diff --git a/akka-http-tests/src/main/java/akka/http/javadsl/server/examples/simple/SimpleServerApp.java b/akka-http-tests/src/main/java/akka/http/javadsl/server/examples/simple/SimpleServerApp.java
index 5c5f5ebc99..983382b727 100644
--- a/akka-http-tests/src/main/java/akka/http/javadsl/server/examples/simple/SimpleServerApp.java
+++ b/akka-http-tests/src/main/java/akka/http/javadsl/server/examples/simple/SimpleServerApp.java
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ public class SimpleServerApp extends HttpApp {
     static PathMatcher<Integer> xSegment = PathMatchers.integerNumber();
     static PathMatcher<Integer> ySegment = PathMatchers.integerNumber();
 
+    static RequestVal<String> bodyAsName = RequestVals.entityAs(Unmarshallers.String());
+
     public static RouteResult multiply(RequestContext ctx, int x, int y) {
         int result = x * y;
         return ctx.complete(String.format("%d * %d = %d", x, y, result));
@@ -52,6 +54,13 @@ public class SimpleServerApp extends HttpApp {
                 return ctx.complete(String.format("%d - %d = %d", xVal, yVal, result));
             }
         };
+        Handler1<String> helloPostHandler =
+            new Handler1<String>() {
+                @Override
+                public RouteResult handle(RequestContext ctx, String s) {
+                    return ctx.complete("Hello " + s + "!");
+                }
+            };
         return
             route(
                 // matches the empty path
@@ -73,6 +82,11 @@ public class SimpleServerApp extends HttpApp {
                 path("multiplyAsync", xSegment, ySegment).route(
                     // bind async handler by reflection
                     handleWith(SimpleServerApp.class, "multiplyAsync", xSegment, ySegment)
+                ),
+                post(
+                    path("hello").route(
+                        handleWith(bodyAsName, helloPostHandler)
+                    )
                 )
             );
     }
diff --git a/akka-http-tests/src/test/java/akka/http/javadsl/server/examples/simple/SimpleServerTest.java b/akka-http-tests/src/test/java/akka/http/javadsl/server/examples/simple/SimpleServerTest.java
index 5c65cbb947..b5b51c10dd 100644
--- a/akka-http-tests/src/test/java/akka/http/javadsl/server/examples/simple/SimpleServerTest.java
+++ b/akka-http-tests/src/test/java/akka/http/javadsl/server/examples/simple/SimpleServerTest.java
@@ -28,4 +28,13 @@ public class SimpleServerTest extends JUnitRouteTest {
             .assertStatusCode(200)
             .assertEntity("42 * 23 = 966");
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testPostWithBody() {
+        TestResponse response = route.run(HttpRequest.POST("/hello").withEntity("John"));
+
+        response
+            .assertStatusCode(200)
+            .assertEntity("Hello John!");
+    }
 }
diff --git a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/impl/server/Util.scala b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/impl/server/Util.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9c8ab9615f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/impl/server/Util.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2009-2015 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+
+package akka.http.impl.server
+
+import akka.http.scaladsl.unmarshalling.{ Unmarshaller, FromStringUnmarshaller }
+import akka.http.scaladsl.util.FastFuture
+import akka.japi.function.Function
+
+import scala.concurrent.{ Future, ExecutionContext }
+import scala.util.Try
+
+object Util {
+  def fromStringUnmarshallerFromFunction[T](convert: Function[String, T]): FromStringUnmarshaller[T] =
+    scalaUnmarshallerFromFunction(convert)
+  def scalaUnmarshallerFromFunction[T, U](convert: Function[T, U]): Unmarshaller[T, U] =
+    new Unmarshaller[T, U] {
+      def apply(value: T)(implicit ec: ExecutionContext): Future[U] = FastFuture(Try(convert(value)))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/CustomRequestVal.scala b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/CustomRequestVal.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1ced44426f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/CustomRequestVal.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2009-2015 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+
+package akka.http.javadsl.server
+
+import akka.http.impl.server.{ RequestContextImpl, StandaloneExtractionImpl }
+import akka.http.scaladsl.server.Directive1
+import akka.http.scaladsl.server.directives.BasicDirectives._
+
+import scala.reflect.ClassTag
+
+/**
+ * Extend from this class and implement ``extractValue`` to create a custom request val.
+ */
+abstract class CustomRequestVal[T](clazz: Class[T]) extends StandaloneExtractionImpl[T]()(ClassTag(clazz)) {
+  final def directive: Directive1[T] = extract(ctx ⇒ extractValue(RequestContextImpl(ctx)))
+
+  protected def extractValue(ctx: RequestContext): T
+}
diff --git a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/Unmarshallers.scala b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/Unmarshallers.scala
index eadb955780..54aadf1fdb 100644
--- a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/Unmarshallers.scala
+++ b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/Unmarshallers.scala
@@ -4,13 +4,33 @@
 
