> slices;
+
+    Map<String,Object> sliceObjs = (Map<String,Object>)objs.get(DocCollection.SHARDS);
+    if (sliceObjs == null) {
+      // legacy format from 4.0... there was no separate "shards" level to contain the collection shards.
+      slices = makeSlices(objs);
+      props = Collections.emptyMap();
+    } else {
+      slices = makeSlices(sliceObjs);
+      props = new HashMap<String, Object>(objs);
+      objs.remove(DocCollection.SHARDS);
+    }
+
     DocRouter router = DocRouter.getDocRouter(props.get(DocCollection.DOC_ROUTER));
-    Map<String,Slice> slices = makeSlices(objs);
     return new DocCollection(name, slices, props, router);
   }
 
@@ -237,15 +248,12 @@ public class ClusterState implements JSONWriter.Writable {
     Map<String,Slice> result = new LinkedHashMap<String, Slice>(genericSlices.size());
     for (Map.Entry<String,Object> entry : genericSlices.entrySet()) {
       String name = entry.getKey();
-      if (DocCollection.PROPERTIES.equals(name)) continue;  // skip special properties entry
       Object val = entry.getValue();
-      Slice s;
       if (val instanceof Slice) {
-        s = (Slice)val;
-      } else {
-        s = new Slice(name, null, (Map<String,Object>)val);
+        result.put(name, (Slice)val);
+      } else if (val instanceof Map) {
+        result.put(name, new Slice(name, null, (Map<String,Object>)val));
       }
-      result.put(name, s);
     }
     return result;
   }
diff --git a/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/DocCollection.java b/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/DocCollection.java
index 9d0a0e7e77a..2803a2dba58 100644
--- a/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/DocCollection.java
+++ b/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/DocCollection.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import org.apache.noggit.JSONUtil;
 import org.apache.noggit.JSONWriter;
 
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -29,18 +30,24 @@ import java.util.Map;
  * Models a Collection in zookeeper (but that Java name is obviously taken, hence "DocCollection")
  */
 public class DocCollection extends ZkNodeProps {
-  public static final String PROPERTIES = "properties";
   public static final String DOC_ROUTER = "router";
+  public static final String SHARDS = "shards";
 
   private final String name;
   private final Map<String, Slice> slices;
   private final DocRouter router;
 
+  /**
+   * @param name  The name of the collection
+   * @param slices The logical shards of the collection.  This is used directly and a copy is not made.
+   * @param props  The properties of the slice.  This is used directly and a copy is not made.
+   */
   public DocCollection(String name, Map<String, Slice> slices, Map<String, Object> props, DocRouter router) {
-    super(props == null ? new HashMap<String,Object>(1) : props);
+    super( props==null ? Collections.<String,Object>emptyMap() : props);
     this.name = name;
     this.slices = slices;
     this.router = router;
+
     assert name != null && slices != null;
   }
 
@@ -81,10 +88,9 @@ public class DocCollection extends ZkNodeProps {
 
   @Override
   public void write(JSONWriter jsonWriter) {
-    // write out the properties under "properties"
     LinkedHashMap<String,Object> all = new LinkedHashMap<String,Object>(slices.size()+1);
-    all.put(PROPERTIES, propMap);
-    all.putAll(slices);
+    all.putAll(propMap);
+    all.put(SHARDS, slices);
     jsonWriter.write(all);
   }
 }
diff --git a/solr/webapp/web/js/scripts/cloud.js b/solr/webapp/web/js/scripts/cloud.js
index 70705e308fd..5a3083be632 100644
--- a/solr/webapp/web/js/scripts/cloud.js
+++ b/solr/webapp/web/js/scripts/cloud.js
@@ -369,13 +369,13 @@ var prepare_graph = function( graph_element, callback )
               for( var c in state )
               {
                 var shards = [];
-                for( var s in state[c] )
+                for( var s in state[c].shards )
                 {
                   var nodes = [];
-                  for( var n in state[c][s].replicas )
+                  for( var n in state[c].shards[s].replicas )
                   {
                     leaf_count++;
-                    var replica = state[c][s].replicas[n]
+                    var replica = state[c].shards[s].replicas[n]
 
                     var uri = replica.base_url;
                     var parts = uri.match( /^(\w+:)\/\/(([\w\d\.-]+)(:(\d+))?)(.+)$/ );