diff --git a/project/AddLogTimestamps.scala b/project/AddLogTimestamps.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..82f9f81a54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/project/AddLogTimestamps.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+package akka
+
+import java.io.PrintWriter
+import java.time.LocalDateTime
+import java.time.ZoneId
+import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter
+
+import sbt._
+import Keys._
+import sbt.Def
+import sbt.internal.LogManager
+import sbt.internal.util.ConsoleOut
+
+object AddLogTimestamps extends AutoPlugin {
+  val enableTimestamps: Boolean = CliOption("akka.log.timestamps", false).get
+
+  override def requires: Plugins = plugins.JvmPlugin
+  override def trigger: PluginTrigger = allRequirements
+
+  private val UTC = ZoneId.of("UTC")
+
+  override def projectSettings: Seq[Def.Setting[_]] = {
+    logManager := {
+      val original = logManager.value
+
+      if (enableTimestamps) {
+        val myOut = new PrintWriter(System.out) {
+          val dateTimeFormat = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS")
+          var lastWasNewline = true
+
+          override def print(s: String): Unit = {
+            maybePrintTimestamp()
+
+            super.print(s)
+
+            lastWasNewline = s.endsWith("\n")
+          }
+
+          override def println(): Unit = {
+            super.println()
+            lastWasNewline = true
+          }
+
+          override def println(x: String): Unit = {
+            maybePrintTimestamp()
+
+            super.println(x)
+            lastWasNewline = true
+          }
+
+          private def maybePrintTimestamp(): Unit =
+            if (lastWasNewline) {
+              super.print('[')
+              super.print(dateTimeFormat.format(LocalDateTime.now(UTC)))
+              super.print("] ")
+              lastWasNewline = false
+            }
+        }
+
+        val myLogger = ConsoleOut.printWriterOut(myOut)
+
+        LogManager.defaults(extraLoggers.value, myLogger)
+      } else
+        original
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/project/MultiNode.scala b/project/MultiNode.scala
index cdc8b090bf..120022f1bf 100644
--- a/project/MultiNode.scala
+++ b/project/MultiNode.scala
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 package akka
 
 import akka.TestExtras.Filter.Keys._
-import com.typesafe.sbt.{ SbtScalariform, SbtMultiJvm }
+import com.typesafe.sbt.MultiJvmPlugin.MultiJvmKeys.multiJvmCreateLogger
+import com.typesafe.sbt.{SbtMultiJvm, SbtScalariform}
 import com.typesafe.sbt.SbtMultiJvm.MultiJvmKeys._
 import com.typesafe.sbt.SbtScalariform.ScalariformKeys
 import sbt._
@@ -60,7 +61,20 @@ object MultiNode extends AutoPlugin {
         jvmOptions in MultiJvm := defaultMultiJvmOptions,
         compileInputs in (MultiJvm, compile) := ((compileInputs in (MultiJvm, compile)) dependsOn (ScalariformKeys.format in MultiJvm)).value,
         scalacOptions in MultiJvm := (scalacOptions in Test).value,
-        compile in MultiJvm := ((compile in MultiJvm) triggeredBy (compile in Test)).value) ++
+        compile in MultiJvm := ((compile in MultiJvm) triggeredBy (compile in Test)).value,
+        logLevel in multiJvmCreateLogger := Level.Debug, //  to see ssh establishment
+        multiJvmCreateLogger in MultiJvm := { // to use normal sbt logging infra instead of custom sbt-multijvm-one
+          val previous = (multiJvmCreateLogger in MultiJvm).value
+          val logger = streams.value.log
+          (name: String) =>
+            new Logger {
+              def trace(t: => Throwable) { logger.trace(t) }
+              def success(message: => String) { success(message) }
+              def log(level: Level.Value, message: => String): Unit =
+                logger.log(level, s"[${scala.Console.BLUE}$name${scala.Console.RESET}] $message")
+            }
+        }
+      ) ++
         CliOptions.hostsFileName.map(multiNodeHostsFileName in MultiJvm := _) ++
         CliOptions.javaName.map(multiNodeJavaName in MultiJvm := _) ++
         CliOptions.targetDirName.map(multiNodeTargetDirName in MultiJvm := _) ++