diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/AbstractDispatcher.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/AbstractDispatcher.scala
index ed88921e16..ea5b89671a 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/AbstractDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/AbstractDispatcher.scala
@@ -168,36 +168,9 @@ abstract class MessageDispatcher(val prerequisites: DispatcherPrerequisites) ext
     val mailBox = actor.mailbox
     mailBox.becomeClosed() // FIXME reschedule in tell if possible race with cleanUp is detected in order to properly clean up
     actor.mailbox = deadLetterMailbox
-    cleanUpMailboxFor(actor, mailBox)
     mailBox.cleanUp()
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Overridable callback to clean up the mailbox for a given actor,
-   * called when an actor is unregistered.
-   */
-  protected def cleanUpMailboxFor(actor: ActorCell, mailBox: Mailbox) {
-
-    if (mailBox.hasSystemMessages) {
-      var message = mailBox.systemDrain()
-      while (message ne null) {
-        // message must be “virgin” before being able to systemEnqueue again
-        val next = message.next
-        message.next = null
-        deadLetterMailbox.systemEnqueue(actor.self, message)
-        message = next
-      }
-    }
-
-    if (mailBox.hasMessages) {
-      var envelope = mailBox.dequeue
-      while (envelope ne null) {
-        deadLetterMailbox.enqueue(actor.self, envelope)
-        envelope = mailBox.dequeue
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
   private val shutdownAction = new Runnable {
     @tailrec
     final def run() {
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/BalancingDispatcher.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/BalancingDispatcher.scala
index 6f45d8629c..9dd0733328 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/BalancingDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/BalancingDispatcher.scala
@@ -65,6 +65,21 @@ class BalancingDispatcher(
     final def numberOfMessages: Int = messageQueue.numberOfMessages
 
     final def hasMessages: Boolean = messageQueue.hasMessages
+
+    override def cleanUp(): Unit = {
+      //Don't call the original implementation of this since it scraps all messages, and we don't want to do that
+      if (hasSystemMessages) {
+        val dlq = actor.systemImpl.deadLetterMailbox
+        var message = systemDrain()
+        while (message ne null) {
+          // message must be “virgin” before being able to systemEnqueue again
+          val next = message.next
+          message.next = null
+          dlq.systemEnqueue(actor.self, message)
+          message = next
+        }
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   protected[akka] override def register(actor: ActorCell) = {
@@ -78,19 +93,6 @@ class BalancingDispatcher(
     intoTheFray(except = actor) //When someone leaves, he tosses a friend into the fray
   }
 
-  protected override def cleanUpMailboxFor(actor: ActorCell, mailBox: Mailbox) {
-    if (mailBox.hasSystemMessages) {
-      var message = mailBox.systemDrain()
-      while (message ne null) {
-        // message must be “virgin” before being able to systemEnqueue again
-        val next = message.next
-        message.next = null
-        prerequisites.deadLetterMailbox.systemEnqueue(actor.self, message)
-        message = next
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
   def intoTheFray(except: ActorCell): Unit =
     if (rebalance.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
       try {
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
index 3389e413a9..4787b22f78 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
@@ -209,8 +209,29 @@ abstract class Mailbox(val actor: ActorCell) extends MessageQueue with SystemMes
   /**
    * Overridable callback to clean up the mailbox,
    * called when an actor is unregistered.
+   * By default it dequeues all system messages + messages and ships them to the owning actors' systems' DeadLetterMailbox
    */
-  protected[dispatch] def cleanUp() {}
+  protected[dispatch] def cleanUp() {
+    val dlq = actor.systemImpl.deadLetterMailbox
+    if (hasSystemMessages) {
+      var message = systemDrain()
+      while (message ne null) {
+        // message must be “virgin” before being able to systemEnqueue again
+        val next = message.next
+        message.next = null
+        dlq.systemEnqueue(actor.self, message)
+        message = next
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (hasMessages) {
+      var envelope = dequeue
+      while (envelope ne null) {
+        dlq.enqueue(actor.self, envelope)
+        envelope = dequeue
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 trait MessageQueue {