diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/ActorTimeoutSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/ActorTimeoutSpec.scala
index 6800033d4c..61f71ad994 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/ActorTimeoutSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/ActorTimeoutSpec.scala
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import akka.pattern.{ ask, AskTimeoutException }
 class ActorTimeoutSpec extends AkkaSpec {
 
   val testTimeout = 200.millis.dilated
+  val leeway = 500.millis.dilated
 
   "An Actor-based Future" must {
 
@@ -20,13 +21,13 @@ class ActorTimeoutSpec extends AkkaSpec {
       implicit val timeout = Timeout(testTimeout)
       val echo = system.actorOf(Props.empty)
       val f = (echo ? "hallo")
-      intercept[AskTimeoutException] { Await.result(f, testTimeout * 2) }
+      intercept[AskTimeoutException] { Await.result(f, testTimeout + leeway) }
     }
 
     "use explicitly supplied timeout" in {
       val echo = system.actorOf(Props.empty)
       val f = echo.?("hallo")(testTimeout)
-      intercept[AskTimeoutException] { Await.result(f, testTimeout * 2) }
+      intercept[AskTimeoutException] { Await.result(f, testTimeout + leeway) }
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/SchedulerSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/SchedulerSpec.scala
index d205d1a1ad..ed13fb346e 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/SchedulerSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/SchedulerSpec.scala
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class SchedulerSpec extends AkkaSpec with BeforeAndAfterEach with DefaultTimeout
       collectCancellable(system.scheduler.schedule(0 milliseconds, 50 milliseconds, tickActor, Tick))
 
       // after max 1 second it should be executed at least the 3 times already
-      assert(countDownLatch.await(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS))
+      assert(countDownLatch.await(2, TimeUnit.SECONDS))
 
       val countDownLatch2 = new CountDownLatch(3)
 
@@ -44,13 +44,20 @@ class SchedulerSpec extends AkkaSpec with BeforeAndAfterEach with DefaultTimeout
     }
 
     "should stop continuous scheduling if the receiving actor has been terminated" in {
+      val actor = system.actorOf(Props(new Actor {
+        def receive = {
+          case x => testActor ! x
+        }
+      }))
+      
       // run immediately and then every 100 milliseconds
-      collectCancellable(system.scheduler.schedule(0 milliseconds, 100 milliseconds, testActor, "msg"))
+      collectCancellable(system.scheduler.schedule(0 milliseconds, 100 milliseconds, actor, "msg"))
 
       // stop the actor and, hence, the continuous messaging from happening
-      testActor ! PoisonPill
+      actor ! PoisonPill
 
-      expectNoMsg(500 milliseconds)
+      expectMsg("msg")
+      expectNoMsg(1 second)
     }
 
     "schedule once" in {
@@ -69,7 +76,7 @@ class SchedulerSpec extends AkkaSpec with BeforeAndAfterEach with DefaultTimeout
       countDownLatch.getCount must be(3)
 
       // after 1 second the wait should fail
-      assert(countDownLatch.await(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS) == false)
+      assert(countDownLatch.await(2, TimeUnit.SECONDS) == false)
       // should still be 1 left
       countDownLatch.getCount must be(1)
     }
@@ -93,7 +100,7 @@ class SchedulerSpec extends AkkaSpec with BeforeAndAfterEach with DefaultTimeout
       assert(ticks.await(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS) == false) //No counting down should've been made
     }
 
-    "be cancellable during initial delay" in {
+    "be cancellable during initial delay" taggedAs TimingTest in {
       val ticks = new AtomicInteger
 
       val initialDelay = 200.milliseconds.dilated
@@ -108,7 +115,7 @@ class SchedulerSpec extends AkkaSpec with BeforeAndAfterEach with DefaultTimeout
       ticks.get must be(0)
     }
 
-    "be cancellable after initial delay" in {
+    "be cancellable after initial delay" taggedAs TimingTest in {
       val ticks = new AtomicInteger
 
       val initialDelay = 20.milliseconds.dilated
@@ -179,7 +186,7 @@ class SchedulerSpec extends AkkaSpec with BeforeAndAfterEach with DefaultTimeout
       Await.ready(ticks, 3 seconds)
     }
 
-    "schedule with different initial delay and frequency" in {
+    "schedule with different initial delay and frequency" taggedAs TimingTest in {
       val ticks = new TestLatch(3)
 
       case object Msg