diff --git a/akka-actor-typed-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/ActorRefSerializationSpec.scala b/akka-actor-typed-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/ActorRefSerializationSpec.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d1e2e40437
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-actor-typed-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/ActorRefSerializationSpec.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/**
+  * Copyright (C) 2009-2018 Lightbend Inc. <https://www.lightbend.com>
+  */
+package akka.actor.typed.internal
+
+import akka.actor.typed.scaladsl.Behaviors
+import akka.actor.typed.scaladsl.adapter._
+import akka.actor.typed.{ ActorRef, TypedAkkaSpecWithShutdown }
+import akka.serialization.{ JavaSerializer, SerializationExtension }
+import akka.testkit.typed.TestKit
+import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
+
+object ActorRefSerializationSpec {
+  def config = ConfigFactory.parseString(
+    """
+      akka.actor {
+        serialize-messages = off
+        allow-java-serialization = true
+      }
+      akka.remote.netty.tcp.port = 0
+      akka.remote.artery.canonical.port = 0
+    """)
+
+  case class MessageWrappingActorRef(s: String, ref: ActorRef[Unit]) extends java.io.Serializable
+}
+
+class ActorRefSerializationSpec extends TestKit(ActorRefSerializationSpec.config) with TypedAkkaSpecWithShutdown {
+
+  val serialization = SerializationExtension(system.toUntyped)
+
+  "ActorRef[T]" must {
+    "be serialized and deserialized by MiscMessageSerializer" in {
+      val obj = spawn(Behaviors.empty[Unit])
+      serialization.findSerializerFor(obj) match {
+        case serializer: MiscMessageSerializer ⇒
+          val blob = serializer.toBinary(obj)
+          val ref = serializer.fromBinary(blob, serializer.manifest(obj))
+          ref should ===(obj)
+        case s ⇒
+          throw new IllegalStateException(s"Wrong serializer ${s.getClass} for ${obj.getClass}")
+      }
+    }
+
+    "be serialized and deserialized by JavaSerializer inside another java.io.Serializable message" in {
+      val ref = spawn(Behaviors.empty[Unit])
+      val obj = ActorRefSerializationSpec.MessageWrappingActorRef("some message", ref)
+
+      serialization.findSerializerFor(obj) match {
+        case serializer: JavaSerializer ⇒
+          val blob = serializer.toBinary(obj)
+          val restored = serializer.fromBinary(blob, None)
+          restored should ===(obj)
+        case s ⇒
+          throw new IllegalStateException(s"Wrong serializer ${s.getClass} for ${obj.getClass}")
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/akka-actor-typed-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/MiscMessageSerializerSpec.scala b/akka-actor-typed-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/MiscMessageSerializerSpec.scala
deleted file mode 100644
index 2ed49570ba..0000000000
--- a/akka-actor-typed-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/MiscMessageSerializerSpec.scala
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,46 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Copyright (C) 2009-2018 Lightbend Inc. <https://www.lightbend.com>
- */
-package akka.actor.typed.internal
-
-import akka.actor.typed.TypedAkkaSpecWithShutdown
-import akka.actor.typed.scaladsl.Behaviors
-import akka.actor.typed.scaladsl.adapter._
-import akka.serialization.SerializationExtension
-import akka.testkit.typed.TestKit
-import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
-
-object MiscMessageSerializerSpec {
-  def config = ConfigFactory.parseString(
-    """
-      akka.actor {
-        serialize-messages = off
-        allow-java-serialization = true
-      }
-      akka.remote.netty.tcp.port = 0
-      akka.remote.artery.canonical.port = 0
-    """)
-}
-
-class MiscMessageSerializerSpec extends TestKit(MiscMessageSerializerSpec.config) with TypedAkkaSpecWithShutdown {
-
-  val serialization = SerializationExtension(system.toUntyped)
-
-  "MiscMessageSerializer" must {
-    def checkSerialization(obj: AnyRef): Unit = {
-      serialization.findSerializerFor(obj) match {
-        case serializer: MiscMessageSerializer ⇒
-          val blob = serializer.toBinary(obj)
-          val ref = serializer.fromBinary(blob, serializer.manifest(obj))
-          ref should ===(obj)
-        case s ⇒
-          throw new IllegalStateException(s"Wrong serializer ${s.getClass} for ${obj.getClass}")
-      }
-    }
-
-    "must serialize and deserialize typed actor refs" in {
-      val ref = spawn(Behaviors.empty[Unit])
-      checkSerialization(ref)
-    }
-  }
-}
diff --git a/akka-actor-typed/src/main/scala/akka/actor/typed/ActorRef.scala b/akka-actor-typed/src/main/scala/akka/actor/typed/ActorRef.scala
index 824aac2fb8..95b302b449 100644
--- a/akka-actor-typed/src/main/scala/akka/actor/typed/ActorRef.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-typed/src/main/scala/akka/actor/typed/ActorRef.scala
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import scala.util.Success
  * [[EventStream]] on a best effort basis
  * (i.e. this delivery is not reliable).
  */
-trait ActorRef[-T] extends java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef[_]] {
+trait ActorRef[-T] extends java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef[_]] with java.io.Serializable {
   /**
    * Send a message to the Actor referenced by this ActorRef using *at-most-once*
    * messaging semantics.
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ trait ActorRef[-T] extends java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef[_]] {
    */
   def path: a.ActorPath
 
