diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/testkit/ParentChildTest.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/testkit/ParentChildTest.java
index d326a0ef2d..bedb91b8d8 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/testkit/ParentChildTest.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/testkit/ParentChildTest.java
@@ -3,17 +3,13 @@
  */
 package jdocs.testkit;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 import akka.actor.*;
 import akka.japi.Creator;
 import akka.japi.Function;
 import akka.testkit.AkkaJUnitActorSystemResource;
-import akka.testkit.TestActorRef;
 import akka.testkit.TestProbe;
-
 import akka.testkit.javadsl.TestKit;
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory;
-
 import docs.testkit.MockedChild;
 import jdocs.AbstractJavaTest;
 import org.junit.ClassRule;
@@ -76,17 +72,17 @@ public class ParentChildTest extends AbstractJavaTest {
   //#test-dependentparent
   class DependentParent extends AbstractActor {
     final ActorRef child;
-    boolean ponged = false;
-
-    public DependentParent(Props childProps) {
+    final ActorRef probe;
+    public DependentParent(Props childProps, ActorRef probe) {
       child = getContext().actorOf(childProps, "child");
+      this.probe = probe;
     }
 
     @Override
     public Receive createReceive() {
       return receiveBuilder()
         .matchEquals("pingit", message -> child.tell("ping", getSelf()))
-        .matchEquals("pong", message -> ponged = true)
+        .matchEquals("pong", message -> probe.tell("ponged", getSelf()))
         .build();
     }
   }
@@ -123,14 +119,13 @@ public class ParentChildTest extends AbstractJavaTest {
 
   @Test
   public void testingWithCustomProps() {
-    TestProbe probe = new TestProbe(system);
-    Props childProps = Props.create(MockedChild.class);
-    TestActorRef<DependentParent> parent = TestActorRef.create(system, Props.create(DependentParent.class, childProps));
+    final TestProbe probe = new TestProbe(system);
+    final Props childProps = Props.create(MockedChild.class);
+    final ActorRef parent = system.actorOf(Props.create(DependentParent.class, childProps, probe.ref()));
 
     probe.send(parent, "pingit");
 
-    // test some parent state change
-    assertTrue(parent.underlyingActor().ponged == true || parent.underlyingActor().ponged == false);
+    probe.expectMsg("ponged");
   }
 
 
@@ -138,11 +133,7 @@ public class ParentChildTest extends AbstractJavaTest {
   public void testingWithChildProbe() throws Exception {
     final TestProbe probe = new TestProbe(system);
     //#child-maker-test
-    Function<ActorRefFactory, ActorRef> maker = new Function<ActorRefFactory, ActorRef>() {
-      @Override public ActorRef apply(ActorRefFactory param) throws Exception {
-        return probe.ref();
-      }
-    };
+    Function<ActorRefFactory, ActorRef> maker = param -> probe.ref();
     ActorRef parent = system.actorOf(Props.create(GenericDependentParent.class, maker));
     //#child-maker-test
     probe.send(parent, "pingit");
@@ -151,11 +142,7 @@ public class ParentChildTest extends AbstractJavaTest {
 
   public void exampleProdActorFactoryFunction() throws Exception {
     //#child-maker-prod
-    Function<ActorRefFactory, ActorRef> maker = new Function<ActorRefFactory, ActorRef>() {
-      @Override public ActorRef apply(ActorRefFactory f) throws Exception {
-        return f.actorOf(Props.create(Child.class));
-      }
-    };
+    Function<ActorRefFactory, ActorRef> maker = f -> f.actorOf(Props.create(Child.class));
     ActorRef parent = system.actorOf(Props.create(GenericDependentParent.class, maker));
     //#child-maker-prod
   }
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/scala/docs/testkit/ParentChildSpec.scala b/akka-docs/src/test/scala/docs/testkit/ParentChildSpec.scala
index 7573c0fa9d..2ead87253e 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/scala/docs/testkit/ParentChildSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/scala/docs/testkit/ParentChildSpec.scala
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import akka.actor.Actor
 import akka.actor.ActorRef
 import akka.testkit.ImplicitSender
 import akka.testkit.TestProbe
-import akka.testkit.TestActorRef
 import akka.actor.ActorRefFactory
 import akka.testkit.TestKit
 import org.scalatest.BeforeAndAfterAll
@@ -45,13 +44,12 @@ class DependentChild(parent: ActorRef) extends Actor {
 //#test-dependentchild
 
