diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/AbstractDispatcher.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/AbstractDispatcher.scala
index 72fb681495..6cdd6245b0 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/AbstractDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/AbstractDispatcher.scala
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ final case class TaskInvocation(app: ActorSystem, function: () ⇒ Unit, cleanup
 }
 
 object MessageDispatcher {
-  val UNSCHEDULED = 0
+  val UNSCHEDULED = 0 //WARNING DO NOT CHANGE THE VALUE OF THIS: It relies on the faster init of 0 in AbstractMessageDispatcher
   val SCHEDULED = 1
   val RESCHEDULED = 2
 
@@ -85,12 +85,9 @@ object MessageDispatcher {
 /**
  * @author <a href="http://jonasboner.com">Jonas Bon&#233;r</a>
  */
-abstract class MessageDispatcher(val app: ActorSystem) extends Serializable {
+abstract class MessageDispatcher(val app: ActorSystem) extends AbstractMessageDispatcher with Serializable {
   import MessageDispatcher._
-
-  protected val _inhabitants = new AtomicLong(0L)
-
-  private val shutdownSchedule = new AtomicInteger(UNSCHEDULED)
+  import AbstractMessageDispatcher.{ inhabitantsUpdater, shutdownScheduleUpdater }
 
   /**
    *  Creates and returns a mailbox for the given actor.
@@ -124,40 +121,41 @@ abstract class MessageDispatcher(val app: ActorSystem) extends Serializable {
 
   protected[akka] final def dispatchTask(block: () ⇒ Unit) {
     val invocation = TaskInvocation(app, block, taskCleanup)
-    _inhabitants.getAndIncrement()
+    inhabitantsUpdater.incrementAndGet(this)
     try {
       executeTask(invocation)
     } catch {
       case e ⇒
-        _inhabitants.decrementAndGet
+        inhabitantsUpdater.decrementAndGet(this)
         throw e
     }
   }
 
   @tailrec
-  private final def ifSensibleToDoSoThenScheduleShutdown(): Unit = _inhabitants.get() match {
+  private final def ifSensibleToDoSoThenScheduleShutdown(): Unit = inhabitantsUpdater.get(this) match {
     case 0 ⇒
-      shutdownSchedule.get match {
+      shutdownScheduleUpdater.get(this) match {
         case UNSCHEDULED ⇒
-          if (shutdownSchedule.compareAndSet(UNSCHEDULED, SCHEDULED)) {
+          if (shutdownScheduleUpdater.compareAndSet(this, UNSCHEDULED, SCHEDULED)) {
             app.scheduler.scheduleOnce(shutdownAction, timeoutMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
             ()
           } else ifSensibleToDoSoThenScheduleShutdown()
         case SCHEDULED ⇒
-          if (shutdownSchedule.compareAndSet(SCHEDULED, RESCHEDULED)) ()
+          if (shutdownScheduleUpdater.compareAndSet(this, SCHEDULED, RESCHEDULED)) ()
           else ifSensibleToDoSoThenScheduleShutdown()
         case RESCHEDULED ⇒ ()
       }
     case _ ⇒ ()
   }
 
-  private val taskCleanup: () ⇒ Unit = () ⇒ if (_inhabitants.decrementAndGet() == 0) ifSensibleToDoSoThenScheduleShutdown()
+  private final val taskCleanup: () ⇒ Unit =
+    () ⇒ if (inhabitantsUpdater.decrementAndGet(this) == 0) ifSensibleToDoSoThenScheduleShutdown()
 
   /**
    * Don't call this, this calls you. See "attach" for only invocation
    */
   protected[akka] def register(actor: ActorCell) {
-    _inhabitants.incrementAndGet()
+    inhabitantsUpdater.incrementAndGet(this)
     // ➡➡➡ NEVER SEND THE SAME SYSTEM MESSAGE OBJECT TO TWO ACTORS ⬅⬅⬅
     systemDispatch(actor, Create()) //FIXME should this be here or moved into ActorCell.start perhaps?
   }
@@ -166,7 +164,7 @@ abstract class MessageDispatcher(val app: ActorSystem) extends Serializable {
    * Don't call this, this calls you. See "detach" for the only invocation
    */
   protected[akka] def unregister(actor: ActorCell) {
-    _inhabitants.decrementAndGet()
+    inhabitantsUpdater.decrementAndGet(this)
     val mailBox = actor.mailbox
     mailBox.becomeClosed() // FIXME reschedule in tell if possible race with cleanUp is detected in order to properly clean up
     actor.mailbox = deadLetterMailbox
@@ -203,17 +201,17 @@ abstract class MessageDispatcher(val app: ActorSystem) extends Serializable {
   private val shutdownAction = new Runnable {
     @tailrec
     final def run() {
-      shutdownSchedule.get match {
+      shutdownScheduleUpdater.get(MessageDispatcher.this) match {
         case UNSCHEDULED ⇒ ()
         case SCHEDULED ⇒
           try {
-            if (_inhabitants.get == 0) //Warning, racy
+            if (inhabitantsUpdater.get(MessageDispatcher.this) == 0) //Warning, racy
               shutdown()
           } finally {
-            shutdownSchedule.getAndSet(UNSCHEDULED) //TODO perhaps check if it was modified since we checked?
+            shutdownScheduleUpdater.getAndSet(MessageDispatcher.this, UNSCHEDULED) //TODO perhaps check if it was modified since we checked?
           }
         case RESCHEDULED ⇒
-          if (shutdownSchedule.compareAndSet(RESCHEDULED, SCHEDULED))
+          if (shutdownScheduleUpdater.compareAndSet(MessageDispatcher.this, RESCHEDULED, SCHEDULED))
             app.scheduler.scheduleOnce(this, timeoutMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
           else run()
       }