diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/MailboxConfigSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/MailboxConfigSpec.scala
index 89158e1574..20b6027f15 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/MailboxConfigSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/MailboxConfigSpec.scala
@@ -195,6 +195,15 @@ class PriorityMailboxSpec extends MailboxSpec {
   }
 }
 
+class StablePriorityMailboxSpec extends MailboxSpec {
+  val comparator = PriorityGenerator(_.##)
+  lazy val name = "The stable priority mailbox implementation"
+  def factory = {
+    case UnboundedMailbox()                    ⇒ new UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox(comparator).create(None, None)
+    case BoundedMailbox(capacity, pushTimeOut) ⇒ new BoundedStablePriorityMailbox(comparator, capacity, pushTimeOut).create(None, None)
+  }
+}
+
 class ControlAwareMailboxSpec extends MailboxSpec {
   lazy val name = "The control aware mailbox implementation"
   def factory = {
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/StablePriorityDispatcherSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/StablePriorityDispatcherSpec.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..df0e9a4bfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/StablePriorityDispatcherSpec.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+package akka.dispatch
+
+import language.postfixOps
+
+import com.typesafe.config.Config
+
+import akka.actor.{ Props, ActorSystem, Actor }
+import akka.testkit.{ DefaultTimeout, AkkaSpec }
+import scala.concurrent.duration._
+
+object StablePriorityDispatcherSpec {
+  val config = """
+    unbounded-stable-prio-dispatcher {
+      mailbox-type = "akka.dispatch.StablePriorityDispatcherSpec$Unbounded"
+    }
+    bounded-stable-prio-dispatcher {
+      mailbox-type = "akka.dispatch.StablePriorityDispatcherSpec$Bounded"
+    }
+    """
+
+  class Unbounded(settings: ActorSystem.Settings, config: Config) extends UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox(PriorityGenerator({
+    case i: Int if i <= 100 ⇒ i // Small integers have high priority
+    case i: Int             ⇒ 101 // Don't care for other integers
+    case 'Result            ⇒ Int.MaxValue
+  }: Any ⇒ Int))
+
+  class Bounded(settings: ActorSystem.Settings, config: Config) extends BoundedStablePriorityMailbox(PriorityGenerator({
+    case i: Int if i <= 100 ⇒ i // Small integers have high priority
+    case i: Int             ⇒ 101 // Don't care for other integers
+    case 'Result            ⇒ Int.MaxValue
+  }: Any ⇒ Int), 1000, 10 seconds)
+
+}
+
+@org.junit.runner.RunWith(classOf[org.scalatest.junit.JUnitRunner])
+class StablePriorityDispatcherSpec extends AkkaSpec(StablePriorityDispatcherSpec.config) with DefaultTimeout {
+
+  "A StablePriorityDispatcher" must {
+    "Order its messages according to the specified comparator while preserving FIFO for equal priority messages, " +
+      "using an unbounded mailbox" in {
+        val dispatcherKey = "unbounded-stable-prio-dispatcher"
+        testOrdering(dispatcherKey)
+      }
+
+    "Order its messages according to the specified comparator while preserving FIFO for equal priority messages, " +
+      "using a bounded mailbox" in {
+        val dispatcherKey = "bounded-stable-prio-dispatcher"
+        testOrdering(dispatcherKey)
+      }
+
+    def testOrdering(dispatcherKey: String) {
+      val msgs = (1 to 200) toList
+      val shuffled = scala.util.Random.shuffle(msgs)
+
+      // It's important that the actor under test is not a top level actor
+      // with RepointableActorRef, since messages might be queued in
+      // UnstartedCell and then sent to the StablePriorityQueue and consumed immediately
+      // without the ordering taking place.
+      val actor = system.actorOf(Props(new Actor {
+        context.actorOf(Props(new Actor {
+
+          val acc = scala.collection.mutable.ListBuffer[Int]()
+
+          shuffled foreach { m ⇒ self ! m }
+
+          self.tell('Result, testActor)
+
+          def receive = {
+            case i: Int  ⇒ acc += i
+            case 'Result ⇒ sender() ! acc.toList
+          }
+        }).withDispatcher(dispatcherKey))
+
+        def receive = Actor.emptyBehavior
+
+      }))
+
+      // Low messages should come out first, and in priority order.  High messages follow - they are equal priority and
+      // should come out in the same order in which they were sent.
+      val lo = (1 to 100) toList
+      val hi = shuffled filter { _ > 100 }
+      expectMsgType[List[_]] should be(lo ++ hi)
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
index 575e82b952..38779f5ae8 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent._
 import akka.AkkaException
 import akka.dispatch.sysmsg._
 import akka.actor.{ ActorCell, ActorRef, Cell, ActorSystem, InternalActorRef, DeadLetter }
-import akka.util.{ Unsafe, BoundedBlockingQueue }
+import akka.util.{ BoundedBlockingQueue, StablePriorityBlockingQueue, StablePriorityQueue, Unsafe }
 import akka.util.Helpers.ConfigOps
 import akka.event.Logging.Error
 import scala.concurrent.duration.Duration
@@ -696,6 +696,48 @@ object BoundedPriorityMailbox {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox is an unbounded mailbox that allows for prioritization of its contents.  Unlike the
+ * [[UnboundedPriorityMailbox]] it preserves ordering for messages of equal priority.
+ * Extend this class and provide the Comparator in the constructor.
+ */
+class UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox(val cmp: Comparator[Envelope], val initialCapacity: Int)
+  extends MailboxType with ProducesMessageQueue[UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox.MessageQueue] {
+  def this(cmp: Comparator[Envelope]) = this(cmp, 11)
+  final override def create(owner: Option[ActorRef], system: Option[ActorSystem]): MessageQueue =
