diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/ActorTimeoutSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/ActorTimeoutSpec.scala
index 707fb8f54c..7f6f1bd48c 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/ActorTimeoutSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/ActorTimeoutSpec.scala
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class ActorTimeoutSpec
     }
   }).start()
 
-  val testTimeout = if (Actor.defaultTimeout.duration < 400.millis) 500 millis else 100 millis
+  val testTimeout = if (Actor.Timeout.default.duration < 400.millis) 500 millis else 100 millis
 
   override def afterAll { echo.stop() }
 
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/supervisor/RestartStrategySpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/supervisor/RestartStrategySpec.scala
index 86fc5366c5..2aefa055f1 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/supervisor/RestartStrategySpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/supervisor/RestartStrategySpec.scala
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@ import org.multiverse.api.latches.StandardLatch
 class RestartStrategySpec extends JUnitSuite with BeforeAndAfterAll {
 
   override def beforeAll() {
-    EventHandler.notify(Mute(EventFilter(message = "Crashing...")))
+    EventHandler.notify(Mute(EventFilter[Exception]("Crashing...")))
   }
 
   override def afterAll() {
-    EventHandler.notify(UnMute(EventFilter(message = "Crashing...")))
+    EventHandler.notify(UnMuteAll)
   }
 
   object Ping
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala
index 0a06d36e28..0295e9c51c 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala
@@ -48,11 +48,11 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
   import FutureSpec._
 
   override def beforeAll() {
-    EventHandler.notify(Mute)
+    EventHandler.notify(Mute(EventFilter[RuntimeException]))
   }
 
   override def afterAll() {
-    EventHandler.notify(UnMute)
+    EventHandler.notify(UnMuteAll)
   }
 
   "A Promise" when {
diff --git a/akka-stm/src/test/scala/transactor/CoordinatedIncrementSpec.scala b/akka-stm/src/test/scala/transactor/CoordinatedIncrementSpec.scala
index 1a28a54cf3..abbaa09909 100644
--- a/akka-stm/src/test/scala/transactor/CoordinatedIncrementSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-stm/src/test/scala/transactor/CoordinatedIncrementSpec.scala
@@ -51,15 +51,13 @@ object CoordinatedIncrement {
 class CoordinatedIncrementSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with BeforeAndAfterAll {
   import CoordinatedIncrement._
 
-  val ignoreEvents = List(EventFilter(classOf[RuntimeException], message = "Expected failure"),
-    EventFilter(classOf[org.multiverse.api.exceptions.DeadTransactionException]))
-
   override def beforeAll() {
-    ignoreEvents foreach (f ⇒ EventHandler.notify(Mute(f)))
+    EventHandler notify Mute(EventFilter[RuntimeException]("Expected failure"))
+    EventHandler notify Mute(EventFilter[org.multiverse.api.exceptions.DeadTransactionException]())
   }
 
   override def afterAll() {
-    ignoreEvents foreach (f ⇒ EventHandler.notify(UnMute(f)))
+    EventHandler notify UnMuteAll
   }
 
   val numCounters = 5
diff --git a/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestEventListener.scala b/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestEventListener.scala
index bf6cd76998..555b4df66a 100644
--- a/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestEventListener.scala
+++ b/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestEventListener.scala
@@ -1,45 +1,90 @@
 package akka.testkit
 
 import akka.event.EventHandler
+import akka.event.EventHandler.{ Event, Error }
 import akka.actor.Actor
 
 sealed trait TestEvent
 
 object TestEvent {
-  case class Mute(filter: EventFilter = EventFilter.all) extends TestEvent
-  case class UnMute(filter: EventFilter = EventFilter.all) extends TestEvent
+  case class Mute(filter: EventFilter) extends TestEvent
+  case class UnMute(filter: EventFilter) extends TestEvent
+  case object UnMuteAll extends TestEvent
 }
 
-case class EventFilter(throwable: Class[_] = classOf[Throwable], source: Option[AnyRef] = None, message: String = "") {
-  import EventHandler._
+trait EventFilter {
+  def apply(event: Event): Boolean
+}
 
