diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Actor.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Actor.scala
index 1b616c55e8..d02f37cf7b 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Actor.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Actor.scala
@@ -300,6 +300,11 @@ object Actor {
     def apply(x: Any) = throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Empty behavior apply()")
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Default placeholder (null) used for "!" to indicate that there is no sender of the message,
+   * that will be translated to the receiving system's deadLetters.
+   */
+  final val noSender: ActorRef = null
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRef.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRef.scala
index 2cb2f984f2..d7d971837c 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRef.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRef.scala
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ trait ScalaActorRef { ref: ActorRef ⇒
    * </pre>
    * <p/>
    */
-  def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null): Unit
+  def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender): Unit
 
 }
 
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ private[akka] class LocalActorRef private[akka] (
 
   override def sendSystemMessage(message: SystemMessage): Unit = actorCell.sendSystemMessage(message)
 
-  override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null): Unit = actorCell.tell(message, sender)
+  override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender): Unit = actorCell.tell(message, sender)
 
   override def restart(cause: Throwable): Unit = actorCell.restart(cause)
 
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ private[akka] trait MinimalActorRef extends InternalActorRef with LocalRef {
   override def stop(): Unit = ()
   override def isTerminated = false
 
-  override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null): Unit = ()
+  override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender): Unit = ()
 
   override def sendSystemMessage(message: SystemMessage): Unit = ()
   override def restart(cause: Throwable): Unit = ()
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ private[akka] class EmptyLocalActorRef(override val provider: ActorRefProvider,
 
   override def sendSystemMessage(message: SystemMessage): Unit = specialHandle(message)
 
-  override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null): Unit = message match {
+  override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender): Unit = message match {
     case d: DeadLetter ⇒ specialHandle(d.message) // do NOT form endless loops, since deadLetters will resend!
     case _             ⇒ if (!specialHandle(message)) eventStream.publish(DeadLetter(message, sender, this))
   }
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefProvider.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefProvider.scala
index d60a46d497..f1a4a0d141 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefProvider.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefProvider.scala
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ class LocalActorRefProvider(
     override def stop(): Unit = stopped switchOn { terminationPromise.complete(causeOfTermination.map(Failure(_)).getOrElse(Success(()))) }
     override def isTerminated: Boolean = stopped.isOn
 
-    override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null): Unit = stopped.ifOff(message match {
+    override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender): Unit = stopped.ifOff(message match {
       case Failed(ex, _) if sender ne null ⇒ causeOfTermination = Some(ex); sender.asInstanceOf[InternalActorRef].stop()
       case NullMessage                     ⇒ // do nothing
       case _                               ⇒ log.error(this + " received unexpected message [" + message + "]")
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorSelection.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorSelection.scala
index 0740d8724e..2f4fd4219b 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorSelection.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorSelection.scala
@@ -70,5 +70,5 @@ object ActorSelection {
 trait ScalaActorSelection {
   this: ActorSelection ⇒
 
-  def !(msg: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null) = tell(msg, sender)
+  def !(msg: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender) = tell(msg, sender)
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/RepointableActorRef.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/RepointableActorRef.scala
index 7bbc5517d8..142cdc4dc4 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/RepointableActorRef.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/RepointableActorRef.scala
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ private[akka] class RepointableActorRef(
       }
     } else this
 
-  def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null) = underlying.tell(message, sender)
+  def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender) = underlying.tell(message, sender)
 
   def sendSystemMessage(message: SystemMessage) = underlying.sendSystemMessage(message)
 
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/Logging.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/Logging.scala
index 48d7c44d5d..e6003f5279 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/Logging.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/Logging.scala
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ object Logging {
     val path: ActorPath = new RootActorPath(Address("akka", "all-systems"), "/StandardOutLogger")
     def provider: ActorRefProvider = throw new UnsupportedOperationException("StandardOutLogger does not provide")
     override val toString = "StandardOutLogger"
-    override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null): Unit = print(message)
+    override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender): Unit = print(message)
   }
 
   val StandardOutLogger = new StandardOutLogger
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/AskSupport.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/AskSupport.scala
index 704ce43d8d..43e899f81f 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/AskSupport.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/AskSupport.scala
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ private[akka] final class PromiseActorRef private (val provider: ActorRefProvide
     case Registering ⇒ path // spin until registration is completed
   }
 
-  override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null): Unit = state match {
+  override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender): Unit = state match {
     case Stopped | _: StoppedWithPath ⇒ provider.deadLetters ! message
     case _ ⇒ if (!(result.tryComplete(
       message match {
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/PipeToSupport.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/PipeToSupport.scala
index 5563a908de..a766954e54 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/PipeToSupport.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/PipeToSupport.scala
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@ import language.implicitConversions
 
 import scala.concurrent.{ Future, ExecutionContext }
 import scala.util.{ Failure, Success }
-import akka.actor.{ Status, ActorRef }
+import akka.actor.{ Status, ActorRef, Actor }
 
 trait PipeToSupport {
 
   final class PipeableFuture[T](val future: Future[T])(implicit executionContext: ExecutionContext) {
-    def pipeTo(recipient: ActorRef)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null): Future[T] = {
+    def pipeTo(recipient: ActorRef)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender): Future[T] = {
       future onComplete {
         case Success(r) ⇒ recipient ! r
         case Failure(f) ⇒ recipient ! Status.Failure(f)
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/routing/Listeners.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/routing/Listeners.scala
index 7cc48b05f8..346f994a2f 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/routing/Listeners.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/routing/Listeners.scala
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ trait Listeners { self: Actor ⇒
    * @param msg
    * @param sender
    */
-  protected def gossip(msg: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null): Unit = {
+  protected def gossip(msg: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender): Unit = {
     val i = listeners.iterator
     while (i.hasNext) i.next ! msg
   }
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala
index 50531bfa91..4e1921a960 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ private[akka] class RemoteActorRef private[akka] (
         provider.deadLetters ! message
     }
 
-  override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null): Unit =
+  override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender): Unit =
     try remote.send(message, Option(sender), this)
     catch {
       case e @ (_: InterruptedException | NonFatal(_)) ⇒
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteDaemon.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteDaemon.scala
index ecfd544dcb..f6e000737a 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteDaemon.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteDaemon.scala
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ private[akka] class RemoteSystemDaemon(
     }
   }
 
-  override def !(msg: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = null): Unit = msg match {
+  override def !(msg: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender): Unit = msg match {
     case message: DaemonMsg ⇒
       log.debug("Received command [{}] to RemoteSystemDaemon on [{}]", message, path.address)
       message match {