diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/http/javadsl/server/directives/BasicDirectivesExamplesTest.java b/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/http/javadsl/server/directives/BasicDirectivesExamplesTest.java
index f667a2d14a..0b93560be3 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/http/javadsl/server/directives/BasicDirectivesExamplesTest.java
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/http/javadsl/server/directives/BasicDirectivesExamplesTest.java
@@ -877,4 +877,17 @@ public class BasicDirectivesExamplesTest extends JUnitRouteTest {
     //#toStrictEntity
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testExtractActorSystem() {
+    //#extractActorSystem
+    final Route route = extractActorSystem(actorSystem ->
+      complete("Actor System extracted, hash=" + actorSystem.hashCode())
+    );
+
+    // tests:
+    testRoute(route).run(HttpRequest.GET("/"))
+      .assertEntity("Actor System extracted, hash=" + system().hashCode());
+    //#extractActorSystem
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/java/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/extractActorSystem.rst b/akka-docs/rst/java/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/extractActorSystem.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2ef2f70af5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/java/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/extractActorSystem.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+.. _-extractActorSystem-java-:
+
+extractActorSystem
+==================
+
+Description
+-----------
+
+Extracts the ``ActorSystem`` from the ``RequestContext``, which can be useful when the external API
+in your route needs one.
+
+.. warning::
+
+  This is only supported when the available Materializer is an ActorMaterializer.
+
+Example
+-------
+
+.. includecode:: ../../../../code/docs/http/javadsl/server/directives/BasicDirectivesExamplesTest.java#extractActorSystem
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/java/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/index.rst b/akka-docs/rst/java/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/index.rst
index b92366b453..5b507d1b8b 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/java/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/index.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/java/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/index.rst
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ on two axes: a) provide a constant value or extract a value from the ``RequestCo
 a single value or a tuple of values.
 
   * :ref:`-extract-java-`
+  * :ref:`-extractActorSystem-java-`
   * :ref:`-extractDataBytes-java-`
   * :ref:`-extractExecutionContext-java-`
   * :ref:`-extractMaterializer-java-`
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ Alphabetically
    cancelRejection
    cancelRejections
    extract
+   extractActorSystem
    extractDataBytes
    extractExecutionContext
    extractMaterializer
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/http/scaladsl/server/directives/BasicDirectivesExamplesSpec.scala b/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/http/scaladsl/server/directives/BasicDirectivesExamplesSpec.scala
index 8c502fda4f..c3ec9b4576 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/http/scaladsl/server/directives/BasicDirectivesExamplesSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/http/scaladsl/server/directives/BasicDirectivesExamplesSpec.scala
@@ -862,4 +862,17 @@ class BasicDirectivesExamplesSpec extends RoutingSpec {
     //#
   }
 
+  "extractActorSystem-example" in {
+    //#extractActorSystem-example
+    val route = extractActorSystem { actorSystem =>
+      complete(s"Actor System extracted, hash=${actorSystem.hashCode()}")
+    }
+
+    // tests:
+    Get("/") ~> route ~> check {
+      responseAs[String] shouldEqual s"Actor System extracted, hash=${system.hashCode()}"
+    }
+    //#
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/scala/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/extractActorSystem.rst b/akka-docs/rst/scala/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/extractActorSystem.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e3e2340257
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/scala/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/extractActorSystem.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+.. _-extractActorSystem-:
+
+extractActorSystem
+==================
+
+Signature
+---------
+
+.. includecode2:: /../../akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/scaladsl/server/directives/BasicDirectives.scala
+   :snippet: extractActorSystem
+
+Description
+-----------
+
+Extracts the ``ActorSystem`` from the ``RequestContext``, which can be useful when the external API
+in your route needs one.
+
+.. warning::
+
+  This is only supported when the available Materializer is an ActorMaterializer.
+
+Example
+-------
+
+.. includecode2:: ../../../../code/docs/http/scaladsl/server/directives/BasicDirectivesExamplesSpec.scala
+   :snippet: extractActorSystem-example
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/scala/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/index.rst b/akka-docs/rst/scala/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/index.rst
index 012bc536ca..4395e8da9f 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/scala/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/index.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/scala/http/routing-dsl/directives/basic-directives/index.rst
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ on two axes: a) provide a constant value or extract a value from the ``RequestCo
 a single value or a tuple of values.
 
