diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala
index 358a979c58..e679ebbb94 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package akka.dispatch
 import org.scalatest.junit.JUnitSuite
 import org.scalatest.WordSpec
 import org.scalatest.matchers.MustMatchers
+import org.scalatest.BeforeAndAfterAll
 import org.scalatest.prop.Checkers
 import org.scalacheck._
 import org.scalacheck.Arbitrary._
@@ -11,6 +12,8 @@ import org.scalacheck.Gen._
 
 import akka.actor.{ Actor, ActorRef }
 import Actor._
+import akka.event.EventHandler
+import akka.testkit.TestEvent._
 import org.multiverse.api.latches.StandardLatch
 import java.util.concurrent.{ TimeUnit, CountDownLatch }
 
@@ -40,9 +43,17 @@ object FutureSpec {
 
 class JavaFutureSpec extends JavaFutureTests with JUnitSuite
 
-class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers {
+class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAndAfterAll {
   import FutureSpec._
 
+  override def beforeAll() {
+    EventHandler.notify(Mute)
+  }
+
+  override def afterAll() {
+    EventHandler.notify(UnMute)
+  }
+
   "A Promise" when {
     "never completed" must {
       behave like emptyFuture(_(Promise()))
diff --git a/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestEventListener.scala b/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestEventListener.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..420dece90f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestEventListener.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package akka.testkit
+
+import akka.event.EventHandler
+import akka.actor.Actor
+
+sealed trait TestEvent
+
+object TestEvent {
+  case class Mute(filter: EventFilter = EventFilter.all) extends TestEvent
+  case class UnMute(filter: EventFilter = EventFilter.all) extends TestEvent
+}
+
+case class EventFilter(throwable: Class[_] = classOf[Throwable], source: Option[AnyRef] = None) {
+  import EventHandler._
+
+  def apply(event: Event): Boolean = event match {
+    case Error(cause, instance, _) ⇒
+      (throwable isInstance cause) &&
+        (source map (_ eq instance) getOrElse true)
+    case _ ⇒ false
+  }
+}
+
+object EventFilter {
+  val all = EventFilter()
+}
+
+class TestEventListener extends EventHandler.DefaultListener {
+  import EventHandler._
+  import TestEvent._
+
+  var filters: List[EventFilter] = Nil
+
+  override def receive: Receive = ({
+    case Mute(filter)                  ⇒ addFilter(filter)
+    case Mute                          ⇒ addFilter(EventFilter.all)
+    case UnMute(filter)                ⇒ removeFilter(filter)
+    case UnMute                        ⇒ addFilter(EventFilter.all)
+    case event: Error if filter(event) ⇒ // Just test Error events
+  }: Receive) orElse super.receive
+
+  def filter(event: Event): Boolean = filters exists (_(event))
+
+  def addFilter(filter: EventFilter): Unit = filters ::= filter
+
+  def removeFilter(filter: EventFilter): Unit = {
+    @scala.annotation.tailrec
+    def removeFirst(list: List[EventFilter], zipped: List[EventFilter] = Nil): List[EventFilter] = list match {
+      case head :: tail if head == filter ⇒ tail.reverse_:::(zipped)
+      case head :: tail                   ⇒ removeFirst(tail, head :: zipped)
+      case Nil                            ⇒ filters // filter not found, just return original list
+    }
+    filters = removeFirst(filters)
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/config/akka.test.conf b/config/akka.test.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..025b5895fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/akka.test.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# This config imports the Akka reference configuration.
+include "akka-reference.conf"
+
+# In this file you can override any option defined in the 'akka-reference.conf' file.
+# Copy in all or parts of the 'akka-reference.conf' file and modify as you please.
+
+akka {
+  event-handlers = ["akka.testkit.TestEventListener"]
+}
diff --git a/project/build/AkkaProject.scala b/project/build/AkkaProject.scala
index 6b6dba1856..eb7717a557 100644
--- a/project/build/AkkaProject.scala
+++ b/project/build/AkkaProject.scala
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ class AkkaParentProject(info: ProjectInfo) extends ParentProject(info) with Exec
 
   val javaCompileSettings = Seq("-Xlint:unchecked")
 
+  system[String]("akka.mode").update("test")
+
   // -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   // All repositories *must* go here! See ModuleConigurations below.
   // -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------