diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRef.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRef.scala
index 9358d8ea40..b15fdecf24 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRef.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRef.scala
@@ -32,19 +32,20 @@ private[akka] object ActorRefInternals {
 }
 
 /**
- * Abstraction for unification of sender and senderFuture for later reply
+ * Abstraction for unification of sender and senderFuture for later reply.
+ * Can be stored away and used at a later point in time.
  */
 abstract class Channel[T] {
 
   /**
-   * Sends the specified message to the channel
-   * Scala API
+   * Scala API. <p/>
+   * Sends the specified message to the channel.
    */
   def !(msg: T): Unit
 
   /**
-   * Sends the specified message to the channel
-   * Java API
+   * Java API. <p/>
+   * Sends the specified message to the channel.
    */
   def sendOneWay(msg: T): Unit = this.!(msg)
 }
@@ -125,7 +126,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   var receiveTimeout: Option[Long] = None
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * Defines the default timeout for an initial receive invocation.
    * When specified, the receive function should be able to handle a 'ReceiveTimeout' message.
    */
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   def getReceiveTimeout(): Option[Long] = receiveTimeout
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    *  A faultHandler defines what should be done when a linked actor signals an error.
    * <p/>
    * Can be one of:
@@ -150,7 +151,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
 
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    *  A lifeCycle defines whether the actor will be stopped on error (Temporary) or if it can be restarted (Permanent)
    * <p/>
    * Can be one of:
@@ -168,7 +169,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   def getLifeCycle(): LifeCycle
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * The default dispatcher is the <tt>Dispatchers.globalExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher</tt>.
    * This means that all actors will share the same event-driven executor based dispatcher.
    * <p/>
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   def homeAddress: Option[InetSocketAddress]
 
   /**
-   * Java API
+   * Java API. <p/>
    */
   def getHomeAddress(): InetSocketAddress = homeAddress getOrElse null
 
@@ -216,14 +217,14 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   def uuid = _uuid
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * The reference sender Actor of the last received message.
    * Is defined if the message was sent from another Actor, else None.
    */
   def getSender(): Option[ActorRef] = sender
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * The reference sender future of the last received message.
    * Is defined if the message was sent with sent with '!!' or '!!!', else None.
    */
@@ -263,7 +264,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   protected[akka] def uuid_=(uid: Uuid) = _uuid = uid
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * Sends a one-way asynchronous message. E.g. fire-and-forget semantics.
    * <p/>
    * <pre>
@@ -274,7 +275,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   def sendOneWay(message: AnyRef): Unit = sendOneWay(message, null)
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * Sends a one-way asynchronous message. E.g. fire-and-forget semantics.
    * <p/>
    * Allows you to pass along the sender of the messag.
@@ -287,21 +288,21 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   def sendOneWay(message: AnyRef, sender: ActorRef): Unit = this.!(message)(Option(sender))
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * @see sendRequestReply(message: AnyRef, timeout: Long, sender: ActorRef)
    * Uses the defualt timeout of the Actor (setTimeout()) and omits the sender reference
    */
   def sendRequestReply(message: AnyRef): AnyRef = sendRequestReply(message, timeout, null)
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * @see sendRequestReply(message: AnyRef, timeout: Long, sender: ActorRef)
    * Uses the defualt timeout of the Actor (setTimeout())
    */
   def sendRequestReply(message: AnyRef, sender: ActorRef): AnyRef = sendRequestReply(message, timeout, sender)
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * Sends a message asynchronously and waits on a future for a reply message under the hood.
    * <p/>
    * It waits on the reply either until it receives it or until the timeout expires
@@ -325,21 +326,21 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   }
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * @see sendRequestReplyFuture(message: AnyRef, sender: ActorRef): Future[_]
    * Uses the Actors default timeout (setTimeout()) and omits the sender
    */
-  def sendRequestReplyFuture[T](message: AnyRef): Future[T] = sendRequestReplyFuture(message, timeout, null).asInstanceOf[Future[T]]
+  def sendRequestReplyFuture[T <: AnyRef](message: AnyRef): Future[T] = sendRequestReplyFuture(message, timeout, null).asInstanceOf[Future[T]]
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * @see sendRequestReplyFuture(message: AnyRef, sender: ActorRef): Future[_]
    * Uses the Actors default timeout (setTimeout())
    */
-  def sendRequestReplyFuture(message: AnyRef, sender: ActorRef): Future[_] = sendRequestReplyFuture(message, timeout, sender)
+  def sendRequestReplyFuture[T <: AnyRef](message: AnyRef, sender: ActorRef): Future[T] = sendRequestReplyFuture(message, timeout, sender).asInstanceOf[Future[T]]
 
