diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala
index a7bc8165aa..dd55384151 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ package se.scalablesolutions.akka.dispatch
 import org.multiverse.commitbarriers.CountDownCommitBarrier
 
 import java.util.concurrent._
-import atomic. {AtomicReference, AtomicLong}
+import atomic. {AtomicInteger, AtomicBoolean, AtomicReference, AtomicLong}
 import se.scalablesolutions.akka.util. {Switch, ReentrantGuard, Logging, HashCode}
 import se.scalablesolutions.akka.actor._
 
@@ -52,13 +52,19 @@ final class MessageInvocation(val receiver: ActorRef,
   }
 }
 
+object MessageDispatcher {
+  val UNSCHEDULED = 0
+  val SCHEDULED = 1
+  val RESCHEDULED = 2
+}
+
 /**
  *  @author <a href="http://jonasboner.com">Jonas Bon&#233;r</a>
  */
 trait MessageDispatcher extends MailboxFactory with Logging {
   protected val uuids = new ConcurrentSkipListSet[Uuid]
   protected val guard = new ReentrantGuard
-  private val scheduledShutdown = new AtomicReference[ScheduledFuture[AnyRef]](null)
+  private val shutdownSchedule = new AtomicInteger(MessageDispatcher.UNSCHEDULED)
   protected val active = new Switch(false)
 
   /**
@@ -81,10 +87,7 @@ trait MessageDispatcher extends MailboxFactory with Logging {
 
   protected def register(actorRef: ActorRef) {
     if (actorRef.mailbox eq null) actorRef.mailbox = createMailbox(actorRef)
-    if (uuids add actorRef.uuid) {
-      val future = scheduledShutdown.getAndSet(null)
-      if (future ne null) future.cancel(false)
-    }
+    uuids add actorRef.uuid
     if (active.isOff) {
       active.switchOn {
         start
@@ -96,14 +99,14 @@ trait MessageDispatcher extends MailboxFactory with Logging {
     if (uuids remove actorRef.uuid) {
       actorRef.mailbox = null
       if (uuids.isEmpty){
-        val future = scheduledShutdown.getAndSet(Scheduler.scheduleOnce(() => guard withGuard {
-          if (uuids.isEmpty()) {
-            active switchOff {
-              shutdown // shut down in the dispatcher's references is zero
-            }
-          }
-        }, 1, TimeUnit.SECONDS))
-        if (future ne null) future.cancel(false)
+        shutdownSchedule.get() match {
+          case MessageDispatcher.UNSCHEDULED =>
+            shutdownSchedule.set(MessageDispatcher.SCHEDULED)
+            Scheduler.scheduleOnce(shutdownAction, timeoutMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
+          case MessageDispatcher.SCHEDULED =>
+            shutdownSchedule.set(MessageDispatcher.RESCHEDULED)
+          case MessageDispatcher.RESCHEDULED => //Already marked for reschedule
+        }
       }
     }
   }
@@ -123,6 +126,26 @@ trait MessageDispatcher extends MailboxFactory with Logging {
     }
   }
 
+  private val shutdownAction = new Runnable {
+    def run = guard withGuard {
+      shutdownSchedule.get() match {
+        case MessageDispatcher.RESCHEDULED =>
+          shutdownSchedule.set(MessageDispatcher.SCHEDULED)
+          Scheduler.scheduleOnce(this, timeoutMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
+        case MessageDispatcher.SCHEDULED =>
+          if (uuids.isEmpty()) {
+            active switchOff {
+              shutdown // shut down in the dispatcher's references is zero
+            }
+          }
+          shutdownSchedule.set(MessageDispatcher.UNSCHEDULED)
+        case MessageDispatcher.UNSCHEDULED => //Do nothing
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  protected def timeoutMs: Long = 1000
+
   /**
    * After the call to this method, the dispatcher mustn't begin any new message processing for the specified reference
    */