diff --git a/akka-docs/additional/code/osgi/Activator.scala b/akka-docs/additional/code/osgi/Activator.scala
index 06a538d242..34e83fcf77 100644
--- a/akka-docs/additional/code/osgi/Activator.scala
+++ b/akka-docs/additional/code/osgi/Activator.scala
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ import org.apache.servicemix.examples.akka.Master
 //#Activator
 class Activator extends ActorSystemActivator("PiSystem") {
 
-  def configure(system: ActorSystem) {
+  def configure(context: BundleContext, system: ActorSystem) {
+    // optionally register the ActorSystem in the OSGi Service Registry
+    registerService(context, system)
+
     val listener = system.actorOf(Props[Listener], name = "listener")
     val master = system.actorOf(Props(new Master(4, 10000, 10000, listener)), name = "master")
     master ! Calculate
diff --git a/akka-osgi/src/main/scala/akka/osgi/ActorSystemActivator.scala b/akka-osgi/src/main/scala/akka/osgi/ActorSystemActivator.scala
index 7f60aebccc..546ff8c2c4 100644
--- a/akka-osgi/src/main/scala/akka/osgi/ActorSystemActivator.scala
+++ b/akka-osgi/src/main/scala/akka/osgi/ActorSystemActivator.scala
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ package akka.osgi
 
 import com.typesafe.config.{ Config, ConfigFactory }
 import akka.actor.ActorSystem
-import org.osgi.framework.{ BundleContext, BundleActivator }
-import java.util.Properties
+import java.util.{ Dictionary, Properties }
+import org.osgi.framework.{ ServiceRegistration, BundleContext, BundleActivator }
 
 /**
  * Abstract {@link BundleActivator} implementation to bootstrap and configure an {@link ActorSystem} in an
@@ -14,14 +14,16 @@ abstract class ActorSystemActivator(nameFor: (BundleContext) ⇒ Option[String])
   def this() = this({ context: BundleContext ⇒ None })
   def this(name: String) = this({ context: BundleContext ⇒ Some(name) })
 
-  var system: ActorSystem = null
+  var system: Option[ActorSystem] = None
+  var registration: Option[ServiceRegistration] = None
 
   /**
    * Implement this method to add your own actors to the ActorSystem
    *
+   * @param context the bundle context
    * @param system the ActorSystem that was created by the activator
    */
-  def configure(system: ActorSystem)
+  def configure(context: BundleContext, system: ActorSystem)
 
   /**
    * Sets up a new ActorSystem and registers it in the OSGi Service Registry
@@ -29,20 +31,31 @@ abstract class ActorSystemActivator(nameFor: (BundleContext) ⇒ Option[String])
    * @param context the BundleContext
    */
   def start(context: BundleContext) {
-    system = OsgiActorSystemFactory(context).createActorSystem(nameFor(context))
-    configure(system)
+    system = Some(OsgiActorSystemFactory(context).createActorSystem(nameFor(context)))
+    system.foreach(configure(context, _))
   }
 
   /**
-   * Shuts down the ActorSystem when the bundle is stopped.
+   * Shuts down the ActorSystem when the bundle is stopped and, if necessary, unregisters a service registration
    *
    * @param context the BundleContext
    */
   def stop(context: BundleContext) {
-    if (system != null) {
-      system.shutdown()
-      system = null
-    }
+    registration.foreach(_.unregister())
+    system.foreach(_.shutdown())
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Register the actor system in the OSGi service registry
+   *
+   * @param context the bundle context
+   * @param system the actor system
+   */
+  def registerService(context: BundleContext, system: ActorSystem) {
+    val properties = new Properties()
+    properties.put("name", system.name)
+    registration = Some(context.registerService(classOf[ActorSystem].getName, system,
+      properties.asInstanceOf[Dictionary[String, Any]]))
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/akka-osgi/src/main/scala/akka/osgi/OsgiActorSystemFactory.scala b/akka-osgi/src/main/scala/akka/osgi/OsgiActorSystemFactory.scala
index cddf797d07..2c5a6eca14 100644
--- a/akka-osgi/src/main/scala/akka/osgi/OsgiActorSystemFactory.scala
+++ b/akka-osgi/src/main/scala/akka/osgi/OsgiActorSystemFactory.scala
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 package akka.osgi
 
 import impl.BundleDelegatingClassLoader
-import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext
 import akka.actor.ActorSystem
 import com.typesafe.config.{ ConfigFactory, Config }
-import java.util.{ Dictionary, Properties }
+import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext
 
