diff --git a/libnetwork/networkdb/cluster.go b/libnetwork/networkdb/cluster.go
index bd48fb9f18..f2d4b49a67 100644
--- a/libnetwork/networkdb/cluster.go
+++ b/libnetwork/networkdb/cluster.go
@@ -285,18 +285,35 @@ func (nDB *NetworkDB) rejoinClusterBootStrap() {
 		return
 	}
 
+	myself, _ := nDB.nodes[nDB.config.NodeID]
 	bootStrapIPs := make([]string, 0, len(nDB.bootStrapIP))
 	for _, bootIP := range nDB.bootStrapIP {
-		for _, node := range nDB.nodes {
-			if node.Addr.Equal(bootIP) {
-				// One of the bootstrap nodes is part of the cluster, return
-				nDB.RUnlock()
-				return
-			}
+		// botostrap IPs are usually IP:port from the Join
+		var bootstrapIP net.IP
+		ipStr, _, err := net.SplitHostPort(bootIP)
+		if err != nil {
+			// try to parse it as an IP with port
+			// Note this seems to be the case for swarm that do not specify any port
+			ipStr = bootIP
+		}
+		bootstrapIP = net.ParseIP(ipStr)
+		if bootstrapIP != nil {
+			for _, node := range nDB.nodes {
+				if node.Addr.Equal(bootstrapIP) && !node.Addr.Equal(myself.Addr) {
+					// One of the bootstrap nodes (and not myself) is part of the cluster, return
+					nDB.RUnlock()
+					return
+				}
+			}
+			bootStrapIPs = append(bootStrapIPs, bootIP)
 		}
-		bootStrapIPs = append(bootStrapIPs, bootIP.String())
 	}
 	nDB.RUnlock()
+	if len(bootStrapIPs) == 0 {
+		// this will also avoid to call the Join with an empty list erasing the current bootstrap ip list
+		logrus.Debug("rejoinClusterBootStrap did not find any valid IP")
+		return
+	}
 	// None of the bootStrap nodes are in the cluster, call memberlist join
 	logrus.Debugf("rejoinClusterBootStrap, calling cluster join with bootStrap %v", bootStrapIPs)
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(nDB.ctx, rejoinClusterDuration)
diff --git a/libnetwork/networkdb/networkdb.go b/libnetwork/networkdb/networkdb.go
index c433913a46..ec07a6eb81 100644
--- a/libnetwork/networkdb/networkdb.go
+++ b/libnetwork/networkdb/networkdb.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ package networkdb
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"net"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -96,7 +95,7 @@ type NetworkDB struct {
 
 	// bootStrapIP is the list of IPs that can be used to bootstrap
 	// the gossip.
-	bootStrapIP []net.IP
+	bootStrapIP []string
 
 	// lastStatsTimestamp is the last timestamp when the stats got printed
 	lastStatsTimestamp time.Time
@@ -268,10 +267,8 @@ func New(c *Config) (*NetworkDB, error) {
 // instances passed by the caller in the form of addr:port
 func (nDB *NetworkDB) Join(members []string) error {
 	nDB.Lock()
-	nDB.bootStrapIP = make([]net.IP, 0, len(members))
-	for _, m := range members {
-		nDB.bootStrapIP = append(nDB.bootStrapIP, net.ParseIP(m))
-	}
+	nDB.bootStrapIP = append([]string(nil), members...)
+	logrus.Infof("The new bootstrap node list is:%v", nDB.bootStrapIP)
 	nDB.Unlock()
 	return nDB.clusterJoin(members)
 }
diff --git a/libnetwork/networkdb/networkdb_test.go b/libnetwork/networkdb/networkdb_test.go
index bcd6b52e00..fda6b71a65 100644
--- a/libnetwork/networkdb/networkdb_test.go
+++ b/libnetwork/networkdb/networkdb_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	os.Exit(m.Run())
 }
 
+func launchNode(t *testing.T, conf Config) *NetworkDB {
+	db, err := New(&conf)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return db
+}
+
 func createNetworkDBInstances(t *testing.T, num int, namePrefix string, conf *Config) []*NetworkDB {
 	var dbs []*NetworkDB
 	for i := 0; i < num; i++ {
@@ -38,12 +44,9 @@ func createNetworkDBInstances(t *testing.T, num int, namePrefix string, conf *Co
 		localConfig.Hostname = fmt.Sprintf("%s%d", namePrefix, i+1)
 		localConfig.NodeID = stringid.TruncateID(stringid.GenerateRandomID())
 		localConfig.BindPort = int(atomic.AddInt32(&dbPort, 1))
-		db, err := New(&localConfig)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
+		db := launchNode(t, localConfig)
 		if i != 0 {
-			err = db.Join([]string{fmt.Sprintf("localhost:%d", db.config.BindPort-1)})
-			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.NoError(t, db.Join([]string{fmt.Sprintf("localhost:%d", db.config.BindPort-1)}))
 		}
 
 		dbs = append(dbs, db)
@@ -803,3 +806,60 @@ func TestParallelDelete(t *testing.T) {
 
 	closeNetworkDBInstances(dbs)
 }
+
+func TestNetworkDBIslands(t *testing.T) {
+	logrus.SetLevel(logrus.DebugLevel)
+	dbs := createNetworkDBInstances(t, 5, "node", DefaultConfig())
+
+	// Get the node IP used currently
+	node, _ := dbs[0].nodes[dbs[0].config.NodeID]
+	baseIPStr := node.Addr.String()
+	// Node 0,1,2 are going to be the 3 bootstrap nodes
+	members := []string{fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", baseIPStr, dbs[0].config.BindPort),
+		fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", baseIPStr, dbs[1].config.BindPort),
+		fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", baseIPStr, dbs[2].config.BindPort)}
+	// Rejoining will update the list of the bootstrap members
+	for i := 3; i < 5; i++ {
+		assert.NoError(t, dbs[i].Join(members))
+	}
+
+	// Now the 3 bootstrap nodes will cleanly leave, and will be properly removed from the other 2 nodes
+	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+		logrus.Infof("node %d leaving", i)
+		dbs[i].Close()
+		time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
+	}
+
+	// Give some time to let the system propagate the messages and free up the ports
+	time.Sleep(10 * time.Second)
+
+	// Verify that the nodes are actually all gone and marked appropiately
+	for i := 3; i < 5; i++ {
+		assert.Len(t, dbs[i].leftNodes, 3)
+		assert.Len(t, dbs[i].failedNodes, 0)
+	}
+
+	// Spawn again the first 3 nodes with different names but same IP:port
+	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+		logrus.Infof("node %d coming back", i)
+		dbs[i].config.NodeID = stringid.TruncateID(stringid.GenerateRandomID())
+		dbs[i] = launchNode(t, *dbs[i].config)
+		time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
+	}
+
+	// Give some time for the reconnect routine to run, it runs every 60s
+	time.Sleep(50 * time.Second)
+
+	// Verify that the cluster is again all connected. Note that the 3 previous node did not do any join
+	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+		assert.Len(t, dbs[i].nodes, 5)
+		assert.Len(t, dbs[i].failedNodes, 0)
+		if i < 3 {
+			// nodes from 0 to 3 has no left nodes
+			assert.Len(t, dbs[i].leftNodes, 0)
+		} else {
+			// nodes from 4 to 5 has the 3 previous left nodes
+			assert.Len(t, dbs[i].leftNodes, 3)
+		}
+	}
+}