diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/IOActor.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/IOActor.scala
index 3d742e0afb..6087caa905 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/IOActor.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/IOActor.scala
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ object IOActorSpec {
       def receiveIO = {
         case NewClient(server) ⇒
           val socket = server.accept()
-          loopC { socket write socket.read() }
+          loopC {
+            val bytes = socket.read()
+            socket write bytes
+          }
       }
     })
 
@@ -38,16 +41,21 @@ object IOActorSpec {
 
   class SimpleEchoClient(host: String, port: Int, ioManager: ActorRef) extends Actor with IO {
 
-    var socket: SocketHandle = _
-
-    override def preStart: Unit = {
-      socket = connect(ioManager, host, port)
-    }
+    lazy val socket: SocketHandle = connect(ioManager, host, port)(Some(reader))
+    lazy val reader: ActorRef = Actor.actorOf {
+      new Actor with IO {
+        def receiveIO = {
+          case length: Int ⇒
+            val bytes = socket.read(length)
+            self reply bytes
+        }
+      }
+    }.start
 
     def receiveIO = {
       case bytes: ByteString ⇒
         socket write bytes
-        self reply socket.read(bytes.length)
+        reader forward bytes.length
     }
   }
 
@@ -177,6 +185,30 @@ class IOActorSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with BeforeAndAfterEach {
       ioManager.stop
     }
 
+    "run echo server under high load" in {
+      val ioManager = Actor.actorOf(new IOManager()).start
+      val server = Actor.actorOf(new SimpleEchoServer("localhost", 8064, ioManager)).start
+      val client = Actor.actorOf(new SimpleEchoClient("localhost", 8064, ioManager)).start
+      val list = List.range(0, 100000)
+      val f: Future[List[ByteString]] = Future.traverse(list)(i ⇒ client !!! ByteString(i.toString))
+      assert(f.get.size === 100000)
+      client.stop
+      server.stop
+      ioManager.stop
+    }
+
+    "run echo server under high load with small buffer" in {
+      val ioManager = Actor.actorOf(new IOManager(2)).start
+      val server = Actor.actorOf(new SimpleEchoServer("localhost", 8064, ioManager)).start
+      val client = Actor.actorOf(new SimpleEchoClient("localhost", 8064, ioManager)).start
+      val list = List.range(0, 100000)
+      val f: Future[List[ByteString]] = Future.traverse(list)(i ⇒ client !!! ByteString(i.toString))
+      assert(f.get.size === 100000)
+      client.stop
+      server.stop
+      ioManager.stop
+    }
+
     "run key-value store" in {
       val ioManager = Actor.actorOf(new IOManager(2)).start // teeny tiny buffer
       val server = Actor.actorOf(new KVStore("localhost", 8064, ioManager)).start