diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/ActorConfigurationVerificationSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/ActorConfigurationVerificationSpec.scala
index 1466c9e969..a38f98c8f7 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/ActorConfigurationVerificationSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/ActorConfigurationVerificationSpec.scala
@@ -75,5 +75,23 @@ class ActorConfigurationVerificationSpec extends AkkaSpec(ActorConfigurationVeri
     "not fail verification with a ConfigurationException if also configured with a Router" in {
       system.actorOf(Props[TestActor].withDispatcher("pinned-dispatcher").withRouter(RoundRobinRouter(2)))
     }
+
+    "fail verification if the dispatcher cannot be found" in {
+      intercept[ConfigurationException] {
+        system.actorOf(Props[TestActor].withDispatcher("does not exist"))
+      }
+    }
+
+    "fail verification if the dispatcher cannot be found for the head of a router" in {
+      intercept[ConfigurationException] {
+        system.actorOf(Props[TestActor].withRouter(RoundRobinRouter(1, routerDispatcher = "does not exist")))
+      }
+    }
+
+    "fail verification if the dispatcher cannot be found for the routees of a router" in {
+      intercept[ConfigurationException] {
+        system.actorOf(Props[TestActor].withDispatcher("does not exist").withRouter(RoundRobinRouter(1)))
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/dispatch/DispatchersSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/dispatch/DispatchersSpec.scala
index b4ec85b44f..4ced9cd03c 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/dispatch/DispatchersSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/dispatch/DispatchersSpec.scala
@@ -3,18 +3,15 @@
  */
 package akka.actor.dispatch
 
-import language.postfixOps
-import java.util.concurrent.{ CountDownLatch, TimeUnit }
+import scala.collection.JavaConverters.mapAsJavaMapConverter
 import scala.reflect.ClassTag
-import akka.dispatch._
-import akka.testkit.AkkaSpec
-import akka.testkit.ImplicitSender
-import scala.collection.JavaConverters._
+
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
-import akka.actor.Actor
-import akka.actor.Props
-import scala.concurrent.duration._
-import akka.actor.ActorRef
+
+import akka.ConfigurationException
+import akka.actor.{ Actor, ActorRef, Props }
+import akka.dispatch.{ BalancingDispatcher, Dispatcher, Dispatchers, MessageDispatcher, PinnedDispatcher }
+import akka.testkit.{ AkkaSpec, ImplicitSender }
 
 object DispatchersSpec {
   val config = """
@@ -101,9 +98,10 @@ class DispatchersSpec extends AkkaSpec(DispatchersSpec.config) with ImplicitSend
       dispatcher.id must be("myapp.mydispatcher")
     }
 
-    "use default dispatcher for missing config" in {
-      val dispatcher = lookup("myapp.other-dispatcher")
-      dispatcher must be === defaultGlobalDispatcher
+    "complain about missing config" in {
+      intercept[ConfigurationException] {
+        lookup("myapp.other-dispatcher")
+      }
     }
 
     "have only one default dispatcher" in {
@@ -112,8 +110,8 @@ class DispatchersSpec extends AkkaSpec(DispatchersSpec.config) with ImplicitSend
       dispatcher must be === system.dispatcher
     }
 
-    "throw IllegalArgumentException if type does not exist" in {
-      intercept[IllegalArgumentException] {
+    "throw ConfigurationException if type does not exist" in {
+      intercept[ConfigurationException] {
         from(ConfigFactory.parseMap(Map(tipe -> "typedoesntexist", id -> "invalid-dispatcher").asJava).
           withFallback(defaultDispatcherConfig))
       }
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefProvider.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefProvider.scala
index b222112717..62a1735893 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefProvider.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefProvider.scala
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import scala.util.{ Success, Failure }
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong
 import scala.concurrent.{ ExecutionContext, Future, Promise }
 import scala.annotation.implicitNotFound
+import akka.ConfigurationException
 
 /**
  * Interface for all ActorRef providers to implement.
@@ -708,6 +709,9 @@ private[akka] class LocalActorRefProvider private[akka] (
 
           } else props
 
+        if (!system.dispatchers.hasDispatcher(props2.dispatcher))
+          throw new ConfigurationException(s"Dispatcher [${props2.dispatcher}] not configured for path $path")
+
         if (async) new RepointableActorRef(system, props2, supervisor, path).initialize(async)
         else new LocalActorRef(system, props2, supervisor, path)
 
