diff --git a/akka-actor/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/FSMTimingSpec.scala b/akka-actor/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/FSMTimingSpec.scala
index 0b67272244..a59785ab7a 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/FSMTimingSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/FSMTimingSpec.scala
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package akka.actor
 
 import akka.testkit.TestKit
 import akka.util.duration._
-import akka.Testing
 
 import org.scalatest.WordSpec
 import org.scalatest.matchers.MustMatchers
@@ -17,7 +16,7 @@ class FSMTimingSpec
 
   val fsm = Actor.actorOf(new StateMachine(testActor)).start
   fsm ! SubscribeTransitionCallBack(testActor)
-  expectMsg(Testing.time(200).millis, CurrentState(fsm, Initial))
+  expectMsg(200 millis, CurrentState(fsm, Initial))
 
   ignoreMsg {
       case Transition(_, Initial, _) => true
@@ -26,7 +25,7 @@ class FSMTimingSpec
   "A Finite State Machine" must {
 
     "receive StateTimeout" in {
-      within (Testing.time(50).millis, Testing.time(150).millis) {
+      within (50 millis, 150 millis) {
         fsm ! TestStateTimeout
         expectMsg(Transition(fsm, TestStateTimeout, Initial))
         expectNoMsg
@@ -34,7 +33,7 @@ class FSMTimingSpec
     }
 
     "receive single-shot timer" in {
-      within (Testing.time(50).millis, Testing.time(150).millis) {
+      within (50 millis, 150 millis) {
         fsm ! TestSingleTimer
         expectMsg(Tick)
         expectMsg(Transition(fsm, TestSingleTimer, Initial))
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ class FSMTimingSpec
         case Tick => Tick
       }
       seq must have length (5)
-      within(Testing.time(250) millis) {
+      within(250 millis) {
         expectMsg(Transition(fsm, TestRepeatedTimer, Initial))
         expectNoMsg
       }
@@ -56,21 +55,21 @@ class FSMTimingSpec
 
     "notify unhandled messages" in {
       fsm ! TestUnhandled
-      within(Testing.time(100) millis) {
+      within(100 millis) {
         fsm ! Tick
         expectNoMsg
       }
-      within(Testing.time(100) millis) {
+      within(100 millis) {
         fsm ! SetHandler
         fsm ! Tick
         expectMsg(Unhandled(Tick))
         expectNoMsg
       }
-      within(Testing.time(100) millis) {
+      within(100 millis) {
         fsm ! Unhandled("test")
         expectNoMsg
       }
-      within(Testing.time(100) millis) {
+      within(100 millis) {
         fsm ! Cancel
         expectMsg(Transition(fsm, TestUnhandled, Initial))
       }
diff --git a/project/build/AkkaProject.scala b/project/build/AkkaProject.scala
index 621c945653..004494c8b8 100644
--- a/project/build/AkkaProject.scala
+++ b/project/build/AkkaProject.scala
@@ -465,8 +465,6 @@ class AkkaParentProject(info: ProjectInfo) extends DefaultProject(info) {
   }
 
   def akkaArtifacts = descendents(info.projectPath / "dist", "*-" + version + ".jar")
-  lazy val integrationTestsEnabled = systemOptional[Boolean]("integration.tests",false)
-  lazy val stressTestsEnabled = systemOptional[Boolean]("stress.tests",false)
 
   // ------------------------------------------------------------
   class AkkaDefaultProject(info: ProjectInfo, val deployPath: Path) extends DefaultProject(info) 
@@ -485,21 +483,15 @@ class AkkaParentProject(info: ProjectInfo) extends DefaultProject(info) {
     override def packageToPublishActions = super.packageToPublishActions ++ Seq(this.packageDocs, this.packageSrc)
     override def pomPostProcess(node: scala.xml.Node): scala.xml.Node = mcPom(AkkaParentProject.this.moduleConfigurations)(super.pomPostProcess(node))
 
-    /**
-     * Used for testOptions, possibility to enable the running of integration and or stresstests
-     *
-     * To enable set true and disable set false
-     * set integration.tests true
-     * set stress.tests true
-     */
-    def createTestFilter(defaultTests: (String) => Boolean) = { TestFilter({
-        case s: String if defaultTests(s) => true
-        case s: String if integrationTestsEnabled.value => s.endsWith("TestIntegration")
-        case s: String if stressTestsEnabled.value      => s.endsWith("TestStress")
-        case _ => false
-      }) :: Nil
+    lazy val excludeTestsProperty = systemOptional[String]("akka.test.exclude", "")
+
+    def excludeTests = {
+      val exclude = excludeTestsProperty.value
+      if (exclude.isEmpty) Seq.empty else exclude.split(",").toSeq
     }
 
+    override def testOptions = super.testOptions ++ excludeTests.map(exclude => TestFilter(test => !test.contains(exclude)))
+
     lazy val publishRelease = {
       val releaseConfiguration = new DefaultPublishConfiguration(localReleaseRepository, "release", false)
       publishTask(publishIvyModule, releaseConfiguration) dependsOn (deliver, publishLocal, makePom)