diff --git a/cluster/distributed.go b/cluster/distributed.go
index 4d779ab..68e7d14 100644
--- a/cluster/distributed.go
+++ b/cluster/distributed.go
@@ -151,8 +151,10 @@ func (dvm *DistributedVM) SendMessage(message RuntimeMessage) error {
 // routeMessageToNode sends a message to another node for delivery to the target actor
 func (dvm *DistributedVM) routeMessageToNode(actorID string, message RuntimeMessage) error {
 	hops := 0
+	var body map[string]interface{}
 	if mp, ok := message.(*MessagePayload); ok {
 		hops = mp.Hops
+		body = mp.Body
 	}
 	if hops >= MaxRouteHops {
 		dvm.cluster.logger.Printf("Dropping message for actor %s: exceeded max hops (%d)", actorID, MaxRouteHops)
@@ -167,6 +169,7 @@ func (dvm *DistributedVM) routeMessageToNode(actorID string, message RuntimeMess
 			TargetActorID: actorID,
 			Type:          message.GetType(),
 			Hops:          hops + 1,
+			Body:          body,
 		},
 		Timestamp: time.Now(),
 	}
@@ -219,8 +222,10 @@ func (dvm *DistributedVM) handleClusterMessage(msg *nats.Msg) {
 		dvm.localRuntime.LoadModel(&model)
 
 	case "route_message":
-		// Handle message routing from other nodes
-		// Re-marshal and unmarshal to convert map[string]interface{} to concrete type
+		if clusterMsg.From == dvm.nodeID {
+			return
+		}
+
 		payloadBytes, err := json.Marshal(clusterMsg.Payload)
 		if err != nil {
 			return
@@ -236,11 +241,16 @@ func (dvm *DistributedVM) handleClusterMessage(msg *nats.Msg) {
 		}
 
 		targetActor := message.TargetActorID
+		msg := &MessagePayload{
+			TargetActorID: targetActor,
+			Type:          message.Type,
+			Hops:          message.Hops,
+			Body:          message.Body,
+		}
 		if dvm.IsLocalActor(targetActor) {
-			dvm.localRuntime.SendMessage(&message)
+			dvm.localRuntime.SendMessage(msg)
 		} else {
-			// Relay to the correct node
-			dvm.routeMessageToNode(targetActor, &message)
+			dvm.routeMessageToNode(targetActor, msg)
 		}
 
 	case "rebalance":
@@ -260,6 +270,11 @@ func (dvm *DistributedVM) handleRebalanceRequest(msg ClusterMessage) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	if dvm.cluster.shardMap == nil {
+		dvm.cluster.logger.Printf("Shard map is nil, skipping rebalance")
+		return
+	}
+
 	payloadBytes, err := json.Marshal(msg.Payload)
 	if err != nil {
 		dvm.cluster.logger.Printf("Failed to marshal rebalance payload: %v", err)
diff --git a/cluster/shard.go b/cluster/shard.go
index 64cf425..17a1d29 100644
--- a/cluster/shard.go
+++ b/cluster/shard.go
@@ -195,10 +195,12 @@ func (chp *ConsistentHashPlacement) PlaceActor(actorID string, shardMap *ShardMa
 
 	node := ring.GetNode(actorID)
 	if node == "" {
+		sortedNodeIDs := make([]string, 0, len(nodes))
 		for nodeID := range nodes {
-			return nodeID, nil
+			sortedNodeIDs = append(sortedNodeIDs, nodeID)
 		}
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to place actor")
+		sort.Strings(sortedNodeIDs)
+		return sortedNodeIDs[0], nil
 	}
 
 	return node, nil
@@ -231,10 +233,12 @@ func (chp *ConsistentHashPlacement) RebalanceShards(currentMap *ShardMap, nodes
 	for shardID := range currentMap.Shards {
 		primaryNode := ring.GetNode(fmt.Sprintf("shard-%d", shardID))
 		if primaryNode == "" {
+			sortedNodeIDs := make([]string, 0, len(nodes))
 			for nodeID := range nodes {
-				primaryNode = nodeID
-				break
+				sortedNodeIDs = append(sortedNodeIDs, nodeID)
 			}
+			sort.Strings(sortedNodeIDs)
+			primaryNode = sortedNodeIDs[0]
 		}
 
 		var replicaNodes []string
diff --git a/cluster/types.go b/cluster/types.go
index ee7630e..a10af78 100644
--- a/cluster/types.go
+++ b/cluster/types.go
@@ -197,9 +197,10 @@ const MaxRouteHops = 10
 // MessagePayload is a concrete type for JSON-unmarshaling RuntimeMessage payloads.
 // Use this when receiving message data over the network.
 type MessagePayload struct {
-	TargetActorID string `json:"targetActorId"`
-	Type          string `json:"type"`
-	Hops          int    `json:"hops,omitempty"`
+	TargetActorID string                 `json:"targetActorId"`
+	Type          string                 `json:"type"`
+	Hops          int                    `json:"hops,omitempty"`
+	Body          map[string]interface{} `json:"body,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // GetTargetActorID implements RuntimeMessage