diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/ByteString.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/ByteString.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9691f8c4da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/ByteString.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+package akka.util
+
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer
+
+import scala.collection.IndexedSeqOptimized
+import scala.collection.mutable.{ Builder, ArrayBuilder }
+import scala.collection.immutable.IndexedSeq
+import scala.collection.generic.{ CanBuildFrom, GenericCompanion }
+
+object ByteString {
+
+  def apply(bytes: Array[Byte]): ByteString = new ByteString(bytes.clone)
+
+  def apply[T](bytes: T*)(implicit num: Integral[T]): ByteString =
+    new ByteString(bytes.map(x ⇒ num.toInt(x).toByte)(collection.breakOut))
+
+  def apply(bytes: ByteBuffer): ByteString = {
+    val ar = new Array[Byte](bytes.remaining)
+    bytes.get(ar)
+    new ByteString(ar)
+  }
+
+  def apply(string: String): ByteString = apply(string, "UTF-8")
+
+  def apply(string: String, charset: String): ByteString = new ByteString(string.getBytes(charset))
+
+  val empty: ByteString = new ByteString(Array.empty[Byte])
+
+  def newBuilder = new Builder[Byte, ByteString] {
+    private val arrayBuilder = new ArrayBuilder.ofByte
+
+    override def sizeHint(size: Int): Unit = arrayBuilder.sizeHint(size)
+
+    def +=(elem: Byte): this.type = {
+      arrayBuilder += elem
+      this
+    }
+
+    override def ++=(xs: TraversableOnce[Byte]): this.type = {
+      arrayBuilder ++= xs
+      this
+    }
+
+    def clear(): Unit = arrayBuilder.clear
+
+    def result: ByteString = apply(arrayBuilder.result)
+  }
+
+  implicit def canBuildFrom = new CanBuildFrom[TraversableOnce[Byte], Byte, ByteString] {
+    def apply(from: TraversableOnce[Byte]) = newBuilder
+    def apply() = newBuilder
+  }
+
+}
+
+final class ByteString private (private val bytes: Array[Byte]) extends IndexedSeq[Byte] with IndexedSeqOptimized[Byte, ByteString] {
+
+  override def newBuilder = ByteString.newBuilder
+
+  //def seq = this
+
+  def apply(idx: Int): Byte = bytes(idx)
+
+  def length: Int = bytes.length
+
+  def toArray: Array[Byte] = bytes.clone
+
+  def asByteBuffer: ByteBuffer = ByteBuffer.wrap(bytes).asReadOnlyBuffer
+
+  def toByteBuffer: ByteBuffer = ByteBuffer.wrap(bytes.clone)
+
+}