diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/ActorRefSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/ActorRefSpec.scala
index 83c3dc06f8..c5f93f831f 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/ActorRefSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/ActorRefSpec.scala
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ class ActorRefSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers {
     }
 
     "restart when Kill:ed" in {
-      filterEvents(EventFilter[ActorKilledException]) {
+      filterException[ActorKilledException] {
         val latch = new CountDownLatch(2)
 
         val boss = Actor.actorOf(new Actor {
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/FSMActorSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/FSMActorSpec.scala
index aea9fe5743..d93e652937 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/FSMActorSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/FSMActorSpec.scala
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ object FSMActorSpec {
 
     whenUnhandled {
       case Ev(msg) ⇒ {
-        unhandledLatch.open
         EventHandler.info(this, "unhandled event " + msg + " in state " + stateName + " with data " + stateData)
+        unhandledLatch.open
         stay
       }
     }
@@ -112,7 +112,11 @@ class FSMActorSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with TestKit with BeforeAn
   }
 
   override def beforeAll {
-    EventHandler notify Mute(EventFilter[EventHandler.EventHandlerException]("Next state 2 does not exist"))
+    EventHandler notify Mute(EventFilter[EventHandler.EventHandlerException]("Next state 2 does not exist"),
+      EventFilter.custom {
+        case _: EventHandler.Debug ⇒ true
+        case _                     ⇒ false
+      })
     val f = FSM.getClass.getDeclaredField("debugEvent")
     f.setAccessible(true)
     f.setBoolean(FSM, true)
@@ -153,8 +157,13 @@ class FSMActorSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with TestKit with BeforeAn
       transitionCallBackLatch.await
       lockedLatch.await
 
-      lock ! "not_handled"
-      unhandledLatch.await
+      filterEvents(EventFilter.custom {
+        case EventHandler.Info(_: Lock, _) ⇒ true
+        case _                             ⇒ false
+      }) {
+        lock ! "not_handled"
+        unhandledLatch.await
+      }
 
       val answerLatch = TestLatch()
       object Hello
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/FSMTransitionSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/FSMTransitionSpec.scala
index c552345192..2c825f9063 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/FSMTransitionSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/FSMTransitionSpec.scala
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import akka.testkit._
 import akka.testkit._
 import akka.util.duration._
 import akka.config.Supervision._
+import akka.event.EventHandler
 
 import FSM._
 
@@ -79,9 +80,14 @@ class FSMTransitionSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with TestKit {
       val sup = Actor.actorOf[Supervisor].start()
       sup link fsm
       within(300 millis) {
-        fsm ! SubscribeTransitionCallBack(forward)
-        fsm ! "reply"
-        expectMsg("reply")
+        filterEvents(EventFilter.custom {
+          case EventHandler.Warning(_: MyFSM, _) ⇒ true
+          case _                                 ⇒ false
+        }) {
+          fsm ! SubscribeTransitionCallBack(forward)
+          fsm ! "reply"
+          expectMsg("reply")
+        }
         forward.start()
         fsm ! SubscribeTransitionCallBack(forward)
         expectMsg(CurrentState(fsm, 0))
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/LoggingReceiveSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/LoggingReceiveSpec.scala
index 81d6d2e41d..b21584dfc0 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/LoggingReceiveSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/actor/LoggingReceiveSpec.scala
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@ class LoggingReceiveSpec
 
   override def beforeAll {
     EventHandler.notify(TestEvent.Mute(EventFilter[UnhandledMessageException],
-      EventFilter[ActorKilledException]))
+      EventFilter[ActorKilledException], EventFilter.custom {
+        case d: EventHandler.Debug ⇒ true
+        case _                     ⇒ false
+      }))
     EventHandler.addListener(testActor)
     EventHandler.level = EventHandler.DebugLevel
   }
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/supervisor/SupervisorTreeSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/supervisor/SupervisorTreeSpec.scala
index 8de9c69e35..565a11e375 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/supervisor/SupervisorTreeSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/supervisor/SupervisorTreeSpec.scala
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class SupervisorTreeSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers {
   "In a 3 levels deep supervisor tree (linked in the constructor) we" must {
 
     "be able to kill the middle actor and see itself and its child restarted" in {
-      filterEvents(EventFilter[Exception]) {
+      filterException[Exception] {
         log = "INIT"
 
         val lastActor = actorOf(new Chainer, "lastActor").start
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala
index 0b1d7d0a7f..09c2a3e776 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/dispatch/FutureSpec.scala
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
       "has actions applied" must {
         "pass checks" in {
-          filterEvents(EventFilter[ArithmeticException]) {
+          filterException[ArithmeticException] {
             check({ (future: Future[Int], actions: List[FutureAction]) ⇒
               val result = (future /: actions)(_ /: _)
               val expected = (future.await.value.get /: actions)(_ /: _)
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
       "throws an exception" must {
         behave like futureWithException[RuntimeException] { test ⇒
-          filterEvents(EventFilter[RuntimeException]) {
+          filterException[RuntimeException] {
             val actor = actorOf[TestActor]
             actor.start()
             val future = actor ? "Failure"
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
       "will throw an exception" must {
         behave like futureWithException[ArithmeticException] { test ⇒
-          filterEvents(EventFilter[ArithmeticException]) {
+          filterException[ArithmeticException] {
             val actor1 = actorOf[TestActor].start()
             val actor2 = actorOf(new Actor { def receive = { case s: String ⇒ self reply (s.length / 0) } }).start()
             val future = actor1 ? "Hello" flatMap { _ match { case s: String ⇒ actor2 ? s } }
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
     "being tested" must {
 
