diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/serialization/AsyncSerializeSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/serialization/AsyncSerializeSpec.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0d9a42d104
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/serialization/AsyncSerializeSpec.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2018 Lightbend Inc. <https://www.lightbend.com>
+ */
+
+package akka.serialization
+
+import akka.actor.ExtendedActorSystem
+import akka.serialization.AsyncSerializeSpec.{ Message1, TestAsyncSerializer }
+import akka.testkit.{ AkkaSpec, EventFilter }
+import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
+
+import scala.concurrent.Future
+
+object AsyncSerializeSpec {
+
+  case class Message1(str: String)
+  case class Message2(str: String)
+
+  val config = ConfigFactory.parseString(
+    """
+       akka {
+        actor {
+          serializers {
+            async = "akka.serialization.AsyncSerializeSpec$TestAsyncSerializer"
+          }
+
+          serialization-bindings = {
+            "akka.serialization.AsyncSerializeSpec$Message1" = async
+            "akka.serialization.AsyncSerializeSpec$Message2" = async
+          }
+        }
+       }
+    """)
+
+  class TestAsyncSerializer(system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends AsyncSerializerWithStringManifest(system) {
+
+    override def toBinaryAsync(o: AnyRef): Future[Array[Byte]] = {
+      o match {
+        case Message1(msg) ⇒ Future.successful(msg.getBytes)
+        case Message2(msg) ⇒ Future.successful(msg.getBytes)
+      }
+    }
+
+    override def fromBinaryAsync(bytes: Array[Byte], manifest: String): Future[AnyRef] = {
+      manifest match {
+        case "1" ⇒ Future.successful(Message1(new String(bytes)))
+        case "2" ⇒ Future.successful(Message2(new String(bytes)))
+      }
+    }
+
+    override def identifier: Int = 9000
+
+    override def manifest(o: AnyRef): String = o match {
+      case _: Message1 ⇒ "1"
+      case _: Message2 ⇒ "2"
+    }
+  }
+
+}
+
+class AsyncSerializeSpec extends AkkaSpec(AsyncSerializeSpec.config) {
+  val ser = SerializationExtension(system)
+
+  "SerializationExtension" must {
+    "find async serializers" in {
+      val o1 = Message1("to async")
+      val serializer: Serializer = ser.findSerializerFor(o1)
+      serializer.getClass shouldEqual classOf[TestAsyncSerializer]
+      val asyncSerializer = serializer.asInstanceOf[SerializerWithStringManifest with AsyncSerializer]
+      val binary = asyncSerializer.toBinaryAsync(o1).futureValue
+      val back = asyncSerializer.fromBinaryAsync(binary, asyncSerializer.manifest(o1)).futureValue
+      o1 shouldEqual back
+    }
+
+    "logs warning if sync methods called" in {
+      EventFilter.warning(start = "Async serializer called synchronously", occurrences = 1) intercept {
+        ser.serialize(Message1("to async"))
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/serialization/AsyncSerializer.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/serialization/AsyncSerializer.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9450c30a40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/serialization/AsyncSerializer.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2018 Lightbend Inc. <https://www.lightbend.com>
+ */
+
+package akka.serialization
+
+import akka.actor.ExtendedActorSystem
+
+import scala.concurrent.duration.Duration
+import scala.concurrent.{ Await, Future }
+
+/**
+ * Serializer that supports async serialization.
+ *
+ * Only used for Akka persistence journals that explicitly support async serializers.
+ *
+ * Implementations should typically extend [[AsyncSerializerWithStringManifest]] that
+ * delegates synchronous calls to their async equivalents.
+ */
+trait AsyncSerializer {
+  def toBinaryAsync(o: AnyRef): Future[Array[Byte]]
+
+  def fromBinaryAsync(bytes: Array[Byte], manifest: String): Future[AnyRef]
+}
+
+/**
+ * Async serializer with string manifest that delegates synchronous calls to the asynchronous calls
+ * and blocks.
+ */
+abstract class AsyncSerializerWithStringManifest(system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends SerializerWithStringManifest with AsyncSerializer {
+  final override def toBinary(o: AnyRef): Array[Byte] = {
+    system.log.warning("Async serializer called synchronously. This will block. Async serializers should only be used for akka persistence plugins that support them. Class: {}", o.getClass)
+    Await.result(toBinaryAsync(o), Duration.Inf)
+  }
+
+  final override def fromBinary(bytes: Array[Byte], manifest: String): AnyRef = {
+    system.log.warning("Async serializer called synchronously. This will block. Async serializers should only be used for akka persistence plugins that support them. Manifest: [{}]", manifest)
+    Await.result(fromBinaryAsync(bytes, manifest), Duration.Inf)
+  }
+}
+
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/serialization/Serializer.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/serialization/Serializer.scala
index dbaba879e9..da6d47ae34 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/serialization/Serializer.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/serialization/Serializer.scala
@@ -4,10 +4,6 @@
 
 package akka.serialization
 
-/**
- * Copyright (C) 2009-2018 Lightbend Inc. <https://www.lightbend.com>
- */
-
 import java.io.{ ByteArrayInputStream, ByteArrayOutputStream, NotSerializableException, ObjectOutputStream }
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer
 import java.util.concurrent.Callable