diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/SerializationProtocol.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/SerializationProtocol.scala
index 20e9842cba..403589aef3 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/SerializationProtocol.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/SerializationProtocol.scala
@@ -73,9 +73,16 @@ object ActorSerialization {
   def fromBinary[T <: Actor](bytes: Array[Byte])(implicit format: Format[T]): ActorRef =
     fromBinaryToLocalActorRef(bytes, format)
 
-  def toBinary[T <: Actor](a: ActorRef)(implicit format: Format[T]): Array[Byte] = {
+  def toBinary[T <: Actor](a: ActorRef)(implicit format: Format[T]): Array[Byte] = 
     toSerializedActorRefProtocol(a, format).toByteArray
-  }
+
+  // wrapper for implicits to be used by Java
+  def fromBinaryJ[T <: Actor](bytes: Array[Byte], format: Format[T]): ActorRef =
+    fromBinary(bytes)(format)
+
+  // wrapper for implicits to be used by Java
+  def toBinaryJ[T <: Actor](a: ActorRef, format: Format[T]): Array[Byte] = 
+    toBinary(a)(format)
 
   private def toSerializedActorRefProtocol[T <: Actor](actorRef: ActorRef, format: Format[T]): SerializedActorRefProtocol = {
     val lifeCycleProtocol: Option[LifeCycleProtocol] = {
diff --git a/akka-core/src/test/scala/serialization/UntypedActorSerializationSpec.scala b/akka-core/src/test/scala/serialization/UntypedActorSerializationSpec.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6588c7cdc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-core/src/test/scala/serialization/UntypedActorSerializationSpec.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+package se.scalablesolutions.akka.actor.serialization
+
+
+import org.scalatest.Spec
+import org.scalatest.matchers.ShouldMatchers
+import org.scalatest.BeforeAndAfterAll
+import org.scalatest.junit.JUnitRunner
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith
+
+import se.scalablesolutions.akka.actor._
+import ActorSerialization._
+import Actor._
+
+@RunWith(classOf[JUnitRunner])
+class UntypedActorSerializationSpec extends
+  Spec with
+  ShouldMatchers with
+  BeforeAndAfterAll {
+
+  import se.scalablesolutions.akka.serialization.Serializer
+
+  class MyUntypedActorFormat extends Format[MyUntypedActor] {
+    def fromBinary(bytes: Array[Byte], act: MyUntypedActor) = {
+      val p = Serializer.Protobuf.fromBinary(bytes, Some(classOf[ProtobufProtocol.Counter])).asInstanceOf[ProtobufProtocol.Counter]
+      act.count = p.getCount
+      act
+    }
+    def toBinary(ac: MyUntypedActor) =
+      ProtobufProtocol.Counter.newBuilder.setCount(ac.count).build.toByteArray
+  }
+
+  class MyUntypedActorWithDualCounterFormat extends Format[MyUntypedActorWithDualCounter] {
+    def fromBinary(bytes: Array[Byte], act: MyUntypedActorWithDualCounter) = {
+      val p = Serializer.Protobuf.fromBinary(bytes, Some(classOf[ProtobufProtocol.DualCounter])).asInstanceOf[ProtobufProtocol.DualCounter]
+      act.count1 = p.getCount1
+      act.count2 = p.getCount2
+      act
+    }
+    def toBinary(ac: MyUntypedActorWithDualCounter) =
+      ProtobufProtocol.DualCounter.newBuilder.setCount1(ac.count1).setCount2(ac.count2).build.toByteArray
+  }
+
+  object MyUntypedStatelessActorFormat extends StatelessActorFormat[MyUntypedStatelessActor]
+
+  describe("Serializable untyped actor") {
+    it("should be able to serialize and de-serialize a stateful untyped actor") {
+      val actor1 = UntypedActor.actorOf[MyUntypedActor](classOf[MyUntypedActor]).start
+      actor1.sendRequestReply("hello") should equal("world 1")
+      actor1.sendRequestReply("debasish") should equal("hello debasish 2")
+
+      val f = new MyUntypedActorFormat
+      val bytes = toBinaryJ(actor1, f)
+      val actor2 = fromBinaryJ(bytes, f)
+      actor2.start
+      actor2.sendRequestReply("hello") should equal("world 3")
+    }
+
+    it("should be able to serialize and de-serialize a stateful actor with compound state") {
+      val actor1 = actorOf[MyUntypedActorWithDualCounter].start
+      actor1.sendRequestReply("hello") should equal("world 1 1")
+      actor1.sendRequestReply("hello") should equal("world 2 2")
+
+      val f = new MyUntypedActorWithDualCounterFormat
+      val bytes = toBinaryJ(actor1, f)
+      val actor2 = fromBinaryJ(bytes, f)
+      actor2.start
+      actor2.sendRequestReply("hello") should equal("world 3 3")
+    }
+
+    it("should be able to serialize and de-serialize a stateless actor") {
+      val actor1 = actorOf[MyUntypedStatelessActor].start
+      actor1.sendRequestReply("hello") should equal("world")
+      actor1.sendRequestReply("hello") should equal("world")
+
+      val bytes = toBinaryJ(actor1, MyUntypedStatelessActorFormat)
+      val actor2 = fromBinaryJ(bytes, MyUntypedStatelessActorFormat)
+      actor2.start
+      actor2.sendRequestReply("hello") should equal("world")
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+class MyUntypedActor extends UntypedActor {
+  var count = 0
+  def onReceive(message: Any): Unit = message match {
+    case m: String if m == "hello" =>
+      count = count + 1
+      getContext.replyUnsafe("world " + count)
+    case m: String =>
+      count = count + 1
+      getContext.replyUnsafe("hello " + m + " " + count)
+    case _ =>
+      throw new Exception("invalid message type")
+  }
+}
+
+class MyUntypedActorWithDualCounter extends UntypedActor {
+  var count1 = 0
+  var count2 = 0
+
+  def onReceive(message: Any): Unit = message match {
+    case m: String if m == "hello" =>
+      count1 = count1 + 1
+      count2 = count2 + 1
+      getContext.replyUnsafe("world " + count1 + " " + count2)
+    case m: String =>
+      count1 = count1 + 1
+      count2 = count2 + 1
+      getContext.replyUnsafe("hello " + m + " " + count1 + " " + count2)
+    case _ =>
+      throw new Exception("invalid message type")
+  }
+}
+
+class MyUntypedStatelessActor extends UntypedActor {
+  def onReceive(message: Any): Unit = message match {
+    case m: String if m == "hello" =>
+      getContext.replyUnsafe("world")
+    case m: String =>
+      getContext.replyUnsafe("hello " + m)
+    case _ =>
+      throw new Exception("invalid message type")
+  }
+}