+  @throws(classOf[java.io.ObjectStreamException])
+  private def writeReplace(): AnyRef = SerializedActorRef[T](this)
 }
 
 object ActorRef {
@@ -72,3 +74,43 @@ object ActorRef {
       case _                  ⇒ throw new IllegalStateException("Only expecting completed futures until the native actor system is implemented")
     }
 }
+
+/**
+ * INTERNAL API
+ */
+private[akka] object SerializedActorRef {
+  def apply[T](actorRef: ActorRef[T]): SerializedActorRef[T] = {
+    new SerializedActorRef(actorRef)
+  }
+
+  def toAddress[T](actorRef: ActorRef[T]) = {
+    import akka.serialization.JavaSerializer.currentSystem
+    import akka.actor.typed.scaladsl.adapter._
+    val resolver = ActorRefResolver(currentSystem.value.toTyped)
+    resolver.toSerializationFormat(actorRef)
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Memento pattern for serializing ActorRefs transparently
+ * INTERNAL API
+ */
+@SerialVersionUID(1L)
+private[akka] final case class SerializedActorRef[T] private (address: String) {
+  import akka.serialization.JavaSerializer.currentSystem
+  import akka.actor.typed.scaladsl.adapter._
+
+  def this(actorRef: ActorRef[T]) =
+    this(SerializedActorRef.toAddress(actorRef))
+
+  @throws(classOf[java.io.ObjectStreamException])
+  def readResolve(): AnyRef = currentSystem.value match {
+    case null ⇒
+      throw new IllegalStateException(
+        "Trying to deserialize a serialized typed ActorRef without an ActorSystem in scope." +
+          " Use 'akka.serialization.Serialization.currentSystem.withValue(system) { ... }'")
+    case someSystem ⇒
+      val resolver = ActorRefResolver(someSystem.toTyped)
+      resolver.resolveActorRef(address)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/akka-actor-typed/src/main/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/adapter/ActorRefAdapter.scala b/akka-actor-typed/src/main/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/adapter/ActorRefAdapter.scala
index 7a7cf1b0c0..0030ab3ba3 100644
--- a/akka-actor-typed/src/main/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/adapter/ActorRefAdapter.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-typed/src/main/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/adapter/ActorRefAdapter.scala
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ import akka.dispatch.sysmsg
   override def isLocal: Boolean = untyped.isLocal
   override def sendSystem(signal: internal.SystemMessage): Unit =
     ActorRefAdapter.sendSystemMessage(untyped, signal)
+
+  @throws(classOf[java.io.ObjectStreamException])
+  private def writeReplace(): AnyRef = SerializedActorRef[T](this)
 }
 
 private[akka] object ActorRefAdapter {