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 40497bf4f3f..131f8c8eb7f 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
@@ -260,8 +260,18 @@ public class ClusterState implements JSONWriter.Writable {
       objs.remove(DocCollection.SHARDS);
     }
 
-    Map map = (Map) props.get(DocCollection.DOC_ROUTER);
-    DocRouter router = map == null ? DocRouter.DEFAULT : DocRouter.getDocRouter(map.get("name"));
+    Object routerObj = props.get(DocCollection.DOC_ROUTER);
+    DocRouter router;
+    if (routerObj == null) {
+      router = DocRouter.DEFAULT;
+    } else if (routerObj instanceof String) {
+      // back compat with Solr4.4
+      router = DocRouter.getDocRouter((String)routerObj);
+    } else {
+      Map routerProps = (Map)routerObj;
+      router = DocRouter.getDocRouter(routerProps.get("name"));
+    }
+
     return new DocCollection(name, slices, props, router);
   }
 
diff --git a/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/DocRouter.java b/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/DocRouter.java
index 50decd8499f..e7212eff813 100644
--- a/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/DocRouter.java
+++ b/solr/solrj/src/java/org/apache/solr/common/cloud/DocRouter.java
@@ -64,9 +64,13 @@ public abstract class DocRouter {
         map.put(s.substring(7), props.get(s));
       }
     }
-    if(map.get("name") == null) map.put("name", DEFAULT_NAME);
+    Object o = props.get("router");
+    if (o instanceof String) {
+      map.put("name", o);
+    } else if (map.get("name") == null) {
+      map.put("name", DEFAULT_NAME);
+    }
     return  map;
-
   }
 
   // currently just an implementation detail...