   /**
-   *  Akka Java API
+   *  Akka Java API. <p/>
    * Sends a message asynchronously returns a future holding the eventual reply message.
    * <p/>
    * <b>NOTE:</b>
@@ -349,10 +350,10 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
    * If you are sending messages using <code>sendRequestReplyFuture</code> then you <b>have to</b> use <code>getContext().reply(..)</code>
    * to send a reply message to the original sender. If not then the sender will block until the timeout expires.
    */
-  def sendRequestReplyFuture(message: AnyRef, timeout: Long, sender: ActorRef): Future[_] = !!!(message, timeout)(Option(sender))
+  def sendRequestReplyFuture[T <: AnyRef](message: AnyRef, timeout: Long, sender: ActorRef): Future[T] = !!!(message, timeout)(Option(sender)).asInstanceOf[Future[T]]
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * Forwards the message specified to this actor and preserves the original sender of the message
    */
   def forward(message: AnyRef, sender: ActorRef): Unit =
@@ -360,7 +361,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
     else forward(message)(Some(sender))
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * Use <code>getContext().replyUnsafe(..)</code> to reply with a message to the original sender of the message currently
    * being processed.
    * <p/>
@@ -369,7 +370,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   def replyUnsafe(message: AnyRef) = reply(message)
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * Use <code>getContext().replySafe(..)</code> to reply with a message to the original sender of the message currently
    * being processed.
    * <p/>
@@ -383,7 +384,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   def actorClass: Class[_ <: Actor]
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * Returns the class for the Actor instance that is managed by the ActorRef.
    */
   def getActorClass(): Class[_ <: Actor] = actorClass
@@ -394,7 +395,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   def actorClassName: String
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * Returns the class name for the Actor instance that is managed by the ActorRef.
    */
   def getActorClassName(): String = actorClassName
@@ -479,7 +480,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   def mailboxSize = dispatcher.mailboxSize(this)
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * Returns the mailbox size.
    */
   def getMailboxSize(): Int = mailboxSize
@@ -490,7 +491,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   def supervisor: Option[ActorRef]
 
   /**
-   * Akka Java API
+   * Akka Java API. <p/>
    * Returns the supervisor, if there is one.
    */
   def getSupervisor(): ActorRef = supervisor getOrElse null
@@ -502,7 +503,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   def linkedActors: JMap[Uuid, ActorRef]
 
   /**
-   * Java API
+   * Java API. <p/>
    * Returns an unmodifiable Java Map containing the linked actors,
    * please note that the backing map is thread-safe but not immutable
    */
@@ -527,7 +528,7 @@ trait ActorRef extends ActorRefShared with java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] { scal
   }
 
   /**
-   * Java API.
+   * Java API. <p/>
    * Abstraction for unification of sender and senderFuture for later reply
    */
   def getChannel: Channel[Any] = channel
diff --git a/akka-tutorials/akka-tutorial-second/src/main/java/akka/tutorial/java/second/Pi.java b/akka-tutorials/akka-tutorial-second/src/main/java/akka/tutorial/java/second/Pi.java
index d3192bced5..20eda5613f 100644
--- a/akka-tutorials/akka-tutorial-second/src/main/java/akka/tutorial/java/second/Pi.java
+++ b/akka-tutorials/akka-tutorial-second/src/main/java/akka/tutorial/java/second/Pi.java
@@ -149,32 +149,32 @@ public class Pi {
         }
       }).start();
     }
-    
+
     @Override
     public void preStart() {
       become(scatter);
     }
-    
+
     // message handler
     public void onReceive(Object message) {
       throw new IllegalStateException("Should be gatter or scatter");
     }
-    
+
     private final Procedure<Object> scatter = new Procedure<Object>() {
       public void apply(Object msg) {
         // schedule work
         for (int arg = 0; arg < nrOfMessages; arg++) {
           router.sendOneWay(new Work(arg, nrOfElements), getContext());
         }
-        
+
         // TODO would like to use channel instead, wrong docs, channel() not there
         // getContext().channel()
         CompletableFuture<Object> resultFuture = getContext().getSenderFuture().get();
         // Assume the gathering behavior
         become(gatter(resultFuture));
       }
-    }; 
-    
+    };
+
     private Procedure<Object> gatter(final CompletableFuture<Object> resultFuture) {
       return new Procedure<Object>() {
         public void apply(Object msg) {
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ public class Pi {
             getContext().stop();
           }
         }
-      }; 
+      };
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -213,13 +213,13 @@ public class Pi {
         return new Master(nrOfWorkers, nrOfMessages, nrOfElements);
       }
     }).start();
-    
+
     // start the calculation
     long start = currentTimeMillis();
 
     // send calculate message
     long timeout = 60000;
-    Future<Double> replyFuture = (Future<Double>) master.sendRequestReplyFuture(new Calculate(), timeout, null);
+    Future<Double> replyFuture = master.sendRequestReplyFuture(new Calculate(), timeout, null);
     Option<Double> result = replyFuture.await().resultOrException();
     if (result.isDefined()) {
       double pi = result.get();
@@ -231,6 +231,6 @@ public class Pi {
 //      EventHandler.error(this, "Pi calculation did not complete within the timeout.");
       System.out.println("Pi calculation did not complete within the timeout.");
     }
-    
+
   }
 }