diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/ActorRegistry.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/ActorRegistry.scala
index aea37432b7..953540fc70 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/ActorRegistry.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/ActorRegistry.scala
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ case class ActorUnregistered(actor: ActorRef) extends ActorRegistryEvent
 object ActorRegistry extends ListenerManagement {
   private val actorsByUUID =          new ConcurrentHashMap[String, ActorRef]
   private val actorsById =            new ConcurrentHashMap[String, JSet[ActorRef]]
-  private val actorsByClassName =     new ConcurrentHashMap[String, JSet[ActorRef]]
 
   /**
    * Returns all actors in the system.
@@ -46,6 +45,21 @@ object ActorRegistry extends ListenerManagement {
     while (elements.hasMoreElements) f(elements.nextElement)
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Invokes the function on all known actors until it returns Some
+   * Returns None if the function never returns Some 
+   */
+  def find[T](f: (ActorRef) => Option[T]) : Option[T] = {
+    val elements = actorsByUUID.elements
+    while (elements.hasMoreElements) {
+      val result = f(elements.nextElement)
+      
+      if(result.isDefined)
+        return result
+    }
+    None
+  }
+
   /**
    * Finds all actors that are subtypes of the class passed in as the Manifest argument and supproting passed message.
    */
@@ -71,22 +85,20 @@ object ActorRegistry extends ListenerManagement {
    * Finds all actors that are subtypes of the class passed in as the Manifest argument.
    */
   def actorsFor[T <: Actor](implicit manifest: Manifest[T]): List[ActorRef] =
-    filter(a => manifest.erasure.isAssignableFrom(a.actor.getClass))
+    actorsFor[T](manifest.erasure.asInstanceOf[Class[T]])
 
   /**
    * Finds any actor that matches T.
+   * FIXME: Improve performance by breaking out after the first match
    */
   def actorFor[T <: Actor](implicit manifest: Manifest[T]): Option[ActorRef] =
     actorsFor[T](manifest).headOption
 
   /**
-   * Finds all actors of the exact type specified by the class passed in as the Class argument.
+   * Finds all actors of type or sub-type specified by the class passed in as the Class argument.
    */
-  def actorsFor[T <: Actor](clazz: Class[T]): List[ActorRef] = {
-    if (actorsByClassName.containsKey(clazz.getName)) {
-      actorsByClassName.get(clazz.getName).toArray.toList.asInstanceOf[List[ActorRef]]
-    } else Nil
-  }
+  def actorsFor[T <: Actor](clazz: Class[T]): List[ActorRef] =
+    filter(a => clazz.isAssignableFrom(a.actor.getClass))
 
   /**
    * Finds all actors that has a specific id.
@@ -122,15 +134,6 @@ object ActorRegistry extends ListenerManagement {
       actorsById.put(id, set)
     }
 
-    // Class name
-    val className = actor.actorClassName
-    if (actorsByClassName.containsKey(className)) actorsByClassName.get(className).add(actor)
-    else {
-      val set = new ConcurrentSkipListSet[ActorRef]
-      set.add(actor)
-      actorsByClassName.put(className, set)
-    }
-
     // notify listeners
     foreachListener(_ ! ActorRegistered(actor))
   }
@@ -144,9 +147,6 @@ object ActorRegistry extends ListenerManagement {
     val id = actor.id
     if (actorsById.containsKey(id)) actorsById.get(id).remove(actor)
 
-    val className = actor.actorClassName
-    if (actorsByClassName.containsKey(className)) actorsByClassName.get(className).remove(actor)
-
     // notify listeners
     foreachListener(_ ! ActorUnregistered(actor))
   }
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@ object ActorRegistry extends ListenerManagement {
     foreach(_.stop)
     actorsByUUID.clear
     actorsById.clear
-    actorsByClassName.clear
     log.info("All actors have been shut down and unregistered from ActorRegistry")
   }
 }
diff --git a/akka-core/src/test/scala/misc/ActorRegistrySpec.scala b/akka-core/src/test/scala/misc/ActorRegistrySpec.scala
index 6914472e2c..d6fc463a65 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/test/scala/misc/ActorRegistrySpec.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/test/scala/misc/ActorRegistrySpec.scala
@@ -76,6 +76,17 @@ class ActorRegistrySpec extends JUnitSuite {
     actor.stop
   }
 
+  @Test def shouldFindThingsFromActorRegistry {
+    ActorRegistry.shutdownAll
+    val actor = actorOf[TestActor]
+    actor.start
+    val found = ActorRegistry.find(a => if(a.actor.isInstanceOf[TestActor]) Some(a) else None)
+    assert(found.isDefined)
+    assert(found.get.actor.isInstanceOf[TestActor])
+    assert(found.get.id === "MyID")
+    actor.stop
+  }
+
   @Test def shouldGetActorsByIdFromActorRegistry {
     ActorRegistry.shutdownAll
     val actor1 = actorOf[TestActor]
diff --git a/akka-samples/akka-sample-lift/src/main/scala/akka/SimpleService.scala b/akka-samples/akka-sample-lift/src/main/scala/akka/SimpleService.scala
index b361fbb16b..d5358a7d89 100644
--- a/akka-samples/akka-sample-lift/src/main/scala/akka/SimpleService.scala
+++ b/akka-samples/akka-sample-lift/src/main/scala/akka/SimpleService.scala
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ object SimpleRestService extends RestHelper {
    case Get("liftcount" :: _, req) =>
      //Fetch the first actor of type SimpleServiceActor
      //Send it the "Tick" message and expect a Node back
-     val result = for( a <- ActorRegistry.actorsFor(classOf[SimpleServiceActor]).headOption;
+     val result = for( a <- ActorRegistry.actorFor[SimpleServiceActor];
                        r <- (a !! "Tick").as[Node] ) yield r
 