+    new UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox.MessageQueue(initialCapacity, cmp)
+}
+
+object UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox {
+  class MessageQueue(initialCapacity: Int, cmp: Comparator[Envelope])
+    extends StablePriorityBlockingQueue[Envelope](initialCapacity, cmp) with UnboundedQueueBasedMessageQueue {
+    final def queue: Queue[Envelope] = this
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * BoundedStablePriorityMailbox is a bounded mailbox that allows for prioritization of its contents.  Unlike the
+ * [[BoundedPriorityMailbox]] it preserves ordering for messages of equal priority.
+ * Extend this class and provide the Comparator in the constructor.
+ */
+class BoundedStablePriorityMailbox( final val cmp: Comparator[Envelope], final val capacity: Int, final val pushTimeOut: Duration)
+  extends MailboxType with ProducesMessageQueue[BoundedStablePriorityMailbox.MessageQueue] {
+
+  if (capacity < 0) throw new IllegalArgumentException("The capacity for BoundedMailbox can not be negative")
+  if (pushTimeOut eq null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("The push time-out for BoundedMailbox can not be null")
+
+  final override def create(owner: Option[ActorRef], system: Option[ActorSystem]): MessageQueue =
+    new BoundedStablePriorityMailbox.MessageQueue(capacity, cmp, pushTimeOut)
+}
+
+object BoundedStablePriorityMailbox {
+  class MessageQueue(capacity: Int, cmp: Comparator[Envelope], val pushTimeOut: Duration)
+    extends BoundedBlockingQueue[Envelope](capacity, new StablePriorityQueue[Envelope](11, cmp))
+    with BoundedQueueBasedMessageQueue {
+    final def queue: BlockingQueue[Envelope] = this
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * UnboundedDequeBasedMailbox is an unbounded MailboxType, backed by a Deque.
  */
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/StablePriorityQueue.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/StablePriorityQueue.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..89b6eec975
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/StablePriorityQueue.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+
+package akka.util
+
+import java.util.concurrent.PriorityBlockingQueue
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong
+import java.util.{ AbstractQueue, Comparator, Iterator, PriorityQueue }
+
+/**
+ * PriorityQueueStabilizer wraps a priority queue so that it respects FIFO for elements of equal priority.
+ * @tparam E - The type of the elements of this Queue
+ */
+trait PriorityQueueStabilizer[E <: AnyRef] extends AbstractQueue[E] {
+  val backingQueue: AbstractQueue[PriorityQueueStabilizer.WrappedElement[E]]
+  val seqNum = new AtomicLong(0)
+
+  override def peek(): E = {
+    val wrappedElement = backingQueue.peek()
+    if (wrappedElement eq null) null.asInstanceOf[E] else wrappedElement.element
+  }
+
+  override def size(): Int = backingQueue.size()
+
+  override def offer(e: E): Boolean = {
+    if (e eq null) throw new NullPointerException
+    val wrappedElement = new PriorityQueueStabilizer.WrappedElement(e, seqNum.incrementAndGet)
+    backingQueue.offer(wrappedElement)
+  }
+
+  override def iterator(): Iterator[E] = new Iterator[E] {
+    private[this] val backingIterator = backingQueue.iterator()
+    def hasNext: Boolean = backingIterator.hasNext
+    def next(): E = backingIterator.next().element
+    def remove() = backingIterator.remove()
+  }
+
+  override def poll(): E = {
+    val wrappedElement = backingQueue.poll()
+    if (wrappedElement eq null) null.asInstanceOf[E] else wrappedElement.element
+  }
+}
+
+object PriorityQueueStabilizer {
+  class WrappedElement[E](val element: E, val seqNum: Long)
+  class WrappedElementComparator[E](val cmp: Comparator[E]) extends Comparator[WrappedElement[E]] {
+    def compare(e1: WrappedElement[E], e2: WrappedElement[E]): Int = {
+      val baseComparison = cmp.compare(e1.element, e2.element)
+      if (baseComparison != 0) baseComparison
+      else {
+        val diff = e1.seqNum - e2.seqNum
+        java.lang.Long.signum(diff)
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * StablePriorityQueue is a priority queue that preserves order for elements of equal priority.
+ * @param capacity - the initial capacity of this Queue, needs to be > 0.
+ * @param cmp - Comparator for comparing Queue elements
+ * @tparam E - The type of the elements of this Queue
+ */
+class StablePriorityQueue[E <: AnyRef](capacity: Int, cmp: Comparator[E]) extends PriorityQueueStabilizer[E] {
+  val backingQueue = new PriorityQueue[PriorityQueueStabilizer.WrappedElement[E]](
+    capacity,
+    new PriorityQueueStabilizer.WrappedElementComparator[E](cmp))
+}
+
+/**
+ * StablePriorityBlockingQueue is a blocking priority queue that preserves order for elements of equal priority.
+ * @param capacity - the initial capacity of this Queue, needs to be > 0.
+ * @param cmp - Comparator for comparing Queue elements
+ * @tparam E - The type of the elements of this Queue
+ */
+class StablePriorityBlockingQueue[E <: AnyRef](capacity: Int, cmp: Comparator[E]) extends PriorityQueueStabilizer[E] {
+  val backingQueue = new PriorityBlockingQueue[PriorityQueueStabilizer.WrappedElement[E]](
+    capacity,
+    new PriorityQueueStabilizer.WrappedElementComparator[E](cmp))
+}
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/dispatcher/DispatcherDocTest.java b/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/dispatcher/DispatcherDocTest.java
index 85aee84fd1..bb1fe1a851 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/dispatcher/DispatcherDocTest.java
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/dispatcher/DispatcherDocTest.java
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import akka.event.LoggingAdapter;
 
