diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/event/EventBusSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/event/EventBusSpec.scala
index afd255a27c..6e2f672507 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/event/EventBusSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/event/EventBusSpec.scala
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ object ScanningEventBusSpec {
 
   class MyScanningEventBus extends ScanningEventBus[Int, akka.japi.Procedure[Int], String] {
     protected def compareClassifiers(a: Classifier, b: Classifier): Int = a compareTo b
-    protected def compareSubscribers(a: Subscriber, b: Subscriber): Int = System.identityHashCode(a) - System.identityHashCode(b)
+    protected def compareSubscribers(a: Subscriber, b: Subscriber): Int = akka.util.Helpers.compareIdentityHash(a, b)
 
     protected def matches(classifier: Classifier, event: Event): Boolean = event.toString == classifier
 
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ class ScanningEventBusSpec extends EventBusSpec("ScanningEventBus") {
 object LookupEventBusSpec {
   class MyLookupEventBus extends akka.event.japi.LookupEventBus[Int, akka.japi.Procedure[Int], String] {
     protected def classify(event: Event): Classifier = event.toString
-    protected def compareSubscribers(a: Subscriber, b: Subscriber): Int = System.identityHashCode(a) - System.identityHashCode(b)
+    protected def compareSubscribers(a: Subscriber, b: Subscriber): Int = akka.util.Helpers.compareIdentityHash(a, b)
     protected def mapSize = 32
     protected def publish(event: Event, subscriber: Subscriber): Unit = subscriber(event)
   }
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/AbstractDispatcher.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/AbstractDispatcher.scala
index 144110db4b..2611ae6926 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/AbstractDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/AbstractDispatcher.scala
@@ -222,8 +222,9 @@ abstract class MessageDispatcher(val app: ActorSystem) extends Serializable {
     if (mailBox.hasSystemMessages) {
       var message = mailBox.systemDrain()
       while (message ne null) {
+        val next = message.next
         deadLetterMailbox.systemEnqueue(message)
-        message = message.next
+        message = next
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/BalancingDispatcher.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/BalancingDispatcher.scala
index a366a246b6..33545d551f 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/BalancingDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/BalancingDispatcher.scala
@@ -37,18 +37,7 @@ class BalancingDispatcher(
   _timeoutMs: Long)
   extends Dispatcher(_app, _name, throughput, throughputDeadlineTime, mailboxType, config, _timeoutMs) {
 
-  private val buddies = new ConcurrentSkipListSet[ActorCell](
-    new Comparator[ActorCell] {
-      def compare(a: ActorCell, b: ActorCell): Int = {
-        /*
-         * make sure that there is no overflow or underflow in comparisons, so 
-         * that the ordering is actually consistent and you cannot have a 
-         * sequence which cyclically is monotone without end.
-         */
-        val diff = ((System.identityHashCode(a) & 0xffffffffL) - (System.identityHashCode(b) & 0xffffffffL))
-        if (diff > 0) 1 else if (diff < 0) -1 else 0
-      }
-    })
+  private val buddies = new ConcurrentSkipListSet[ActorCell](akka.util.Helpers.IdentityHashComparator)
 
   protected val messageQueue: MessageQueue = mailboxType match {
     case u: UnboundedMailbox ⇒ new QueueBasedMessageQueue with UnboundedMessageQueueSemantics {
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
index ae54c5bf50..34729914c2 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ trait DefaultSystemMessageQueue { self: Mailbox ⇒
 
   @tailrec
   final def systemEnqueue(message: SystemMessage): Unit = {
+    assert(message.next eq null)
     if (Mailbox.debug) println(actor + " having enqueued " + message)
     val head = systemQueueGet
     /*
@@ -253,7 +254,10 @@ trait DefaultSystemMessageQueue { self: Mailbox ⇒
      * Hence, SystemMessage.next does not need to be volatile.
      */
     message.next = head
-    if (!systemQueuePut(head, message)) systemEnqueue(message)
+    if (!systemQueuePut(head, message)) {
+      message.next = null
+      systemEnqueue(message)
+    }
   }
 
   @tailrec
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/Helpers.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/Helpers.scala
index 0975081d97..14af35523c 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/Helpers.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/Helpers.scala
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package akka.util
 
 import java.io.{ PrintWriter, StringWriter }
+import java.util.Comparator
 
 /**
  * @author <a href="http://jonasboner.com">Jonas Bon&#233;r</a>
@@ -12,6 +13,20 @@ object Helpers {
 
   implicit def null2Option[T](t: T): Option[T] = Option(t)
 
+  def compareIdentityHash(a: AnyRef, b: AnyRef): Int = {
+    /*
+     * make sure that there is no overflow or underflow in comparisons, so 
+     * that the ordering is actually consistent and you cannot have a 
+     * sequence which cyclically is monotone without end.
+     */
+    val diff = ((System.identityHashCode(a) & 0xffffffffL) - (System.identityHashCode(b) & 0xffffffffL))
+    if (diff > 0) 1 else if (diff < 0) -1 else 0
+  }
+
+  val IdentityHashComparator = new Comparator[AnyRef] {
+    def compare(a: AnyRef, b: AnyRef): Int = compareIdentityHash(a, b)
+  }
+
   def intToBytes(value: Int): Array[Byte] = {
     val bytes = new Array[Byte](4)
     bytes(0) = (value >>> 24).asInstanceOf[Byte]