 package akka.http.javadsl.server
 
-import akka.http.impl.server.UnmarshallerImpl
-import akka.http.scaladsl.unmarshalling.{ FromMessageUnmarshaller, PredefinedFromEntityUnmarshallers }
+import akka.http.impl.server.{ Util, UnmarshallerImpl }
+import akka.http.javadsl.model.{ HttpEntity, HttpMessage }
+import akka.http.scaladsl.unmarshalling.{ Unmarshaller ⇒ ScalaUnmarshaller, FromMessageUnmarshaller }
+import akka.japi.function.Function
+import akka.stream.Materializer
+import akka.util.ByteString
+
+import scala.reflect.ClassTag
 
 object Unmarshallers {
-  def String: Unmarshaller[String] =
-    new UnmarshallerImpl[String]({ (ec, mat) ⇒
-      implicit val _ = mat
-      implicitly[FromMessageUnmarshaller[String]]
+  def String: Unmarshaller[String] = withMat(implicit mat ⇒ implicitly)
+  def ByteString: Unmarshaller[ByteString] = withMat(implicit mat ⇒ implicitly)
+  def ByteArray: Unmarshaller[Array[Byte]] = withMat(implicit mat ⇒ implicitly)
+  def CharArray: Unmarshaller[Array[Char]] = withMat(implicit mat ⇒ implicitly)
+
+  def fromMessage[T](convert: Function[HttpMessage, T], clazz: Class[T]): Unmarshaller[T] =
+    new UnmarshallerImpl[T]({ (ec, mat) ⇒
+      Util.scalaUnmarshallerFromFunction(convert)
+    })(ClassTag(clazz))
+
+  def fromEntity[T](convert: Function[HttpEntity, T], clazz: Class[T]): Unmarshaller[T] =
+    new UnmarshallerImpl[T]({ (ec, mat) ⇒
+      ScalaUnmarshaller.messageUnmarshallerFromEntityUnmarshaller(Util.scalaUnmarshallerFromFunction[HttpEntity, T](convert))
+    })(ClassTag(clazz))
+
+  private def withMat[T: ClassTag](f: Materializer ⇒ FromMessageUnmarshaller[T]): Unmarshaller[T] =
+    new UnmarshallerImpl[T]({ (ec, mat) ⇒
+      f(mat)
     })
 }
diff --git a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/values/FormField.scala b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/values/FormField.scala
index 15ca4a9b2f..ffdbda4a6e 100644
--- a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/values/FormField.scala
+++ b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/values/FormField.scala
@@ -6,11 +6,14 @@ package akka.http.javadsl.server
 package values
 
 import java.{ lang ⇒ jl }
+import akka.japi.function.Function
 import akka.japi.{ Option ⇒ JOption }
 
-import akka.http.impl.server.FormFieldImpl
+import akka.http.impl.server.{ Util, FormFieldImpl }
 import akka.http.scaladsl.unmarshalling._
 
