diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/CoordinatedShutdownSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/CoordinatedShutdownSpec.scala
index d837cd6116..4b155f0458 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/CoordinatedShutdownSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/CoordinatedShutdownSpec.scala
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import scala.concurrent.duration._
 import scala.concurrent.Await
 import scala.concurrent.Future
 import akka.Done
-import akka.testkit.{ AkkaSpec, TestKit }
+import akka.testkit.{ AkkaSpec, EventFilter, TestKit }
 import com.typesafe.config.{ Config, ConfigFactory }
 import akka.actor.CoordinatedShutdown.Phase
 import akka.actor.CoordinatedShutdown.UnknownReason
@@ -18,20 +18,24 @@ import scala.collection.JavaConverters._
 import scala.concurrent.Promise
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException
 
-class CoordinatedShutdownSpec extends AkkaSpec {
+class CoordinatedShutdownSpec extends AkkaSpec(ConfigFactory.parseString(
+  """
+    akka.loglevel=INFO
+    akka.loggers = ["akka.testkit.TestEventListener"]
+  """)) {
 
   def extSys = system.asInstanceOf[ExtendedActorSystem]
 
   // some convenience to make the test readable
-  def phase(dependsOn: String*): Phase = Phase(dependsOn.toSet, timeout = 10.seconds, recover = true)
-  val emptyPhase: Phase = Phase(Set.empty, timeout = 10.seconds, recover = true)
+  def phase(dependsOn: String*): Phase = Phase(dependsOn.toSet, timeout = 10.seconds, recover = true, enabled = true)
+  val emptyPhase: Phase = Phase(Set.empty, timeout = 10.seconds, recover = true, enabled = true)
 
   private def checkTopologicalSort(phases: Map[String, Phase]): List[String] = {
     val result = CoordinatedShutdown.topologicalSort(phases)
     result.zipWithIndex.foreach {
       case (phase, i) ⇒
         phases.get(phase) match {
-          case Some(Phase(dependsOn, _, _)) ⇒
+          case Some(Phase(dependsOn, _, _, _)) ⇒
             dependsOn.foreach { depPhase ⇒
               withClue(s"phase [$phase] depends on [$depPhase] but was ordered before it in topological sort result $result") {
                 i should be > result.indexOf(depPhase)
@@ -47,7 +51,7 @@ class CoordinatedShutdownSpec extends AkkaSpec {
 
   "CoordinatedShutdown" must {
 
-    "sort phases in topolgical order" in {
+    "sort phases in topological order" in {
       checkTopologicalSort(Map.empty) should ===(Nil)
 
       checkTopologicalSort(Map(
@@ -204,7 +208,7 @@ class CoordinatedShutdownSpec extends AkkaSpec {
       import system.dispatcher
       val phases = Map(
         "a" → emptyPhase,
-        "b" → Phase(dependsOn = Set("a"), timeout = 100.millis, recover = true),
+        "b" → Phase(dependsOn = Set("a"), timeout = 100.millis, recover = true, enabled = true),
         "c" → phase("b", "a"))
       val co = new CoordinatedShutdown(extSys, phases)
       co.addTask("a", "a1") { () ⇒
@@ -227,7 +231,11 @@ class CoordinatedShutdownSpec extends AkkaSpec {
         testActor ! "C"
         Future.successful(Done)
       }
-      Await.result(co.run(UnknownReason), remainingOrDefault)
+      EventFilter.warning(message = "Task [a1] failed in phase [a]: boom", occurrences = 1).intercept {
+        EventFilter.warning(message = "Coordinated shutdown phase [b] timed out after 100 milliseconds", occurrences = 1).intercept {
+          Await.result(co.run(UnknownReason), remainingOrDefault)
+        }
+      }
       expectMsg("A")
       expectMsg("A")
       expectMsg("B")
@@ -237,7 +245,8 @@ class CoordinatedShutdownSpec extends AkkaSpec {
     "abort if recover=off" in {
       import system.dispatcher
       val phases = Map(
-        "b" → Phase(dependsOn = Set("a"), timeout = 100.millis, recover = false),
+        "a" → emptyPhase,
+        "b" → Phase(dependsOn = Set("a"), timeout = 100.millis, recover = false, enabled = true),
         "c" → phase("b", "a"))
       val co = new CoordinatedShutdown(extSys, phases)
       co.addTask("b", "b1") { () ⇒
@@ -256,6 +265,27 @@ class CoordinatedShutdownSpec extends AkkaSpec {
       expectNoMsg(200.millis) // C not run
     }
 