-  def apply(event: Event): Boolean = event match {
-    case Error(cause, instance, message) ⇒
-      (throwable isInstance cause) && (source map (_ eq instance) getOrElse true) &&
-        (if (this.message != "") ((Option(message) map (_.toString startsWith this.message) getOrElse false) || (Option(cause.getMessage) map (_ startsWith this.message) getOrElse false)) else true)
+object EventFilter {
+
+  def apply[A <: Throwable: Manifest](): EventFilter =
+    ErrorFilter(manifest[A].erasure)
+
+  def apply[A <: Throwable: Manifest](message: String): EventFilter =
+    ErrorMessageFilter(manifest[A].erasure, message)
+
+  def apply[A <: Throwable: Manifest](source: AnyRef): EventFilter =
+    ErrorSourceFilter(manifest[A].erasure, source)
+
+  def apply[A <: Throwable: Manifest](source: AnyRef, message: String): EventFilter =
+    ErrorSourceMessageFilter(manifest[A].erasure, source, message)
+
+  def apply(test: (Event) ⇒ Boolean): EventFilter =
+    CustomEventFilter(test)
+}
+
+case class ErrorFilter(throwable: Class[_]) extends EventFilter {
+  def apply(event: Event) = event match {
+    case Error(cause, _, _) ⇒ throwable isInstance cause
+    case _                  ⇒ false
+  }
+}
+
+case class ErrorMessageFilter(throwable: Class[_], message: String) extends EventFilter {
+  def apply(event: Event) = event match {
+    case Error(cause, _, _) if !(throwable isInstance cause) ⇒ false
+    case Error(cause, _, null) if cause.getMessage eq null ⇒ cause.getStackTrace.length == 0
+    case Error(cause, _, null) ⇒ cause.getMessage startsWith message
+    case Error(_, _, msg) ⇒ msg.toString startsWith message
     case _ ⇒ false
   }
 }
 
-object EventFilter {
-  val all = EventFilter()
+case class ErrorSourceFilter(throwable: Class[_], source: AnyRef) extends EventFilter {
+  def apply(event: Event) = event match {
+    case Error(cause, instance, _) ⇒ (throwable isInstance cause) && (source eq instance)
+    case _                         ⇒ false
+  }
+}
+
+case class ErrorSourceMessageFilter(throwable: Class[_], source: AnyRef, message: String) extends EventFilter {
+  def apply(event: Event) = event match {
+    case Error(cause, instance, _) if !((throwable isInstance cause) && (source eq instance)) ⇒ false
+    case Error(cause, _, null) if cause.getMessage eq null ⇒ cause.getStackTrace.length == 0
+    case Error(cause, _, null) ⇒ cause.getMessage startsWith message
+    case Error(_, _, msg) ⇒ msg.toString startsWith message
+    case _ ⇒ false
+  }
+}
+
+case class CustomEventFilter(test: (Event) ⇒ Boolean) extends EventFilter {
+  def apply(event: Event) = test(event)
 }
 
 class TestEventListener extends EventHandler.DefaultListener {
-  import EventHandler._
   import TestEvent._
 
   var filters: List[EventFilter] = Nil
 
   override def receive: Receive = ({
     case Mute(filter)                  ⇒ addFilter(filter)
-    case Mute                          ⇒ addFilter(EventFilter.all)
     case UnMute(filter)                ⇒ removeFilter(filter)
-    case UnMute                        ⇒ removeFilter(EventFilter.all)
-    case event: Error if filter(event) ⇒ // Just test Error events
+    case UnMuteAll                     ⇒ filters = Nil
+    case event: Event if filter(event) ⇒
   }: Receive) orElse super.receive
 
-  def filter(event: Event): Boolean = filters exists (_(event))
+  def filter(event: Event): Boolean = try { filters exists (_(event)) } catch { case e: Exception ⇒ false }
 
   def addFilter(filter: EventFilter): Unit = filters ::= filter