diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/DeployerSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/DeployerSpec.scala
index 03bff2b110..897932cad9 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/DeployerSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/DeployerSpec.scala
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class DeployerSpec extends AkkaSpec(DeployerSpec.deployerConf) {
 
     "be able to parse 'akka.actor.deployment._' with all default values" in {
       val service = "/service1"
-      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service)
+      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service.split("/"))
       deployment must be('defined)
 
       deployment must be(Some(
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class DeployerSpec extends AkkaSpec(DeployerSpec.deployerConf) {
 
     "use None deployment for undefined service" in {
       val service = "/undefined"
-      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service)
+      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service.split("/"))
       deployment must be(None)
     }
 
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ class DeployerSpec extends AkkaSpec(DeployerSpec.deployerConf) {
     }
 
     def assertRouting(expected: RouterConfig, service: String) {
-      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service)
+      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service.split("/"))
       deployment must be('defined)
       deployment.get.path must be(service)
       deployment.get.routerConfig.getClass must be(expected.getClass)
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefProvider.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefProvider.scala
index b22218d6a3..285f760aaf 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefProvider.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRefProvider.scala
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ class LocalActorRefProvider(
     props.routerConfig match {
       case NoRouter ⇒ new LocalActorRef(system, props, supervisor, path, systemService) // create a local actor
       case router ⇒
-        val lookup = if (lookupDeploy) deployer.lookup(path.elements.drop(1).mkString("/", "/", "")) else None
+        val lookup = if (lookupDeploy) deployer.lookup(path) else None
         val fromProps = Iterator(props.deploy.copy(routerConfig = props.deploy.routerConfig withFallback router))
         val d = fromProps ++ deploy.iterator ++ lookup.iterator reduce ((a, b) ⇒ b withFallback a)
         new RoutedActorRef(system, props.withRouter(d.routerConfig), supervisor, path)
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Deployer.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Deployer.scala
index 0d52e9bec6..70e0b151b9 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Deployer.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Deployer.scala
@@ -141,10 +141,12 @@ private[akka] class Deployer(val settings: ActorSystem.Settings, val dynamicAcce
     case _                          ⇒ None
   } foreach deploy
 
-  def lookup(path: String): Option[Deploy] = lookup(path.split("/").iterator)
+  def lookup(path: Iterable[String]): Option[Deploy] = deployments.get().find(path.iterator).deploy
 
   def lookup(path: Iterator[String]): Option[Deploy] = deployments.get().find(path).deploy
 
+  def lookup(path: ActorPath): Option[Deploy] = deployments.get().find(Iterator.single("") ++ path.elements.drop(1).iterator).deploy
+
   def deploy(d: Deploy): Unit = {
     @tailrec def add(path: Array[String], d: Deploy, w: WildcardTree = deployments.get): Unit =
       if (!deployments.compareAndSet(w, w.insert(path.iterator, d))) add(path, d)
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala
index a4d9a8d0c6..7f0564b4d0 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/RemoteActorRefProvider.scala
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ class RemoteActorRefProvider(
         p.headOption match {
           case None           ⇒ None
           case Some("remote") ⇒ lookupRemotes(p.drop(2))
-          case Some("user")   ⇒ deployer.lookup(p.drop(1).mkString("/", "/", ""))
+          case Some("user")   ⇒ deployer.lookup(Iterator.single("") ++ p.drop(1).iterator)
           case Some(_)        ⇒ None
         }
       }
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ class RemoteActorRefProvider(
       val lookup =
         if (lookupDeploy)
           elems.head match {
-            case "user"   ⇒ deployer.lookup(elems.drop(1).mkString("/", "/", ""))
+            case "user"   ⇒ deployer.lookup(Iterator.single("") ++ elems.drop(1).iterator)
             case "remote" ⇒ lookupRemotes(elems)
             case _        ⇒ None
           }
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/test/scala/akka/remote/RemoteDeployerSpec.scala b/akka-remote/src/test/scala/akka/remote/RemoteDeployerSpec.scala
index 57d240e8d8..7cf1c917d5 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/test/scala/akka/remote/RemoteDeployerSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/test/scala/akka/remote/RemoteDeployerSpec.scala
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class RemoteDeployerSpec extends AkkaSpec(RemoteDeployerSpec.deployerConf) {
 
     "be able to parse 'akka.actor.deployment._' with specified remote nodes" in {
       val service = "/user/service2"
-      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service)
+      val deployment = system.asInstanceOf[ActorSystemImpl].provider.deployer.lookup(service.split("/"))
       deployment must be('defined)
 
       deployment must be(Some(