diff --git a/src/contrib/cluster/Akka.Cluster.Sharding/Shard.cs b/src/contrib/cluster/Akka.Cluster.Sharding/Shard.cs
index f1eabf3cf6e..42297294512 100644
--- a/src/contrib/cluster/Akka.Cluster.Sharding/Shard.cs
+++ b/src/contrib/cluster/Akka.Cluster.Sharding/Shard.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Collections.Immutable;
 using System.Linq;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using Akka.Actor;
 using Akka.Annotations;
 using Akka.Cluster.Sharding.Internal;
@@ -1051,17 +1052,25 @@ private void AcquireLeaseIfNeeded()
 
         private void ReleaseLeaseIfNeeded()
         {
-            if (_lease != null)
+            if (_lease is null)
+                return;
+
+            try
+            {
+                ReleaseLease().GetAwaiter().GetResult();
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                // no-op, we're shutting down anyway.
+            }
+            
+            return;
+
+            async Task ReleaseLease()
             {
-                _lease.Release().ContinueWith(r =>
+                try
                 {
-                    if (r.IsFaulted || r.IsCanceled)
-                    {
-                        Log.Error(r.Exception,
-                            "{0}: Failed to release lease of shardId [{1}]. Shard may not be able to run on another node until lease timeout occurs.",
-                            _typeName, _shardId);
-                    }
-                    else if (r.Result)
+                    if (await _lease.Release())
                     {
                         Log.Info("{0}: Lease of shardId [{1}] released.", _typeName, _shardId);
                     }
@@ -1071,7 +1080,13 @@ private void ReleaseLeaseIfNeeded()
                             "{0}: Failed to release lease of shardId [{1}]. Shard may not be able to run on another node until lease timeout occurs.",
                             _typeName, _shardId);
                     }
-                });
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    Log.Error(ex,
+                        "{0}: Failed to release lease of shardId [{1}]. Shard may not be able to run on another node until lease timeout occurs.",
+                        _typeName, _shardId);
+                }
             }
         }
 
@@ -1085,18 +1100,12 @@ private bool AwaitingLease(object message)
         {
             switch (message)
             {
-                case LeaseAcquireResult lar when lar.Acquired:
+                case LeaseAcquireResult { Acquired: true }:
                     Log.Debug("{0}: Lease acquired", _typeName);
                     TryLoadRememberedEntities();
                     return true;
 
-                case LeaseAcquireResult lar when !lar.Acquired && lar.Reason == null:
-                    Log.Error("{0}: Failed to get lease for shard id [{1}]. Retry in {2}",
-                        _typeName, _shardId, _leaseRetryInterval);
-                    Timers.StartSingleTimer(LeaseRetryTimer, Shard.LeaseRetry.Instance, _leaseRetryInterval);
-                    return true;
-
-                case LeaseAcquireResult lar when !lar.Acquired && lar.Reason != null:
+                case LeaseAcquireResult { Acquired: false } lar:
                     Log.Error(lar.Reason, "{0}: Failed to get lease for shard id [{1}]. Retry in {2}",
                         _typeName, _shardId, _leaseRetryInterval);
                     Timers.StartSingleTimer(LeaseRetryTimer, Shard.LeaseRetry.Instance, _leaseRetryInterval);
@@ -1126,12 +1135,21 @@ private void TryGetLease(Lease lease)
             Log.Info("{0}: Acquiring lease {1}", _typeName, lease.Settings);
 
             var self = Self;
-            lease.Acquire(reason => { self.Tell(new LeaseLost(reason)); }).ContinueWith(r =>
+            Acquire().PipeTo(self);
+            return;
+            
+            async Task<LeaseAcquireResult> Acquire()
             {
-                if (r.IsFaulted || r.IsCanceled)
-                    return new LeaseAcquireResult(false, r.Exception);
-                return new LeaseAcquireResult(r.Result, null);
-            }).PipeTo(Self);
+                try
+                {
+                    var result = await lease.Acquire(reason => { self.Tell(new LeaseLost(reason)); });
+                    return new LeaseAcquireResult(result, null);
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    return new LeaseAcquireResult(false, ex);
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         // ===== remember entities initialization =====
@@ -1610,7 +1628,7 @@ private void HandOff(IActorRef replyTo)
                         "HandOffStopper"));
 
                     //During hand off we only care about watching for termination of the hand off stopper
-                    Context.Become((object message) =>
+                    Context.Become(message =>
                     {
                         switch (message)
                         {