 //#test-dependentparent
-class DependentParent(childProps: Props) extends Actor {
+class DependentParent(childProps: Props, probe: ActorRef) extends Actor {
   val child = context.actorOf(childProps, "child")
-  var ponged = false
 
   def receive = {
     case "pingit" ⇒ child ! "ping"
-    case "pong"   ⇒ ponged = true
+    case "pong"   ⇒ probe ! "ponged"
   }
 }
 
@@ -86,7 +84,7 @@ class ParentChildSpec extends WordSpec with Matchers with TestKitBase with Befor
   "A DependentChild" should {
     "be tested without its parent" in {
       val probe = TestProbe()
-      val child = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[DependentChild], probe.ref))
+      val child = system.actorOf(Props(new DependentChild(probe.ref)))
       probe.send(child, "ping")
       probe.expectMsg("pong")
     }
@@ -95,10 +93,11 @@ class ParentChildSpec extends WordSpec with Matchers with TestKitBase with Befor
   "A DependentParent" should {
     "be tested with custom props" in {
       val probe = TestProbe()
-      val parent = TestActorRef(new DependentParent(Props[MockedChild]))
+      val childProps = Props(new MockedChild())
+      val parent = system.actorOf(Props(new DependentParent(childProps, probe.ref)))
       probe.send(parent, "pingit")
       // test some parent state change
-      parent.underlyingActor.ponged should (be(true) or be(false))
+      probe.expectMsg("ponged")
     }
   }
 
@@ -107,7 +106,7 @@ class ParentChildSpec extends WordSpec with Matchers with TestKitBase with Befor
       val probe = TestProbe()
       //#child-maker-test
       val maker = (_: ActorRefFactory) ⇒ probe.ref
-      val parent = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[GenericDependentParent], maker))
+      val parent = system.actorOf(Props(new GenericDependentParent(maker)))
       //#child-maker-test
       probe.send(parent, "pingit")
       probe.expectMsg("ping")
@@ -115,8 +114,8 @@ class ParentChildSpec extends WordSpec with Matchers with TestKitBase with Befor
 
     "demonstrate production version of child creator" in {
       //#child-maker-prod
-      val maker = (f: ActorRefFactory) ⇒ f.actorOf(Props[Child])
-      val parent = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[GenericDependentParent], maker))
+      val maker = (f: ActorRefFactory) ⇒ f.actorOf(Props(new Child))
+      val parent = system.actorOf(Props(new GenericDependentParent(maker)))
       //#child-maker-prod
     }
   }
@@ -125,7 +124,7 @@ class ParentChildSpec extends WordSpec with Matchers with TestKitBase with Befor
   "A TestProbe serving as parent" should {
     "test its child responses" in {
       val parent = TestProbe()
-      val child = parent.childActorOf(Props[Child])
+      val child = parent.childActorOf(Props(new Child))
       parent.send(child, "ping")
       parent.expectMsg("pong")
     }
@@ -137,7 +136,7 @@ class ParentChildSpec extends WordSpec with Matchers with TestKitBase with Befor
     "test its child responses" in {
       val proxy = TestProbe()
       val parent = system.actorOf(Props(new Actor {
-        val child = context.actorOf(Props[Child], "child")
+        val child = context.actorOf(Props(new Child), "child")
         def receive = {
           case x if sender == child ⇒ proxy.ref forward x
           case x                    ⇒ child forward x