   * :ref:`-extract-`
+  * :ref:`-extractActorSystem-`
   * :ref:`-extractDataBytes-`
   * :ref:`-extractExecutionContext-`
   * :ref:`-extractMaterializer-`
@@ -97,8 +98,9 @@ Alphabetically
    cancelRejection
    cancelRejections
    extract
-   extractExecutionContext
+   extractActorSystem
    extractDataBytes
+   extractExecutionContext
    extractMaterializer
    extractStrictEntity
    extractLog
diff --git a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/directives/BasicDirectives.scala b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/directives/BasicDirectives.scala
index f87a9b55f3..8b61671039 100644
--- a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/directives/BasicDirectives.scala
+++ b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/javadsl/server/directives/BasicDirectives.scala
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package akka.http.javadsl.server.directives
 
 import java.util.function.{ Function ⇒ JFunction }
 
+import akka.actor.ActorSystem
 import akka.http.impl.util.JavaMapping
 import akka.http.javadsl.settings.ParserSettings
 import akka.http.javadsl.settings.RoutingSettings
@@ -200,6 +201,13 @@ abstract class BasicDirectives {
   def extractMaterializer(inner: JFunction[Materializer, Route]): Route = RouteAdapter(
     D.extractMaterializer { m ⇒ inner.apply(m).delegate })
 
+  /**
+   * Extracts the [[akka.actor.ActorSystem]] if the available Materializer is an [[akka.stream.ActorMaterializer]].
+   * Otherwise throws an exception as it won't be able to extract the system from arbitrary materializers.
+   */
+  def extractActorSystem(inner: JFunction[ActorSystem, Route]): Route = RouteAdapter(
+    D.extractActorSystem { system ⇒ inner.apply(system).delegate })
+
   /**
    * Extracts the [[ExecutionContextExecutor]] from the [[RequestContext]].
    */
diff --git a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/scaladsl/server/directives/BasicDirectives.scala b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/scaladsl/server/directives/BasicDirectives.scala
index 0b0fd6a99c..bb077365d3 100644
--- a/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/scaladsl/server/directives/BasicDirectives.scala
+++ b/akka-http/src/main/scala/akka/http/scaladsl/server/directives/BasicDirectives.scala
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package akka.http.scaladsl.server
 package directives
 
+import akka.actor.ActorSystem
 import akka.stream.scaladsl.Source
 import akka.util.ByteString
 
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ import scala.concurrent.{ Future, ExecutionContextExecutor }
 import scala.collection.immutable
 import akka.event.LoggingAdapter
 import akka.stream.impl.ConstantFun.scalaIdentityFunction
-import akka.stream.Materializer
+import akka.stream.{ ActorMaterializerHelper, Materializer }
 import akka.http.scaladsl.settings.{ RoutingSettings, ParserSettings }
 import akka.http.scaladsl.server.util.Tuple
 import akka.http.scaladsl.util.FastFuture
@@ -237,6 +238,16 @@ trait BasicDirectives {
    */
   def extractMaterializer: Directive1[Materializer] = BasicDirectives._extractMaterializer
 
+  /**
+   * Extracts the [[akka.actor.ActorSystem]] if the available Materializer is an [[akka.stream.ActorMaterializer]].
+   * Otherwise throws an exception as it won't be able to extract the system from arbitrary materializers.
+   *
+   * @group basic
+   */
+  def extractActorSystem: Directive1[ActorSystem] = extract { ctx ⇒
+    ActorMaterializerHelper.downcast(ctx.materializer).system
+  }
+
   /**
    * Runs its inner route with the given alternative [[akka.event.LoggingAdapter]].
    *