diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/NonPublicClass.java b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/NonPublicClass.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..850d82cd62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/NonPublicClass.java
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/**
+ *  Copyright (C) 2009-2012 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+
+package akka.actor;
+
+public class NonPublicClass {
+    public static Props createProps() {
+        return new Props(MyNonPublicActorClass.class);
+    }
+}
+
+class MyNonPublicActorClass extends UntypedActor {
+    @Override public void onReceive(Object msg) {
+        getSender().tell(msg);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefSpec.scala
index bec066d97a..3056dc9e95 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefSpec.scala
@@ -358,6 +358,13 @@ class ActorRefSpec extends AkkaSpec with DefaultTimeout {
       system.stop(serverRef)
     }
 
+    "support actorOfs where the class of the actor isn't public" in {
+      val a = system.actorOf(NonPublicClass.createProps())
+      a.tell("pigdog", testActor)
+      expectMsg("pigdog")
+      system stop a
+    }
+
     "stop when sent a poison pill" in {
       val timeout = Timeout(20000)
       val ref = system.actorOf(Props(new Actor {
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Props.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Props.scala
index 82d97f5465..f48bbe9573 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Props.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Props.scala
@@ -185,5 +185,10 @@ case class Props(
  * able to optimize serialization.
  */
 private[akka] case class FromClassCreator(clazz: Class[_ <: Actor]) extends Function0[Actor] {
-  def apply(): Actor = clazz.newInstance
+  def apply(): Actor = try clazz.newInstance catch {
+    case iae: IllegalAccessException ⇒
+      val ctor = clazz.getDeclaredConstructor()
+      ctor.setAccessible(true)
+      ctor.newInstance()
+  }
 }