@@ -715,7 +719,12 @@ private[akka] class LocalActorRefProvider private[akka] (
         val lookup = if (lookupDeploy) deployer.lookup(path) else None
         val fromProps = Iterator(props.deploy.copy(routerConfig = props.deploy.routerConfig withFallback router))
         val d = fromProps ++ deploy.iterator ++ lookup.iterator reduce ((a, b) ⇒ b withFallback a)
-        new RoutedActorRef(system, props.withRouter(d.routerConfig), supervisor, path).initialize(async)
+        val p = props.withRouter(d.routerConfig)
+        if (!system.dispatchers.hasDispatcher(p.dispatcher))
+          throw new ConfigurationException(s"Dispatcher [${p.dispatcher}] not configured for routees of $path")
+        if (!system.dispatchers.hasDispatcher(d.routerConfig.routerDispatcher))
+          throw new ConfigurationException(s"Dispatcher [${p.dispatcher}] not configured for router of $path")
+        new RoutedActorRef(system, p, supervisor, path).initialize(async)
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Dispatchers.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Dispatchers.scala
index bca09ce56f..57b626a119 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Dispatchers.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Dispatchers.scala
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import akka.actor.{ Scheduler, DynamicAccess, ActorSystem }
 import akka.event.Logging.Warning
 import akka.event.EventStream
 import scala.concurrent.duration.Duration
+import akka.ConfigurationException
 
 /**
  * DispatcherPrerequisites represents useful contextual pieces when constructing a MessageDispatcher
@@ -65,12 +66,21 @@ class Dispatchers(val settings: ActorSystem.Settings, val prerequisites: Dispatc
   private val dispatcherConfigurators = new ConcurrentHashMap[String, MessageDispatcherConfigurator]
 
   /**
-   * Returns a dispatcher as specified in configuration, or if not defined it uses
-   * the default dispatcher. Please note that this method _may_ create and return a NEW dispatcher,
-   * _every_ call.
+   * Returns a dispatcher as specified in configuration. Please note that this
+   * method _may_ create and return a NEW dispatcher, _every_ call.
+   *
+   * @throws ConfigurationException if the specified dispatcher cannot be found in the configuration
    */
   def lookup(id: String): MessageDispatcher = lookupConfigurator(id).dispatcher()
 
+  /**
+   * Checks that the configuration provides a section for the given dispatcher.
+   * This does not guarantee that no ConfigurationException will be thrown when
+   * using this dispatcher, because the details can only be checked by trying
+   * to instantiate it, which might be undesirable when just checking.
+   */
+  def hasDispatcher(id: String): Boolean = settings.config.hasPath(id)
+
   private def lookupConfigurator(id: String): MessageDispatcherConfigurator = {
     dispatcherConfigurators.get(id) match {
       case null ⇒
@@ -78,15 +88,8 @@ class Dispatchers(val settings: ActorSystem.Settings, val prerequisites: Dispatc
         // That shouldn't happen often and in case it does the actual ExecutorService isn't
         // created until used, i.e. cheap.
         val newConfigurator =
-          if (settings.config.hasPath(id)) {
-            configuratorFrom(config(id))
-          } else {
-            // Note that the configurator of the default dispatcher will be registered for this id,
-            // so this will only be logged once, which is crucial.
-            prerequisites.eventStream.publish(Warning("Dispatchers", this.getClass,
-              "Dispatcher [%s] not configured, using default-dispatcher".format(id)))
-            lookupConfigurator(DefaultDispatcherId)
-          }
+          if (settings.config.hasPath(id)) configuratorFrom(config(id))
+          else throw new ConfigurationException(s"Dispatcher [$id] not configured")
 
         dispatcherConfigurators.putIfAbsent(id, newConfigurator) match {
           case null     ⇒ newConfigurator
@@ -140,7 +143,7 @@ class Dispatchers(val settings: ActorSystem.Settings, val prerequisites: Dispatc
    *         IllegalArgumentException if it cannot create the MessageDispatcherConfigurator
    */
   private def configuratorFrom(cfg: Config): MessageDispatcherConfigurator = {
-    if (!cfg.hasPath("id")) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Missing dispatcher 'id' property in config: " + cfg.root.render)
+    if (!cfg.hasPath("id")) throw new ConfigurationException("Missing dispatcher 'id' property in config: " + cfg.root.render)
 
     cfg.getString("type") match {
       case "Dispatcher"          ⇒ new DispatcherConfigurator(cfg, prerequisites)
@@ -150,7 +153,7 @@ class Dispatchers(val settings: ActorSystem.Settings, val prerequisites: Dispatc
         val args = List(classOf[Config] -> cfg, classOf[DispatcherPrerequisites] -> prerequisites)
         prerequisites.dynamicAccess.createInstanceFor[MessageDispatcherConfigurator](fqn, args).recover({
           case exception ⇒
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+            throw new ConfigurationException(
               ("Cannot instantiate MessageDispatcherConfigurator type [%s], defined in [%s], " +
                 "make sure it has constructor with [com.typesafe.config.Config] and " +
                 "[akka.dispatch.DispatcherPrerequisites] parameters")
diff --git a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterSettings.scala b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterSettings.scala
index 176cfc5ec9..08c598754b 100644
--- a/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterSettings.scala
+++ b/akka-cluster/src/main/scala/akka/cluster/ClusterSettings.scala
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import com.typesafe.config.Config
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigObject
 import scala.concurrent.duration.Duration
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS
-import akka.ConfigurationException
 import akka.actor.Address
 import akka.actor.AddressFromURIString
 import akka.dispatch.Dispatchers
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/jrouting/CustomRouterDocTest.java b/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/jrouting/CustomRouterDocTest.java
index 3fb64a1f6b..e3b4632913 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/jrouting/CustomRouterDocTest.java
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/jrouting/CustomRouterDocTest.java
@@ -34,12 +34,15 @@ import akka.routing.RoundRobinRouter;
 import akka.routing.RouteeProvider;
 import akka.testkit.AkkaSpec;
 import akka.util.Timeout;
+import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory;
 
