diff --git a/akka-actors/src/main/scala/serialization/Serializer.scala b/akka-actors/src/main/scala/serialization/Serializer.scala
index 2d2917e0b5..441a8c0aa3 100644
--- a/akka-actors/src/main/scala/serialization/Serializer.scala
+++ b/akka-actors/src/main/scala/serialization/Serializer.scala
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ object Serializer {
   val EMPTY_CLASS_ARRAY = Array[Class[_]]()
   val EMPTY_ANY_REF_ARRAY = Array[AnyRef]()
 
+  object NOOP extends Serializer {
+    def deepClone(obj: AnyRef): AnyRef = obj
+    def out(obj: AnyRef): Array[Byte] = obj.asInstanceOf[Array[Byte]]
+    def in(bytes: Array[Byte], clazz: Option[Class[_]]): AnyRef = bytes
+  }
+
   /**
    * @author <a href="http://jonasboner.com">Jonas Bon&#233;r</a>
    */
diff --git a/akka-persistence/src/main/scala/CassandraStorage.scala b/akka-persistence/src/main/scala/CassandraStorage.scala
index 02f5f5dbec..ccf5d25b3a 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/src/main/scala/CassandraStorage.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/src/main/scala/CassandraStorage.scala
@@ -46,11 +46,12 @@ object CassandraStorage extends MapStorage
 */
 
   private[this] val serializer: Serializer = {
-    config.getString("akka.storage.cassandra.storage-format", "java") match {
+    config.getString("akka.storage.cassandra.storage-format", "manual") match {
       case "scala-json" => Serializer.ScalaJSON
       case "java-json" =>  Serializer.JavaJSON
       case "protobuf" =>   Serializer.Protobuf
       case "java" =>       Serializer.Java
+      case "manual" =>     Serializer.NOOP
       case "sbinary" =>    throw new UnsupportedOperationException("SBinary serialization protocol is not yet supported for storage")
       case "avro" =>       throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Avro serialization protocol is not yet supported for storage")
       case unknown =>      throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Unknown storage serialization protocol [" + unknown + "]")
diff --git a/akka-samples-lift/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml b/akka-samples-lift/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml
index d474da1ca1..23348604bb 100755
--- a/akka-samples-lift/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml
+++ b/akka-samples-lift/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   </filter-mapping>
   <servlet>
     <servlet-name>AkkaServlet</servlet-name>
-    <servlet-class>se.scalablesolutions.akka.kernel.rest.AkkaServlet</servlet-class>
+    <servlet-class>se.scalablesolutions.akka.rest.AkkaServlet</servlet-class>
   </servlet>
   <servlet-mapping>
     <servlet-name>AkkaServlet</servlet-name>