diff --git a/akka-testkit-typed/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/typed/BehaviorTestkit.scala b/akka-testkit-typed/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/typed/BehaviorTestkit.scala
index 220bc42c9e..146a831ebd 100644
--- a/akka-testkit-typed/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/typed/BehaviorTestkit.scala
+++ b/akka-testkit-typed/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/typed/BehaviorTestkit.scala
@@ -5,23 +5,17 @@ package akka.testkit.typed
 
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue
 
+import akka.actor.typed.internal.ControlledExecutor
+import akka.actor.typed.{ ActorRef, Behavior, PostStop, Props, Signal }
+import akka.annotation.{ ApiMayChange, InternalApi }
+
 import scala.annotation.tailrec
 import scala.collection.immutable
-import scala.concurrent.duration.Duration
-import scala.concurrent.duration.FiniteDuration
+import scala.concurrent.duration.{ Duration, FiniteDuration }
 import scala.language.existentials
 import scala.util.control.Exception.Catcher
 import scala.util.control.NonFatal
 
-import akka.actor.typed.internal.ControlledExecutor
-import akka.actor.typed.ActorRef
-import akka.actor.typed.Behavior
-import akka.actor.typed.PostStop
-import akka.actor.typed.Props
-import akka.actor.typed.Signal
-import akka.annotation.ApiMayChange
-import akka.annotation.InternalApi
-
 /**
  * All tracked effects must extend implement this type. It is deliberately
  * not sealed in order to allow extensions.
@@ -178,8 +172,16 @@ class BehaviorTestkit[T] private (_name: String, _initialBehavior: Behavior[T])
   }
 
   private var current = Behavior.validateAsInitial(Behavior.start(_initialBehavior, ctx))
+  private var currentUncanonical = _initialBehavior
 
   def currentBehavior: Behavior[T] = current
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the current behavior as it was returned from processing the previous message.
+   * For example if [[Behavior.unhandled]] is returned it will be kept here, but not in
+   * [[currentBehavior]].
+   */
+  def returnedBehavior: Behavior[T] = currentUncanonical
   def isAlive: Boolean = Behavior.isAlive(current)
 
   private def handleException: Catcher[Unit] = {
@@ -196,7 +198,8 @@ class BehaviorTestkit[T] private (_name: String, _initialBehavior: Behavior[T])
    */
   def run(msg: T): Unit = {
     try {
-      current = Behavior.canonicalize(Behavior.interpretMessage(current, ctx, msg), current, ctx)
+      currentUncanonical = Behavior.interpretMessage(current, ctx, msg)
+      current = Behavior.canonicalize(currentUncanonical, current, ctx)
       ctx.executionContext match {
         case controlled: ControlledExecutor ⇒ controlled.runAll()
         case _                              ⇒
@@ -209,7 +212,8 @@ class BehaviorTestkit[T] private (_name: String, _initialBehavior: Behavior[T])
    */
   def signal(signal: Signal): Unit = {
     try {
-      current = Behavior.canonicalize(Behavior.interpretSignal(current, ctx, signal), current, ctx)
+      currentUncanonical = Behavior.interpretSignal(current, ctx, signal)
+      current = Behavior.canonicalize(currentUncanonical, current, ctx)
     } catch handleException
   }
 
diff --git a/akka-testkit-typed/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/typed/BehaviorTestkitSpec.scala b/akka-testkit-typed/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/typed/BehaviorTestkitSpec.scala
index 2cb06a56f2..df7bc03005 100644
--- a/akka-testkit-typed/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/typed/BehaviorTestkitSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-testkit-typed/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/typed/BehaviorTestkitSpec.scala
@@ -130,4 +130,13 @@ class BehaviorTestkitSpec extends WordSpec with Matchers {
       effects shouldBe Seq(SpawnedAdapter)
     }
   }
+
+  "BehaviorTestkit's run" can {
+    "run behaviors with messages without canonicalization" in {
+      val testkit = BehaviorTestkit[Father.Command](Father.init())
+      testkit.run(SpawnAdapterWithName("adapter"))
+      testkit.currentBehavior should not be Behavior.same
+      testkit.returnedBehavior shouldBe Behavior.same
+    }
+  }
 }