diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/Actor.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/Actor.scala
index 4bc3a9dc31..b80ce3afb1 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/Actor.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/Actor.scala
@@ -232,7 +232,6 @@ trait Actor extends TransactionManagement with Logging {
   @volatile private[this] var _isRunning = false
   @volatile private[this] var _isSuspended = true
   @volatile private[this] var _isShutDown = false
-  @volatile private[this] var _isEventBased: Boolean = false
   @volatile private[akka] var _isKilled = false
   private var _hotswap: Option[PartialFunction[Any, Unit]] = None
   private[akka] var _remoteAddress: Option[InetSocketAddress] = None
@@ -294,11 +293,7 @@ trait Actor extends TransactionManagement with Logging {
    * The default is also that all actors that are created and spawned from within this actor
    * is sharing the same dispatcher as its creator.
    */
-  protected[akka] var messageDispatcher: MessageDispatcher = {
-    val dispatcher = Dispatchers.globalExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher
-    _isEventBased = dispatcher.isInstanceOf[ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher]
-    dispatcher
-  }
+  protected[akka] var messageDispatcher: MessageDispatcher = Dispatchers.globalExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher
 
   /**
    * User overridable callback/setting.
@@ -513,8 +508,11 @@ trait Actor extends TransactionManagement with Logging {
           if (isActiveObject) throw e
           else None
       }
-      getResultOrThrowException(future)
-    } else throw new IllegalStateException(
+      
+      if (future.exception.isDefined) throw future.exception.get._2
+      else future.result.asInstanceOf[Option[T]]
+    }
+    else throw new IllegalStateException(
       "Actor has not been started, you need to invoke 'actor.start' before using it")
   }
 
@@ -593,7 +591,6 @@ trait Actor extends TransactionManagement with Logging {
       messageDispatcher.unregister(this)
       messageDispatcher = md
       messageDispatcher.register(this)
-      _isEventBased = messageDispatcher.isInstanceOf[ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher]
     } else throw new IllegalArgumentException(
       "Can not swap dispatcher for " + toString + " after it has been started")
   }
@@ -816,7 +813,7 @@ trait Actor extends TransactionManagement with Logging {
       RemoteClient.clientFor(_remoteAddress.get).send(requestBuilder.build, None)
     } else {
       val invocation = new MessageInvocation(this, message, sender.map(Left(_)), transactionSet.get)
-      if (_isEventBased) {
+      if (messageDispatcher.usesActorMailbox) {
         _mailbox.add(invocation)
         if (_isSuspended) invocation.send
       }
@@ -849,10 +846,11 @@ trait Actor extends TransactionManagement with Logging {
       val future = if (senderFuture.isDefined) senderFuture.get
                    else new DefaultCompletableFuture(timeout)
       val invocation = new MessageInvocation(this, message, Some(Right(future)), transactionSet.get)
-      if (_isEventBased) {
+      
+      if (messageDispatcher.usesActorMailbox)
         _mailbox.add(invocation)
-        invocation.send
-      } else invocation.send
+
+      invocation.send
       future
     }
   }
@@ -958,10 +956,6 @@ trait Actor extends TransactionManagement with Logging {
     }
   }
 
-  private def getResultOrThrowException[T](future: Future): Option[T] =
-    if (future.exception.isDefined) throw future.exception.get._2
-    else future.result.asInstanceOf[Option[T]]
-
   private def base: PartialFunction[Any, Unit] = lifeCycles orElse (_hotswap getOrElse receive)
 
   private val lifeCycles: PartialFunction[Any, Unit] = {
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
index 705c3ee142..0c624c2e3a 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ class ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher(_name: String) extends MessageDispatche
     active = false
     references.clear
   }
+  
+  def usesActorMailbox = true
 
   def ensureNotActive: Unit = if (active) throw new IllegalStateException(
     "Can't build a new thread pool for a dispatcher that is already up and running")
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenWorkStealingDispatcher.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenWorkStealingDispatcher.scala
index a96f5c5e76..28fe624b86 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenWorkStealingDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenWorkStealingDispatcher.scala
@@ -199,6 +199,8 @@ class ExecutorBasedEventDrivenWorkStealingDispatcher(_name: String) extends Mess
     pooledActors.remove(actor)
     super.unregister(actor)
   }
+  
+  def usesActorMailbox = true
 
   private def verifyActorsAreOfSameType(newActor: Actor) = {
     actorType match {
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/Reactor.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/Reactor.scala
index f9db74190f..3f300b1c52 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/Reactor.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/Reactor.scala
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ trait MessageDispatcher extends Logging {
   }
   def canBeShutDown: Boolean = references.isEmpty
   def isShutdown: Boolean
+  def usesActorMailbox : Boolean
 }
 
 trait MessageDemultiplexer {
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ReactorBasedSingleThreadEventDrivenDispatcher.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ReactorBasedSingleThreadEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
index 15af513d62..fc99cf88d2 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ReactorBasedSingleThreadEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ReactorBasedSingleThreadEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ class ReactorBasedSingleThreadEventDrivenDispatcher(name: String) extends Abstra
   }
 
   def isShutdown = !active
+  
+  def usesActorMailbox = false
 
   class Demultiplexer(private val messageQueue: ReactiveMessageQueue) extends MessageDemultiplexer {
 
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ReactorBasedThreadPoolEventDrivenDispatcher.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ReactorBasedThreadPoolEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
index 941e701410..3f33d4ffc0 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ReactorBasedThreadPoolEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ReactorBasedThreadPoolEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
@@ -134,6 +134,8 @@ class ReactorBasedThreadPoolEventDrivenDispatcher(_name: String)
     if (fair) true
     else nrOfBusyMessages < 100
   }
+  
+  def usesActorMailbox = false
 
   def ensureNotActive: Unit = if (active) throw new IllegalStateException(
     "Can't build a new thread pool for a dispatcher that is already up and running")
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ThreadBasedDispatcher.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ThreadBasedDispatcher.scala
index 8b1463f655..fbfffc999e 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ThreadBasedDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/dispatch/ThreadBasedDispatcher.scala
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ class ThreadBasedDispatcher private[akka] (val name: String, val messageHandler:
                        
   def isShutdown = !active
 
+  def usesActorMailbox = false
+
   def shutdown = if (active) {
     log.debug("Shutting down ThreadBasedDispatcher [%s]", name)
     active = false