 //#imports-prio-mailbox
 import akka.dispatch.PriorityGenerator;
-import akka.dispatch.UnboundedPriorityMailbox;
+import akka.dispatch.UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox;
 import akka.testkit.AkkaJUnitActorSystemResource;
 import akka.testkit.JavaTestKit;
 import com.typesafe.config.Config;
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public class DispatcherDocTest {
         .withDispatcher("my-pinned-dispatcher"));
     //#defining-pinned-dispatcher
   }
-  
+
   @SuppressWarnings("unused")
   public void compileLookup() {
     //#lookup
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ public class DispatcherDocTest {
 
   static
   //#prio-mailbox
-  public class MyPrioMailbox extends UnboundedPriorityMailbox {
+  public class MyPrioMailbox extends UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox {
     // needed for reflective instantiation
     public MyPrioMailbox(ActorSystem.Settings settings, Config config) {
       // Create a new PriorityGenerator, lower prio means more important
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/java/mailboxes.rst b/akka-docs/rst/java/mailboxes.rst
index 60d18f5b7f..e320d0c06a 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/java/mailboxes.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/java/mailboxes.rst
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ dispatcher which will execute it. Then the mailbox is determined as follows:
 Default Mailbox
 ---------------
 
-When the mailbox is not specified as described above the default mailbox 
-is used. By default it is an unbounded mailbox, which is backed by a 
+When the mailbox is not specified as described above the default mailbox
+is used. By default it is an unbounded mailbox, which is backed by a
 ``java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue``.
 
 ``SingleConsumerOnlyUnboundedMailbox`` is an even more efficient mailbox, and
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ Akka comes shipped with a number of mailbox implementations:
 
   - Backed by a ``java.util.concurrent.PriorityBlockingQueue``
 
+  - Delivery order for messages of equal priority is undefined - contrast with the UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox
+
   - Blocking: Yes
 
   - Bounded: No
@@ -163,7 +165,9 @@ Akka comes shipped with a number of mailbox implementations:
 
 * BoundedPriorityMailbox
 
-  - Backed by a ``java.util.PriorityBlockingQueue`` wrapped in an ``akka.util.BoundedBlockingQueue``
+  - Backed by a ``java.util.PriorityQueue`` wrapped in an ``akka.util.BoundedBlockingQueue``
+
+  - Delivery order for messages of equal priority is undefined - contrast with the BoundedStablePriorityMailbox
 
   - Blocking: Yes
 
@@ -171,6 +175,30 @@ Akka comes shipped with a number of mailbox implementations:
 
   - Configuration name: "akka.dispatch.BoundedPriorityMailbox"
 
+* UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox
+
+  - Backed by a ``java.util.concurrent.PriorityBlockingQueue`` wrapped in an ``akka.util.PriorityQueueStabilizer``
+
+  - FIFO order is preserved for messages of equal priority - contrast with the UnboundedPriorityMailbox
+
+  - Blocking: Yes
+
+  - Bounded: No
+
+  - Configuration name: "akka.dispatch.UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox"
+
+* BoundedStablePriorityMailbox
+
+  - Backed by a ``java.util.PriorityQueue`` wrapped in an ``akka.util.PriorityQueueStabilizer`` and an ``akka.util.BoundedBlockingQueue``
+
+  - FIFO order is preserved for messages of equal priority - contrast with the BoundedPriorityMailbox
+
+  - Blocking: Yes
+
+  - Bounded: Yes
+
+  - Configuration name: "akka.dispatch.BoundedStablePriorityMailbox"
+
 * UnboundedControlAwareMailbox
 
   - Delivers messages that extend ``akka.dispatch.ControlMessage`` with higher priority
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/dispatcher/DispatcherDocSpec.scala b/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/dispatcher/DispatcherDocSpec.scala
index dceac101c6..15e29a5dd3 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/dispatcher/DispatcherDocSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/scala/code/docs/dispatcher/DispatcherDocSpec.scala
@@ -187,13 +187,13 @@ object DispatcherDocSpec {
 
   //#prio-mailbox
   import akka.dispatch.PriorityGenerator
-  import akka.dispatch.UnboundedPriorityMailbox
+  import akka.dispatch.UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox
   import com.typesafe.config.Config
 
-  // We inherit, in this case, from UnboundedPriorityMailbox
+  // We inherit, in this case, from UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox
   // and seed it with the priority generator
   class MyPrioMailbox(settings: ActorSystem.Settings, config: Config)
-    extends UnboundedPriorityMailbox(
+    extends UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox(
       // Create a new PriorityGenerator, lower prio means more important
       PriorityGenerator {
         // 'highpriority messages should be treated first if possible
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/scala/mailboxes.rst b/akka-docs/rst/scala/mailboxes.rst
index 3c85f4ad1e..cf2ed4a8a7 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/scala/mailboxes.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/scala/mailboxes.rst
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ dispatcher which will execute it. Then the mailbox is determined as follows:
 Default Mailbox
 ---------------
 
-When the mailbox is not specified as described above the default mailbox 
-is used. By default it is an unbounded mailbox, which is backed by a 
+When the mailbox is not specified as described above the default mailbox
+is used. By default it is an unbounded mailbox, which is backed by a
 ``java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue``.
 
 ``SingleConsumerOnlyUnboundedMailbox`` is an even more efficient mailbox, and
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ Akka comes shipped with a number of mailbox implementations:
 
   - Backed by a ``java.util.concurrent.PriorityBlockingQueue``
 
+  - Delivery order for messages of equal priority is undefined - contrast with the UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox
+
   - Blocking: Yes
 
   - Bounded: No
@@ -163,7 +165,9 @@ Akka comes shipped with a number of mailbox implementations:
 
 * BoundedPriorityMailbox
 
-  - Backed by a ``java.util.PriorityBlockingQueue`` wrapped in an ``akka.util.BoundedBlockingQueue``
+  - Backed by a ``java.util.PriorityQueue`` wrapped in an ``akka.util.BoundedBlockingQueue``
+
+  - Delivery order for messages of equal priority is undefined - contrast with the BoundedStablePriorityMailbox
 
   - Blocking: Yes
 
@@ -171,6 +175,30 @@ Akka comes shipped with a number of mailbox implementations:
 
   - Configuration name: "akka.dispatch.BoundedPriorityMailbox"
 
+* UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox
+
+  - Backed by a ``java.util.concurrent.PriorityBlockingQueue`` wrapped in an ``akka.util.PriorityQueueStabilizer``
+
+  - FIFO order is preserved for messages of equal priority - contrast with the UnboundedPriorityMailbox
+
+  - Blocking: Yes
+
+  - Bounded: No
+
+  - Configuration name: "akka.dispatch.UnboundedStablePriorityMailbox"
+
+* BoundedStablePriorityMailbox
+
+  - Backed by a ``java.util.PriorityQueue`` wrapped in an ``akka.util.PriorityQueueStabilizer`` and an ``akka.util.BoundedBlockingQueue``
+
+  - FIFO order is preserved for messages of equal priority - contrast with the BoundedPriorityMailbox
+
+  - Blocking: Yes
+
+  - Bounded: Yes
+
+  - Configuration name: "akka.dispatch.BoundedStablePriorityMailbox"
+
 * UnboundedControlAwareMailbox
 
   - Delivers messages that extend ``akka.dispatch.ControlMessage`` with higher priority