+import scala.reflect.ClassTag
+
 trait FormField[T] extends RequestVal[T] {
   def optional: RequestVal[JOption[T]]
   def withDefault(defaultValue: T): RequestVal[T]
@@ -32,4 +35,9 @@ object FormFields {
   def hexShortValue(name: String): FormField[jl.Short] = FormFieldImpl(name.as(Unmarshaller.HexShort))
   def hexIntValue(name: String): FormField[jl.Integer] = FormFieldImpl(name.as(Unmarshaller.HexInt))
   def hexLongValue(name: String): FormField[jl.Long] = FormFieldImpl(name.as(Unmarshaller.HexLong))
+
+  def fromString[T](name: String, convert: Function[String, T], clazz: Class[T]): FormField[T] = {
+    implicit val tTag: ClassTag[T] = ClassTag(clazz)
+    FormFieldImpl(name.as(Util.fromStringUnmarshallerFromFunction(convert)))
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/values/Parameter.scala b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/values/Parameter.scala
index ddd6fed5ed..b1c4865517 100644
--- a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/values/Parameter.scala
+++ b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/values/Parameter.scala
@@ -11,12 +11,13 @@ import java.util.{ Map ⇒ JMap, Collection ⇒ JCollection }
 
 import akka.http.scaladsl.server.directives.ParameterDirectives
 import akka.http.scaladsl.unmarshalling.Unmarshaller
+import akka.japi.function.Function
 
 import scala.reflect.ClassTag
 
 import akka.japi.{ Option ⇒ JOption }
 
-import akka.http.impl.server.{ StandaloneExtractionImpl, ParameterImpl }
+import akka.http.impl.server.{ Util, StandaloneExtractionImpl, ParameterImpl }
 import akka.http.javadsl.server.RequestVal
 import akka.http.scaladsl.server.Directive1
 import akka.http.scaladsl.server.directives.ParameterDirectives.ParamMagnet
@@ -63,5 +64,10 @@ object Parameters {
     StandaloneExtractionImpl(ParameterDirectives.parameterMultiMap.map(_.mapValues(_.asJavaCollection).asJava))
   def asCollection: RequestVal[JCollection[JMap.Entry[String, String]]] =
     StandaloneExtractionImpl(ParameterDirectives.parameterSeq.map(_.map(e ⇒ new SimpleEntry(e._1, e._2): JMap.Entry[String, String]).asJavaCollection))
+
+  def fromString[T](name: String, convert: Function[String, T], clazz: Class[T]): Parameter[T] = {
+    implicit val tTag: ClassTag[T] = ClassTag(clazz)
+    ParameterImpl(name.as(Util.fromStringUnmarshallerFromFunction(convert)))
+  }
 }
 
diff --git a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/values/PathMatchers.scala b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/values/PathMatchers.scala
index 9871328141..5bcf35e56e 100644
--- a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/values/PathMatchers.scala
+++ b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/values/PathMatchers.scala
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ import java.{ lang ⇒ jl, util ⇒ ju }
 
 import akka.http.impl.server.PathMatcherImpl
 import akka.http.javadsl.server.RequestVal
-import akka.http.scaladsl.server.{ PathMatcher0, PathMatcher1, PathMatchers ⇒ ScalaPathMatchers }
+import akka.http.scaladsl.server.{ PathMatcher0, PathMatcher1, PathMatchers ⇒ ScalaPathMatchers, PathMatcher ⇒ ScalaPathMatcher }
 import akka.japi.Option
+import akka.japi.function.Function
 
 import scala.collection.JavaConverters._
 import scala.reflect.ClassTag
@@ -50,6 +51,9 @@ object PathMatchers {
 
   def rest: PathMatcher[String] = matcher(_.Rest)
 
+  def segmentFromString[T](convert: Function[String, T], clazz: Class[T]): PathMatcher[T] =
+    matcher(_ ⇒ ScalaPathMatchers.Segment.map(convert(_)))(ClassTag(clazz))
+
   private def matcher[T: ClassTag](scalaMatcher: ScalaPathMatchers.type ⇒ PathMatcher1[T]): PathMatcher[T] =
     new PathMatcherImpl[T](scalaMatcher(ScalaPathMatchers))
   private def matcher0(scalaMatcher: ScalaPathMatchers.type ⇒ PathMatcher0): PathMatcher[Void] =