diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ElectionContext.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ElectionContext.java
index 85bc009d72b..0948a8edc2c 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ElectionContext.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ElectionContext.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
  */
 
 public abstract class ElectionContext {
-  private static Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ElectionContext.class);
+  static Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ElectionContext.class);
   final String electionPath;
   final ZkNodeProps leaderProps;
   final String id;
@@ -451,11 +451,11 @@ final class OverseerElectionContext extends ElectionContext {
   @Override
   void runLeaderProcess(boolean weAreReplacement) throws KeeperException,
       InterruptedException {
-    
+    log.info("I am going to be the leader {}", id);
     final String id = leaderSeqPath
         .substring(leaderSeqPath.lastIndexOf("/") + 1);
     ZkNodeProps myProps = new ZkNodeProps("id", id);
-    
+
     zkClient.makePath(leaderPath, ZkStateReader.toJSON(myProps),
         CreateMode.EPHEMERAL, true);
     
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/OverseerCollectionProcessor.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/OverseerCollectionProcessor.java
index c98f98e0848..b5e08c54b38 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/OverseerCollectionProcessor.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/OverseerCollectionProcessor.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package org.apache.solr.cloud;
 
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.SolrResponse;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.SolrServerException;
-import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.impl.CloudSolrServer;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.impl.HttpSolrServer;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.request.AbstractUpdateRequest;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.request.CoreAdminRequest;
@@ -223,18 +222,18 @@ public class OverseerCollectionProcessor implements Runnable, ClosableThread {
 
     List overseerDesignates = (List) m.get("overseer");
     if(overseerDesignates==null || overseerDesignates.isEmpty()) return;
-
+    if(overseerDesignates.size() == 1 && overseerDesignates.contains(getLeaderNode(zk))) return;
     log.info("overseer designates {}", overseerDesignates);
 
     List<String> nodeNames = getSortedNodeNames(zk);
     if(nodeNames.size()<2) return;
 
 //
-    Set<String> nodesTobePushedBack =  new HashSet<String>();
+    ArrayList<String> nodesTobePushedBack =  new ArrayList<>();
     //ensure that the node right behind the leader , i.r at position 1 is a Overseer
-    Set<String> availableDesignates = new HashSet<String>();
+    List<String> availableDesignates = new ArrayList<String>();
 
-    log.debug("sorted nodes {}", nodeNames);//TODO to be removed
+    log.info("sorted nodes {}", nodeNames);//TODO to be removed
     for (int i = 0; i < nodeNames.size(); i++) {
       String s = nodeNames.get(i);
 
@@ -243,7 +242,7 @@ public class OverseerCollectionProcessor implements Runnable, ClosableThread {
 
         for(int j=0;j<i;j++){
           if(!overseerDesignates.contains(nodeNames.get(j))) {
-            nodesTobePushedBack.add(nodeNames.get(j));
+            if(!nodesTobePushedBack.contains(nodeNames.get(j))) nodesTobePushedBack.add(nodeNames.get(j));
           }
         }
 
@@ -252,9 +251,10 @@ public class OverseerCollectionProcessor implements Runnable, ClosableThread {
     }
 
     if(!availableDesignates.isEmpty()){
-      for (String s : nodesTobePushedBack) {
+      for (int i = nodesTobePushedBack.size() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+         String s = nodesTobePushedBack.get(i);
         log.info("pushing back {} ", s);
-        invokeRejoinOverseer(s);
+        invokeOverseerOp(s, "rejoin");
       }
 
       //wait for a while to ensure the designate has indeed come in front
@@ -295,14 +295,21 @@ public class OverseerCollectionProcessor implements Runnable, ClosableThread {
     if(leaderNode ==null) return;
     if(!overseerDesignates.contains(leaderNode) && !availableDesignates.isEmpty()){
       //this means there are designated Overseer nodes and I am not one of them , kill myself
-      log.info("I am not an overseerdesignate , rejoining election {} ", leaderNode);
-      invokeRejoinOverseer(leaderNode);
+      String newLeader = availableDesignates.get(0);
+      log.info("I am not an overseerdesignate , forcing a new leader {} ", newLeader);
+      invokeOverseerOp(newLeader, "leader");
     }
 
   }
 
   public static List<String> getSortedNodeNames(SolrZkClient zk) throws KeeperException, InterruptedException {
-    List<String> children = zk.getChildren(OverseerElectionContext.PATH + LeaderElector.ELECTION_NODE, null, true);
+    List<String> children = null;
+    try {
+      children = zk.getChildren(OverseerElectionContext.PATH + LeaderElector.ELECTION_NODE, null, true);
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      log.warn("error ", e);
+      return new ArrayList<String>();
+    }
     LeaderElector.sortSeqs(children);
     ArrayList<String> nodeNames = new ArrayList<>(children.size());
     for (String c : children) nodeNames.add(LeaderElector.getNodeName(c));
@@ -324,9 +331,10 @@ public class OverseerCollectionProcessor implements Runnable, ClosableThread {
     return nodeName;
   }
 