 public class CustomRouterDocTest {
 
   @ClassRule
   public static AkkaJUnitActorSystemResource actorSystemResource =
-    new AkkaJUnitActorSystemResource("CustomRouterDocTest", AkkaSpec.testConf());
+    new AkkaJUnitActorSystemResource(
+      "CustomRouterDocTest", ConfigFactory.load(ConfigFactory.parseString(
+          "head{}\nworkers{}").withFallback(AkkaSpec.testConf())));
 
   private final ActorSystem system = actorSystemResource.getSystem();
   
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/project/migration-guide-2.1.x-2.2.x.rst b/akka-docs/rst/project/migration-guide-2.1.x-2.2.x.rst
index 19497c3838..501e8d44d5 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/project/migration-guide-2.1.x-2.2.x.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/project/migration-guide-2.1.x-2.2.x.rst
@@ -50,6 +50,21 @@ ActorContext & ActorRefFactory dispatcher
 
 The return type of ``ActorContext``'s and ``ActorRefFactory``'s ``dispatcher``-method now returns ``ExecutionContext`` instead of ``MessageDispatcher``.
 
+Removed fallback to default dispatcher
+======================================
+
+If deploying an actor with a specific dispatcher, e.g.
+``Props(...).withDispatcher("d")``, then it would previously fall back to
+``akka.actor.default-dispatcher`` if no configuration section for ``d`` could
+be found.
+
+This was beneficial for preparing later deployment choices during development
+by grouping actors on dispatcher IDs but not immediately configuring those.
+Akka 2.2 introduces the possibility to add dispatcher configuration to the
+``akka.actor.deployment`` section, making this unnecessary.
+
+The fallback was removed because in many cases its application was neither
+intended nor noticed.
 
 API changes to FSM and TestFSMRef
 =================================
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/actor/ActorDocSpec.scala b/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/actor/ActorDocSpec.scala
index 0df50cb494..793155b79e 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/actor/ActorDocSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/actor/ActorDocSpec.scala
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ class ActorDocSpec extends AkkaSpec(Map("akka.loglevel" -> "INFO")) {
 
     // ActorSystem is a heavy object: create only one per application
     val system = ActorSystem("mySystem")
-    val myActor = system.actorOf(Props[MyActor].withDispatcher("my-dispatcher"), "myactor2")
+    val myActor = system.actorOf(Props[MyActor], "myactor2")
     //#system-actorOf
     shutdown(system)
   }
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/routing/RouterDocSpec.scala b/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/routing/RouterDocSpec.scala
index 33b34eb49f..350b56fbd4 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/routing/RouterDocSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/routing/RouterDocSpec.scala
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@ object RouterDocSpec {
   }
 }
 
-class RouterDocSpec extends AkkaSpec {
+class RouterDocSpec extends AkkaSpec("""
+router {}
+workers {}
+""") {
 
   import RouterDocSpec._
 
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala
index 01c45e06b3..2873e4720d 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala
@@ -205,10 +205,13 @@ private[akka] class RemoteActorRefProvider(
     system.systemActorOf(Props[RemoteDeploymentWatcher], "remote-deployment-watcher")
 
   def actorOf(system: ActorSystemImpl, props: Props, supervisor: InternalActorRef, path: ActorPath,
-              systemService: Boolean, deploy: Option[Deploy], lookupDeploy: Boolean, async: Boolean): InternalActorRef = {
+              systemService: Boolean, deploy: Option[Deploy], lookupDeploy: Boolean, async: Boolean): InternalActorRef =
     if (systemService) local.actorOf(system, props, supervisor, path, systemService, deploy, lookupDeploy, async)
     else {
 
+      if (!system.dispatchers.hasDispatcher(props.dispatcher))
+        throw new ConfigurationException(s"Dispatcher [${props.dispatcher}] not configured for path $path")
+
       /*
        * This needs to deal with “mangled” paths, which are created by remote
        * deployment, also in this method. The scheme is the following:
@@ -281,7 +284,6 @@ private[akka] class RemoteActorRefProvider(
         case _ ⇒ local.actorOf(system, props, supervisor, path, systemService, deployment.headOption, false, async)
       }
     }
-  }
 
   @deprecated("use actorSelection instead of actorFor", "2.2")
   def actorFor(path: ActorPath): InternalActorRef = {