      //Return either the resulting NodeSeq or a default one
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ object SimpleRestService extends RestHelper {
     case Get("persistentliftcount" :: _, req) =>
       //Fetch the first actor of type SimpleServiceActor
       //Send it the "Tick" message and expect a Node back
-      val result = for( a <- ActorRegistry.actorsFor(classOf[PersistentServiceActor]).headOption;
+      val result = for( a <- ActorRegistry.actorFor[PersistentServiceActor];
                         r <- (a !! "Tick").as[Node] ) yield r
 
       //Return either the resulting NodeSeq or a default one
diff --git a/akka-samples/akka-sample-rest-scala/src/main/scala/SimpleService.scala b/akka-samples/akka-sample-rest-scala/src/main/scala/SimpleService.scala
index fc96bba182..c3b71a3fdf 100644
--- a/akka-samples/akka-sample-rest-scala/src/main/scala/SimpleService.scala
+++ b/akka-samples/akka-sample-rest-scala/src/main/scala/SimpleService.scala
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import java.lang.Integer
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer
 import javax.ws.rs.core.MultivaluedMap
 import javax.ws.rs.{GET, POST, Path, Produces, WebApplicationException, Consumes,PathParam}
-import se.scalablesolutions.akka.actor.ActorRegistry.actorsFor
+import se.scalablesolutions.akka.actor.ActorRegistry.actorFor
 import org.atmosphere.annotation.{Broadcast, Suspend,Cluster}
 import org.atmosphere.util.XSSHtmlFilter
 import org.atmosphere.cpr.{Broadcaster, BroadcastFilter}
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class SimpleService {
   def count = {
     //Fetch the first actor of type SimpleServiceActor
     //Send it the "Tick" message and expect a NodeSeq back
-    val result = for{a <- actorsFor(classOf[SimpleServiceActor]).headOption
+    val result = for{a <- actorFor[SimpleServiceActor]
                      r <- (a !! "Tick").as[NodeSeq]} yield r
     //Return either the resulting NodeSeq or a default one
     result getOrElse <error>Error in counter</error>
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ class PersistentSimpleService {
   def count = {
     //Fetch the first actor of type PersistentSimpleServiceActor
     //Send it the "Tick" message and expect a NodeSeq back
-    val result = for{a <- actorsFor(classOf[PersistentSimpleServiceActor]).headOption
+    val result = for{a <- actorFor[PersistentSimpleServiceActor]
                      r <- (a !! "Tick").as[NodeSeq]} yield r
     //Return either the resulting NodeSeq or a default one
     result getOrElse <error>Error in counter</error>
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ class Chat {
     val msg = ChatMsg(form.getFirst("name"),form.getFirst("action"),form.getFirst("message"))
     //Fetch the first actor of type ChatActor
     //Send it the "Tick" message and expect a NodeSeq back
-    val result = for{a <- actorsFor(classOf[ChatActor]).headOption
+    val result = for{a <- actorFor[ChatActor]
                      r <- (a !! msg).as[String]} yield r
     //Return either the resulting String or a default one
     result getOrElse "System__error"
diff --git a/akka-samples/akka-sample-security/src/main/scala/SimpleService.scala b/akka-samples/akka-sample-security/src/main/scala/SimpleService.scala
index e5c8029eb8..02af6174c6 100644
--- a/akka-samples/akka-sample-security/src/main/scala/SimpleService.scala
+++ b/akka-samples/akka-sample-security/src/main/scala/SimpleService.scala
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import se.scalablesolutions.akka.config.ScalaConfig._
 import se.scalablesolutions.akka.util.Logging
 import se.scalablesolutions.akka.security.{BasicAuthenticationActor,BasicCredentials,SpnegoAuthenticationActor,DigestAuthenticationActor, UserInfo}
 import se.scalablesolutions.akka.stm.TransactionalMap
-import se.scalablesolutions.akka.actor.ActorRegistry.actorsFor
+import se.scalablesolutions.akka.actor.ActorRegistry.actorFor
 
 class Boot {
   val factory = SupervisorFactory(
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class SecureTickService {
   def tick = {
         //Fetch the first actor of type PersistentSimpleServiceActor
         //Send it the "Tick" message and expect a NdeSeq back
-        val result = for{a <- actorsFor(classOf[SecureTickActor]).headOption
+        val result = for{a <- actorFor[SecureTickActor]
                          r <- (a !! "Tick").as[Integer]} yield r
         //Return either the resulting NodeSeq or a default one
         result match {