diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
index 4d8b191eb5..63a0044368 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ class ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher(
   def dispatch(invocation: MessageInvocation) = {
     val mbox = getMailbox(invocation.receiver)
     mbox enqueue invocation
-    mbox.registerForExecution
+    registerForExecution(mbox)
   }
 
   /**
@@ -144,6 +144,17 @@ class ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher(
     "Can't build a new thread pool for a dispatcher that is already up and running")
   }
 
+  private[akka] def registerForExecution(mbox: MessageQueue with ExecutableMailbox): Unit = if (active.isOn) {
+    if (mbox.dispatcherLock.tryLock()) {
+      try {
+        executor execute mbox
+      } catch {
+        case e: RejectedExecutionException =>
+          mbox.dispatcherLock.unlock()
+          throw e
+      }
+    }
+  } else log.warning("%s is shut down,\n\tignoring the rest of the messages in the mailbox of\n\t%s", this, mbox)
 
   override val toString = getClass.getSimpleName + "[" + name + "]"
 
@@ -168,7 +179,8 @@ trait ExecutableMailbox extends Runnable { self: MessageQueue =>
     } finally {
       dispatcherLock.unlock()
     }
-    if (reschedule || !self.isEmpty) registerForExecution
+    if (reschedule || !self.isEmpty)
+      dispatcher.registerForExecution(this)
   }
 
   /**
@@ -200,17 +212,5 @@ trait ExecutableMailbox extends Runnable { self: MessageQueue =>
     }
     false
   }
-
-  def registerForExecution: Unit = if (dispatcher.active.isOn) {
-    if (dispatcherLock.tryLock()) {
-      try {
-        dispatcher.execute(this)
-      } catch {
-        case e: RejectedExecutionException =>
-          dispatcherLock.unlock()
-          throw e
-      }
-    }
-  } else dispatcher.log.warning("%s is shut down,\n\tignoring the rest of the messages in the mailbox of\n\t%s", toString, this)
 }
 
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/HawtDispatcher.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/HawtDispatcher.scala
index cb96b39a3b..dabb5a4c2e 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/HawtDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/HawtDispatcher.scala
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import org.fusesource.hawtdispatch.ListEventAggregator
 
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.{AtomicInteger, AtomicBoolean}
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch
+import se.scalablesolutions.akka.util.Switch
 
 /**
  * Holds helper methods for working with actors that are using a HawtDispatcher as it's dispatcher.
@@ -141,19 +142,17 @@ object HawtDispatcher {
 class HawtDispatcher(val aggregate: Boolean = true, val parent: DispatchQueue = globalQueue) extends MessageDispatcher  {
   import HawtDispatcher._
 
-  private val active = new AtomicBoolean(false)
+  private val active = new Switch(false)
 
   val mailboxType: Option[MailboxType] = None
  
-  def start = if (active.compareAndSet(false, true)) retainNonDaemon
+  def start = active switchOn { retainNonDaemon }
 
-  def execute(task: Runnable) {}
+  def shutdown = active switchOff { releaseNonDaemon }
 
-  def shutdown = if (active.compareAndSet(true, false)) releaseNonDaemon
+  def isShutdown = active.isOff
 
-  def isShutdown = !active.get
-
-  def dispatch(invocation: MessageInvocation) = if (active.get()) {
+  def dispatch(invocation: MessageInvocation) = if (active.isOn) {
     mailbox(invocation.receiver).dispatch(invocation)
   } else {
     log.warning("%s is shut down,\n\tignoring the the messages sent to\n\t%s", toString, invocation.receiver)
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala
index 60c62c56b9..c9df3f3b87 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala
@@ -64,8 +64,6 @@ trait MessageDispatcher extends MailboxFactory with Logging {
   
   def dispatch(invocation: MessageInvocation): Unit
 
-  def execute(task: Runnable): Unit
-
   def start: Unit
 
   def shutdown: Unit
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/ThreadBasedDispatcher.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/ThreadBasedDispatcher.scala
index a32d2a2957..8c2229c6b3 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/ThreadBasedDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/ThreadBasedDispatcher.scala
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class ThreadBasedDispatcher(private val actor: ActorRef, _mailboxType: MailboxTy
 }
 
 object ThreadBasedDispatcher {
-  def oneThread(b: ThreadPoolBuilder) {
+  val oneThread: (ThreadPoolBuilder) => Unit = b => {
     b setCorePoolSize 1
     b setMaxPoolSize 1
     b setAllowCoreThreadTimeout true
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/ThreadPoolBuilder.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/ThreadPoolBuilder.scala
index 7559785dcf..1e5e257349 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/ThreadPoolBuilder.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/ThreadPoolBuilder.scala
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@ trait ThreadPoolBuilder extends Logging {
   private lazy val threadFactory = new MonitorableThreadFactory(name)
 
   protected var executor: ExecutorService = _
-
-  def execute(task: Runnable) = executor execute task
   
   def isShutdown = executor.isShutdown