-  private void invokeRejoinOverseer(String nodeName) {
+  private void invokeOverseerOp(String nodeName, String op) {
     ModifiableSolrParams params = new ModifiableSolrParams();
-    params.set(CoreAdminParams.ACTION, CoreAdminAction.REJOINOVERSEERELECTION.toString());
+    params.set(CoreAdminParams.ACTION, CoreAdminAction.OVERSEEROP.toString());
+    params.set("op", op);
     params.set("qt", adminPath);
     ShardRequest sreq = new ShardRequest();
     sreq.purpose = 1;
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java
index c42656276e6..7b8d60478f1 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java
@@ -292,6 +292,19 @@ public final class ZkController {
     return leaderVoteWait;
   }
 
+  public void forceOverSeer(){
+    try {
+      zkClient.delete("/overseer_elect/leader",-1, true);
+      log.info("Forcing me to be leader  {} ",getBaseUrl());
+      overseerElector.getContext().runLeaderProcess(true);
+      rejoinOverseerElection();
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      throw new SolrException(ErrorCode.SERVER_ERROR, " Error becoming overseer ",e);
+
+    }
+
+  }
+
   private void registerAllCoresAsDown(
       final CurrentCoreDescriptorProvider registerOnReconnect, boolean updateLastPublished) {
     List<CoreDescriptor> descriptors = registerOnReconnect
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/admin/CoreAdminHandler.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/admin/CoreAdminHandler.java
index d59314f9ae1..75d0ce5e833 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/admin/CoreAdminHandler.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/admin/CoreAdminHandler.java
@@ -218,10 +218,13 @@ public class CoreAdminHandler extends RequestHandlerBase {
           this.handleRequestBufferUpdatesAction(req, rsp);
           break;
         }
-        case REJOINOVERSEERELECTION:{
+        case OVERSEEROP:{
           ZkController zkController = coreContainer.getZkController();
           if(zkController != null){
-            zkController.rejoinOverseerElection();
+            String op = req.getParams().get("op");
+            if("leader".equals(op)){
+              zkController.forceOverSeer();
+            } else if ("rejoin".equals(op)) zkController.rejoinOverseerElection();
           }
           break;
         }
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/OverseerRolesTest.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/OverseerRolesTest.java
index be665467725..530d405d2a8 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/OverseerRolesTest.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/OverseerRolesTest.java
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ package org.apache.solr.cloud;
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import com.google.protobuf.TextFormat;
+import org.apache.lucene.util.LuceneTestCase;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.SolrRequest;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.SolrServerException;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.impl.CloudSolrServer;
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ import static org.apache.solr.cloud.OverseerCollectionProcessor.REPLICATION_FACT
 import static org.apache.solr.cloud.OverseerCollectionProcessor.getSortedNodeNames;
 import static org.apache.solr.common.cloud.ZkNodeProps.makeMap;
 import static org.apache.solr.common.params.CollectionParams.CollectionAction;
-@Ignore("needs to restart the OverSeer")
+@LuceneTestCase.Slow
 public class OverseerRolesTest  extends AbstractFullDistribZkTestBase{
   private CloudSolrServer client;
 
@@ -119,12 +121,16 @@ public class OverseerRolesTest  extends AbstractFullDistribZkTestBase{
       }
       Thread.sleep(100);
     }
-    if(!leaderchanged){
+    /*if(!leaderchanged){
+
       log.warn("expected {}, current order {}",
           overseerDesignate,
           getSortedNodeNames(client.getZkStateReader().getZkClient())+ " ldr :"+ OverseerCollectionProcessor.getLeaderNode(client.getZkStateReader().getZkClient()) );
-    }
-    assertTrue("could not set the new overseer",leaderchanged);
+    }*/
+    assertTrue("could not set the new overseer . expected "+
+        overseerDesignate + " current order : " +
+        getSortedNodeNames(client.getZkStateReader().getZkClient()) +
+        " ldr :"+ OverseerCollectionProcessor.getLeaderNode(client.getZkStateReader().getZkClient()) ,leaderchanged);
 
 
 
diff --git a/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/params/CoreAdminParams.java b/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/params/CoreAdminParams.java
index 08d59b34891..9b8a6cd3df3 100644
--- a/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/params/CoreAdminParams.java
+++ b/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/params/CoreAdminParams.java
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ public abstract class CoreAdminParams
     REQUESTAPPLYUPDATES,
     LOAD_ON_STARTUP,
     TRANSIENT,
-    REJOINOVERSEERELECTION;
+    OVERSEEROP;
     
     public static CoreAdminAction get( String p )
     {