diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/DeployerSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/DeployerSpec.scala
index 897932cad9..4352f26409 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/DeployerSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/DeployerSpec.scala
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class DeployerSpec extends AkkaSpec(DeployerSpec.deployerConf) {
 
     "be able to parse 'akka.actor.deployment._' with all default values" in {
       val service = "/service1"
-      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service.split("/"))
+      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service.split("/").drop(1))
       deployment must be('defined)
 
       deployment must be(Some(
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class DeployerSpec extends AkkaSpec(DeployerSpec.deployerConf) {
 
     "use None deployment for undefined service" in {
       val service = "/undefined"
-      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service.split("/"))
+      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service.split("/").drop(1))
       deployment must be(None)
     }
 
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ class DeployerSpec extends AkkaSpec(DeployerSpec.deployerConf) {
     }
 
     def assertRouting(expected: RouterConfig, service: String) {
-      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service.split("/"))
+      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service.split("/").drop(1))
       deployment must be('defined)
       deployment.get.path must be(service)
       deployment.get.routerConfig.getClass must be(expected.getClass)
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Deployer.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Deployer.scala
index 19ed73b567..2fd9538d77 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Deployer.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Deployer.scala
@@ -115,17 +115,17 @@ private[akka] class Deployer(val settings: ActorSystem.Settings, val dynamicAcce
     case _                          ⇒ None
   } foreach deploy
 
-  def lookup(path: Iterable[String]): Option[Deploy] = deployments.get().find(path.iterator).deploy
+  def lookup(path: ActorPath): Option[Deploy] = lookup(path.elements.drop(1).iterator)
+
+  def lookup(path: Iterable[String]): Option[Deploy] = lookup(path.iterator)
 
   def lookup(path: Iterator[String]): Option[Deploy] = deployments.get().find(path).data
 
-  def lookup(path: ActorPath): Option[Deploy] = deployments.get().find(Iterator.single("") ++ path.elements.drop(1).iterator).deploy
-
   def deploy(d: Deploy): Unit = {
     @tailrec def add(path: Array[String], d: Deploy, w: WildcardTree[Deploy] = deployments.get): Unit =
       if (!deployments.compareAndSet(w, w.insert(path.iterator, d))) add(path, d)
 
-    add(d.path.split("/"), d)
+    add(d.path.split("/").drop(1), d)
   }
 
   protected def parseConfig(key: String, config: Config): Option[Deploy] = {
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala
index 7f0564b4d0..ab53d9e99d 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ class RemoteActorRefProvider(
         p.headOption match {
           case None           ⇒ None
           case Some("remote") ⇒ lookupRemotes(p.drop(2))
-          case Some("user")   ⇒ deployer.lookup(Iterator.single("") ++ p.drop(1).iterator)
+          case Some("user")   ⇒ deployer.lookup(p.drop(1))
           case Some(_)        ⇒ None
         }
       }
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ class RemoteActorRefProvider(
       val lookup =
         if (lookupDeploy)
           elems.head match {
-            case "user"   ⇒ deployer.lookup(Iterator.single("") ++ elems.drop(1).iterator)
+            case "user"   ⇒ deployer.lookup(elems.drop(1))
             case "remote" ⇒ lookupRemotes(elems)
             case _        ⇒ None
           }
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/test/scala/akka/remote/RemoteDeployerSpec.scala b/akka-remote/src/test/scala/akka/remote/RemoteDeployerSpec.scala
index 7cf1c917d5..6622b98d81 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/test/scala/akka/remote/RemoteDeployerSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/test/scala/akka/remote/RemoteDeployerSpec.scala
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class RemoteDeployerSpec extends AkkaSpec(RemoteDeployerSpec.deployerConf) {
 
     "be able to parse 'akka.actor.deployment._' with specified remote nodes" in {
       val service = "/user/service2"
-      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service.split("/"))
+      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service.split("/").drop(1))
       deployment must be('defined)
 
       deployment must be(Some(