+    "skip tasks in disabled phase" in {
+      val phases = Map(
+        "a" → emptyPhase,
+        "b" → Phase(dependsOn = Set("a"), timeout = 100.millis, recover = false, enabled = false),
+        "c" → phase("b", "a"))
+      val co = new CoordinatedShutdown(extSys, phases)
+      co.addTask("b", "b1") { () ⇒
+        testActor ! "B"
+        Future.failed(new RuntimeException("Was expected to not be executed"))
+      }
+      co.addTask("c", "c1") { () ⇒
+        testActor ! "C"
+        Future.successful(Done)
+      }
+      EventFilter.info(start = "Phase [b] disabled through configuration", occurrences = 1).intercept {
+        val result = co.run(UnknownReason)
+        expectMsg("C")
+        result.futureValue should ===(Done)
+      }
+    }
+
     "be possible to add tasks in later phase from task in earlier phase" in {
       import system.dispatcher
       val phases = Map(
@@ -291,9 +321,9 @@ class CoordinatedShutdownSpec extends AkkaSpec {
           }
         }
         """)) should ===(Map(
-        "a" → Phase(dependsOn = Set.empty, timeout = 10.seconds, recover = true),
-        "b" → Phase(dependsOn = Set("a"), timeout = 15.seconds, recover = true),
-        "c" → Phase(dependsOn = Set("a", "b"), timeout = 10.seconds, recover = false)))
+        "a" → Phase(dependsOn = Set.empty, timeout = 10.seconds, recover = true, enabled = true),
+        "b" → Phase(dependsOn = Set("a"), timeout = 15.seconds, recover = true, enabled = true),
+        "c" → Phase(dependsOn = Set("a", "b"), timeout = 10.seconds, recover = false, enabled = true)))
     }
 
     // this must be the last test, since it terminates the ActorSystem
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/mima-filters/2.5.10.backwards.excludes b/akka-actor/src/main/mima-filters/2.5.10.backwards.excludes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5a925561ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/mima-filters/2.5.10.backwards.excludes
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Disable phases in Coordinated Shutdown
+ProblemFilters.exclude[DirectMissingMethodProblem]("akka.actor.CoordinatedShutdown#Phase.copy")
+ProblemFilters.exclude[DirectMissingMethodProblem]("akka.actor.CoordinatedShutdown#Phase.this")
+ProblemFilters.exclude[MissingTypesProblem]("akka.actor.CoordinatedShutdown$Phase$")
+ProblemFilters.exclude[DirectMissingMethodProblem]("akka.actor.CoordinatedShutdown#Phase.apply")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/resources/reference.conf b/akka-actor/src/main/resources/reference.conf
index 17a28108b3..898b1b198b 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/resources/reference.conf
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/resources/reference.conf
@@ -1077,6 +1077,10 @@ akka {
     # - timeout=15s: Override the default-phase-timeout for this phase.
     # - recover=off: If the phase fails the shutdown is aborted
     #                and depending phases will not be executed.
+    # - enabled=off: Skip all tasks registered in this phase. DO NOT use
+    #                this to disable phases unless you are absolutely sure what the
+    #                consequences are. Many of the built in tasks depend on other tasks
+    #                having been executed in earlier phases and may break if those are disabled.
     # depends-on=[]: Run the phase after the given phases
     phases {
 
