diff --git a/remote/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/remote/DefaultFailureDetectorRegistry.scala b/remote/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/remote/DefaultFailureDetectorRegistry.scala
index 914c9721ef3..21174968c73 100644
--- a/remote/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/remote/DefaultFailureDetectorRegistry.scala
+++ b/remote/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/remote/DefaultFailureDetectorRegistry.scala
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ class DefaultFailureDetectorRegistry[A](detectorFactory: () => FailureDetector)
 
               // address below was introduced as a var because of binary compatibility constraints
               newDetector match {
-                case phi: PhiAccrualFailureDetector => phi.address = resource.toString
-                case _                              =>
+                case dwa: FailureDetectorWithAddress => dwa.address = resource.toString
+                case _                               =>
               }
 
               newDetector.heartbeat()
diff --git a/remote/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/remote/FailureDetector.scala b/remote/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/remote/FailureDetector.scala
index de322165ba7..5363a6d2f87 100644
--- a/remote/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/remote/FailureDetector.scala
+++ b/remote/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/remote/FailureDetector.scala
@@ -40,6 +40,16 @@ trait FailureDetector {
 
 }
 
+trait FailureDetectorWithAddress {
+
+  /**
+   * Address of observed host will be set after detector creation.
+   */
+  def address_=(addr: String): Unit
+
+  private[pekko] def address: String
+}
+
 object FailureDetector {
 
   /**
@@ -50,6 +60,6 @@ object FailureDetector {
   abstract class Clock extends (() => Long)
 
   implicit val defaultClock: Clock = new Clock {
-    def apply() = NANOSECONDS.toMillis(System.nanoTime)
+    def apply(): Long = NANOSECONDS.toMillis(System.nanoTime)
   }
 }
diff --git a/remote/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/remote/PhiAccrualFailureDetector.scala b/remote/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/remote/PhiAccrualFailureDetector.scala
index 619649dae37..6e195e4cdac 100644
--- a/remote/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/remote/PhiAccrualFailureDetector.scala
+++ b/remote/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/remote/PhiAccrualFailureDetector.scala
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class PhiAccrualFailureDetector(
     eventStream: Option[EventStream])(
     implicit
     clock: Clock)
-    extends FailureDetector {
+    extends FailureDetector with FailureDetectorWithAddress {
 
   /**
    * Constructor without eventStream to support backwards compatibility
@@ -118,8 +118,10 @@ class PhiAccrualFailureDetector(
 
   private val acceptableHeartbeatPauseMillis = acceptableHeartbeatPause.toMillis
 
+  def address_=(addr: String): Unit = this._address = addr
+  private[pekko] def address: String = this._address
   // address below was introduced as a var because of binary compatibility constraints
-  private[pekko] var address: String = "N/A"
+  private var _address: String = "N/A"
 
   /**
    * Implement using optimistic lockless concurrency, all state is represented