       "compose with for-comprehensions" in {
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[ClassCastException]) {
+        filterException[ClassCastException] {
           val actor = actorOf(new Actor {
             def receive = {
               case s: String ⇒ self reply s.length
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
 
       "support pattern matching within a for-comprehension" in {
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[MatchError]) {
+        filterException[MatchError] {
           case class Req[T](req: T)
           case class Res[T](res: T)
           val actor = actorOf(new Actor {
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
 
       "recover from exceptions" in {
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[RuntimeException]) {
+        filterException[RuntimeException] {
           val future1 = Future(5)
           val future2 = future1 map (_ / 0)
           val future3 = future2 map (_.toString)
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
 
       "fold with an exception" in {
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[IllegalArgumentException]) {
+        filterException[IllegalArgumentException] {
           val actors = (1 to 10).toList map { _ ⇒
             actorOf(new Actor {
               def receive = {
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
 
       "shouldReduceResultsWithException" in {
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[IllegalArgumentException]) {
+        filterException[IllegalArgumentException] {
           val actors = (1 to 10).toList map { _ ⇒
             actorOf(new Actor {
               def receive = {
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
 
       "shouldReduceThrowIAEOnEmptyInput" in {
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[IllegalArgumentException]) {
+        filterException[IllegalArgumentException] {
           intercept[UnsupportedOperationException] { Futures.reduce(List[Future[Int]]())(_ + _).get }
         }
       }
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       "shouldHandleThrowables" in {
         class ThrowableTest(m: String) extends Throwable(m)
 
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[ThrowableTest]) {
+        filterException[ThrowableTest] {
           val f1 = Future { throw new ThrowableTest("test") }
           f1.await
           intercept[ThrowableTest] { f1.resultOrException }
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
         assert(f2.get === 10)
 
         val f3 = Future({ Thread.sleep(10); 5 }, 10)
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[FutureTimeoutException]) {
+        filterException[FutureTimeoutException] {
           intercept[FutureTimeoutException] {
             f3.get
           }
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
 
       "futureComposingWithContinuationsFailureDivideZero" in {
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[ArithmeticException]) {
+        filterException[ArithmeticException] {
           import Future.flow
 
           val x = Future("Hello")
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
 
       "futureComposingWithContinuationsFailureCastInt" in {
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[ClassCastException]) {
+        filterException[ClassCastException] {
           import Future.flow
 
           val actor = actorOf[TestActor].start
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
 
       "futureComposingWithContinuationsFailureCastNothing" in {
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[ClassCastException]) {
+        filterException[ClassCastException] {
           import Future.flow
 
           val actor = actorOf[TestActor].start
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
 
       "futureCompletingWithContinuationsFailure" in {
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[ArithmeticException]) {
+        filterException[ArithmeticException] {
           import Future.flow
 
           val x, y, z = Promise[Int]()
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ class FutureSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers with Checkers with BeforeAnd
       }
 
       "ticket812FutureDispatchCleanup" in {
-        filterEvents(EventFilter[FutureTimeoutException]) {
+        filterException[FutureTimeoutException] {
           implicit val dispatcher = new Dispatcher("ticket812FutureDispatchCleanup")
           assert(dispatcher.pendingFutures === 0)
           val future = Future({ Thread.sleep(100); "Done" }, 10)
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/routing/ActorPoolSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/routing/ActorPoolSpec.scala
index 9b6cfac6aa..d040457572 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/routing/ActorPoolSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/routing/ActorPoolSpec.scala
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ class ActorPoolSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers {
     }
 
     "provide default supervision of pooled actors" in {
-      filterEvents(EventFilter[RuntimeException]) {
+      filterException[RuntimeException] {
         import akka.config.Supervision._
         val pingCount = new AtomicInteger(0)
         val deathCount = new AtomicInteger(0)
diff --git a/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestEventListener.scala b/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestEventListener.scala
index 9239b1103a..49481d723f 100644
--- a/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestEventListener.scala
+++ b/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestEventListener.scala
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ object EventFilter {
   def apply[A <: Throwable: Manifest](source: AnyRef, message: String): EventFilter =
     ErrorSourceMessageFilter(manifest[A].erasure, source, message)
 
-  def apply(test: (Event) ⇒ Boolean): EventFilter =
+  def custom(test: (Event) ⇒ Boolean): EventFilter =
     CustomEventFilter(test)
 }
 
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class TestEventListener extends EventHandler.DefaultListener {
     case event: Event if filter(event) ⇒
   }: Receive) orElse super.receive
 
-  def filter(event: Event): Boolean = try { filters exists (_(event)) } catch { case e: Exception ⇒ false }
+  def filter(event: Event): Boolean = filters exists (f ⇒ try { f(event) } catch { case e: Exception ⇒ false })
 
   def addFilter(filter: EventFilter): Unit = filters ::= filter
 
diff --git a/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/package.scala b/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/package.scala
index b729565ffb..c24c26539c 100644
--- a/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/package.scala
+++ b/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/package.scala
@@ -13,4 +13,6 @@ package object testkit {
   }
 
   def filterEvents[T](eventFilters: EventFilter*)(block: ⇒ T): T = filterEvents(eventFilters.toSeq)(block)
+
+  def filterException[T <: Throwable: Manifest](block: ⇒ Unit): Unit = filterEvents(Seq(EventFilter[T]))(block)
 }