 /**
  * Factory class to create ActorSystem implementations in an OSGi environment.  This mainly involves dealing with
@@ -22,17 +21,8 @@ class OsgiActorSystemFactory(val context: BundleContext) {
    */
   def createActorSystem(name: String): ActorSystem = createActorSystem(Option(name))
 
-  def createActorSystem(name: Option[String]): ActorSystem = {
-    val system = ActorSystem(actorSystemName(name), actorSystemConfig(context), classloader)
-    registerService(system)
-    system
-  }
-
-  def registerService(system: ActorSystem) {
-    val properties = new Properties()
-    properties.put("name", system.name)
-    context.registerService(classOf[ActorSystem].getName, system, properties.asInstanceOf[Dictionary[String, Any]])
-  }
+  def createActorSystem(name: Option[String]): ActorSystem =
+    ActorSystem(actorSystemName(name), actorSystemConfig(context), classloader)
 
   /**
    * Strategy method to create the Config for the ActorSystem, ensuring that the default/reference configuration is
diff --git a/akka-osgi/src/test/resources/akka/osgi/blueprint/aries/config.xml b/akka-osgi/src/test/resources/akka/osgi/blueprint/aries/config.xml
index 6bd3d49c9d..ce9f48c551 100644
--- a/akka-osgi/src/test/resources/akka/osgi/blueprint/aries/config.xml
+++ b/akka-osgi/src/test/resources/akka/osgi/blueprint/aries/config.xml
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 <blueprint xmlns="http://www.osgi.org/xmlns/blueprint/v1.0.0"
            xmlns:akka="http://akka.io/xmlns/blueprint/v1.0.0">
 
-    <akka:actor-system name="config">
+    <service ref="system" interface="akka.actor.ActorSystem" />
+
+    <akka:actor-system id="system" name="config">
         <akka:config>
             some.config {
                 key=value
diff --git a/akka-osgi/src/test/resources/akka/osgi/blueprint/aries/simple.xml b/akka-osgi/src/test/resources/akka/osgi/blueprint/aries/simple.xml
index a46834f74b..2ac6552f80 100644
--- a/akka-osgi/src/test/resources/akka/osgi/blueprint/aries/simple.xml
+++ b/akka-osgi/src/test/resources/akka/osgi/blueprint/aries/simple.xml
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 <blueprint xmlns="http://www.osgi.org/xmlns/blueprint/v1.0.0"
            xmlns:akka="http://akka.io/xmlns/blueprint/v1.0.0">
 
-    <akka:actor-system name="simple" />
+    <service ref="system" interface="akka.actor.ActorSystem" />
+
+    <akka:actor-system id="system" name="simple" />
 
 </blueprint>
diff --git a/akka-osgi/src/test/scala/akka/osgi/test/TestActorSystemActivator.scala b/akka-osgi/src/test/scala/akka/osgi/test/TestActorSystemActivator.scala
index 2a44e91e4a..90305bc663 100644
--- a/akka-osgi/src/test/scala/akka/osgi/test/TestActorSystemActivator.scala
+++ b/akka-osgi/src/test/scala/akka/osgi/test/TestActorSystemActivator.scala
@@ -3,14 +3,16 @@ package akka.osgi.test
 import akka.osgi.ActorSystemActivator
 import akka.actor.{ Props, ActorSystem }
 import PingPong._
+import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext
 
 /**
  * Sample ActorSystemActivator implementation used for testing purposes
  */
 class TestActorSystemActivator extends ActorSystemActivator {
 
-  def configure(system: ActorSystem) {
+  def configure(context: BundleContext, system: ActorSystem) {
     system.actorOf(Props(new PongActor), name = "pong")
+    registerService(context, system)
   }
 
 }