diff --git a/akka-io/src/test/scala/akka/io/TcpConnectionSpec.scala b/akka-io/src/test/scala/akka/io/TcpConnectionSpec.scala
index 4b6b5ec7c7..55e3675a2b 100644
--- a/akka-io/src/test/scala/akka/io/TcpConnectionSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-io/src/test/scala/akka/io/TcpConnectionSpec.scala
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ package akka.io
 
 import scala.annotation.tailrec
 
-import java.nio.channels.{ SelectionKey, SocketChannel, ServerSocketChannel }
+import java.nio.channels.{ Selector, SelectionKey, SocketChannel, ServerSocketChannel }
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer
 import java.nio.channels.spi.SelectorProvider
 import java.io.IOException
@@ -49,8 +49,9 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
     "send incoming data to the connection handler" in withEstablishedConnection() { setup ⇒
       import setup._
       serverSideChannel.write(ByteBuffer.wrap("testdata".getBytes("ASCII")))
-      // emulate selector behavior
+
       expectReceivedString("testdata")
+
       // have two packets in flight before the selector notices
       serverSideChannel.write(ByteBuffer.wrap("testdata2".getBytes("ASCII")))
       serverSideChannel.write(ByteBuffer.wrap("testdata3".getBytes("ASCII")))
@@ -60,7 +61,6 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
 
     "write data to network (and acknowledge)" in withEstablishedConnection() { setup ⇒
       import setup._
-      serverSideChannel.configureBlocking(false)
 
       object Ack
       val writer = TestProbe()
@@ -331,21 +331,33 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
     def connectionActor: TestActorRef[TcpOutgoingConnection] = unregisteredSetup.connectionActor
     def clientSideChannel: SocketChannel = unregisteredSetup.clientSideChannel
 
+    val (nioSelector, clientSelectionKey) = {
+      val sel = SelectorProvider.provider().openSelector()
+      val key = clientSideChannel.register(sel, SelectionKey.OP_READ | SelectionKey.OP_WRITE)
+      (sel, key)
+    }
+    val serverSelectionKey =
+      serverSideChannel.register(nioSelector, SelectionKey.OP_READ | SelectionKey.OP_WRITE)
+
     val buffer = ByteBuffer.allocate(TestSize)
     @tailrec final def pullFromServerSide(remaining: Int): Unit =
       if (remaining > 0) {
-        if (selector.msgAvailable) {
-          selector.expectMsg(WriteInterest)
+        nioSelector.select(100)
+        if (clientSelectionKey.isValid && clientSelectionKey.isWritable)
           selector.send(connectionActor, ChannelWritable)
-        }
-        buffer.clear()
-        val read = serverSideChannel.read(buffer)
-        if (read == 0)
-          throw new IllegalStateException("Didn't make any progress")
-        else if (read == -1)
-          throw new IllegalStateException("Connection was closed unexpectedly with remaining bytes " + remaining)
 
-        pullFromServerSide(remaining - read)
+        if (serverSelectionKey.isValid && serverSelectionKey.isReadable) {
+          buffer.clear()
+          val read = serverSideChannel.read(buffer)
+          if (read == 0)
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Didn't make any progress")
+          else if (read == -1)
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Connection was closed unexpectedly with remaining bytes " + remaining)
+
+          pullFromServerSide(remaining - read)
+        } else
+          pullFromServerSide(remaining)
+
       }
 
     @tailrec final def expectReceivedString(data: String): Unit = {
@@ -391,6 +403,7 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
 
     localServer.configureBlocking(true)
     val serverSideChannel = localServer.accept()
+    serverSideChannel.configureBlocking(false)
 
     serverSideChannel must not be (null)
     selector.send(connectionActor, ChannelConnectable)