diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/SchedulerSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/SchedulerSpec.scala
index 7c0aefb2fe..96c67dacd7 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/SchedulerSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/SchedulerSpec.scala
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ class SchedulerSpec extends AkkaSpec with BeforeAndAfterEach with DefaultTimeout
 
       assert(restartLatch.await(2 seconds))
       // should be enough time for the ping countdown to recover and reach 6 pings
-      assert(pingLatch.await(4, TimeUnit.SECONDS))
+      assert(pingLatch.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS))
     }
 
     "never fire prematurely" in {
@@ -162,12 +162,12 @@ class SchedulerSpec extends AkkaSpec with BeforeAndAfterEach with DefaultTimeout
       }))
 
       val startTime = System.nanoTime()
-      val cancellable = system.scheduler.schedule(1 second, 100 milliseconds, actor, Msg)
+      val cancellable = system.scheduler.schedule(1000 milliseconds, 300 milliseconds, actor, Msg)
       ticks.await(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
       val elapsedTimeMs = (System.nanoTime() - startTime) / 1000000
 
-      assert(elapsedTimeMs > 1200)
-      assert(elapsedTimeMs < 1500) // the precision is not ms exact
+      assert(elapsedTimeMs > 1600)
+      assert(elapsedTimeMs < 2000) // the precision is not ms exact
       cancellable.cancel()
     }
   }
diff --git a/project/AkkaBuild.scala b/project/AkkaBuild.scala
index 0776b584a7..c39fcfba82 100644
--- a/project/AkkaBuild.scala
+++ b/project/AkkaBuild.scala
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ object AkkaBuild extends Build {
     id = "akka",
     base = file("."),
     settings = parentSettings ++ Release.settings ++ Unidoc.settings ++ Rstdoc.settings ++ Publish.versionSettings ++ Dist.settings ++ Seq(
-      parallelExecution in GlobalScope := false,
+      parallelExecution in GlobalScope := true,
       Publish.defaultPublishTo in ThisBuild <<= crossTarget / "repository",
       Unidoc.unidocExclude := Seq(samples.id, tutorials.id),
       Dist.distExclude := Seq(actorTests.id, akkaSbtPlugin.id, docs.id)
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ object AkkaBuild extends Build {
     dependencies = Seq(actor, actorTests % "test->test", testkit % "test->test"),
     settings = defaultSettings ++ multiJvmSettings ++ Seq(
       libraryDependencies ++= Dependencies.cluster,
+      // disable parallel tests
+      parallelExecution in Test := false,
       extraOptions in MultiJvm <<= (sourceDirectory in MultiJvm) { src =>
         (name: String) => (src ** (name + ".conf")).get.headOption.map("-Dakka.config=" + _.absolutePath).toSeq
       },
@@ -291,8 +293,7 @@ object AkkaBuild extends Build {
     unmanagedClasspath in Runtime <+= (baseDirectory in LocalProject("akka")) map { base => Attributed.blank(base / "config") },
     unmanagedClasspath in Test    <+= (baseDirectory in LocalProject("akka")) map { base => Attributed.blank(base / "config") },
 
-    // disable parallel tests
-    parallelExecution in Test := false,
+    parallelExecution in Test := true,
 
     // for excluding tests by name (or use system property: -Dakka.test.names.exclude=TimingSpec)
     excludeTestNames := {