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/CoordinatedShutdown.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/CoordinatedShutdown.scala
index 28cc646fd6..a9512134bb 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/CoordinatedShutdown.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/CoordinatedShutdown.scala
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ object CoordinatedShutdown extends ExtensionId[CoordinatedShutdown] with Extensi
   /**
    * INTERNAL API
    */
-  private[akka] final case class Phase(dependsOn: Set[String], timeout: FiniteDuration, recover: Boolean)
+  private[akka] final case class Phase(dependsOn: Set[String], timeout: FiniteDuration, recover: Boolean, enabled: Boolean)
 
   /**
    * INTERNAL API
@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ object CoordinatedShutdown extends ExtensionId[CoordinatedShutdown] with Extensi
     val defaultPhaseConfig = ConfigFactory.parseString(s"""
       timeout = $defaultPhaseTimeout
       recover = true
+      enabled = true
       depends-on = []
     """)
     phasesConf.root.unwrapped.asScala.toMap.map {
@@ -250,7 +251,8 @@ object CoordinatedShutdown extends ExtensionId[CoordinatedShutdown] with Extensi
         val dependsOn = c.getStringList("depends-on").asScala.toSet
         val timeout = c.getDuration("timeout", MILLISECONDS).millis
         val recover = c.getBoolean("recover")
-        k → Phase(dependsOn, timeout, recover)
+        val enabled = c.getBoolean("enabled")
+        k → Phase(dependsOn, timeout, recover, enabled)
       case (k, v) ⇒
         throw new IllegalArgumentException(s"Expected object value for [$k], got [$v]")
     }
@@ -275,8 +277,8 @@ object CoordinatedShutdown extends ExtensionId[CoordinatedShutdown] with Extensi
       if (unmarked(u)) {
         tempMark += u
         phases.get(u) match {
-          case Some(Phase(dependsOn, _, _)) ⇒ dependsOn.foreach(depthFirstSearch)
-          case None                         ⇒
+          case Some(p) ⇒ p.dependsOn.foreach(depthFirstSearch)
+          case None    ⇒
         }
         unmarked -= u // permanent mark
         tempMark -= u
@@ -292,10 +294,8 @@ object CoordinatedShutdown extends ExtensionId[CoordinatedShutdown] with Extensi
 final class CoordinatedShutdown private[akka] (
   system: ExtendedActorSystem,
   phases: Map[String, CoordinatedShutdown.Phase]) extends Extension {
-  import CoordinatedShutdown.Phase
   import CoordinatedShutdown.Reason
   import CoordinatedShutdown.UnknownReason
-  import CoordinatedShutdown.JvmExitReason
 
   /** INTERNAL API */
   private[akka] val log = Logging(system, getClass)
@@ -406,6 +406,12 @@ final class CoordinatedShutdown private[akka] (
       def loop(remainingPhases: List[String]): Future[Done] = {
         remainingPhases match {
           case Nil ⇒ Future.successful(Done)
+          case phase :: remaining if !phases(phase).enabled ⇒
+            tasks.get(phase) match {
+              case null  ⇒ // This pretty much is ok as there are no tasks
+              case tasks ⇒ log.info("Phase [{}] disabled through configuration, skipping [{}] tasks", phase, tasks.size)
+            }
+            loop(remaining)
           case phase :: remaining ⇒
             val phaseResult = tasks.get(phase) match {
               case null ⇒
@@ -502,7 +508,7 @@ final class CoordinatedShutdown private[akka] (
    */
   def timeout(phase: String): FiniteDuration =
     phases.get(phase) match {
-      case Some(Phase(_, timeout, _)) ⇒ timeout
+      case Some(p) ⇒ p.timeout
       case None ⇒
         throw new IllegalArgumentException(s"Unknown phase [$phase]. All phases must be defined in configuration")
     }