diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
index 2fa16eca71..b4891d58d3 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher.scala
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ class ExecutorBasedEventDrivenDispatcher(
     registerForExecution(mbox)
   }
 
+  private[akka] def executeFuture(invocation: FutureInvocation): Unit = if (active.isOn) {
+    executorService.get() execute invocation
+  } else log.slf4j.warn("{} is shut down", this)
+
   /**
    * @return the mailbox associated with the actor
    */
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenWorkStealingDispatcher.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenWorkStealingDispatcher.scala
index 54aec2607d..5cbd52d13b 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenWorkStealingDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/ExecutorBasedEventDrivenWorkStealingDispatcher.scala
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ class ExecutorBasedEventDrivenWorkStealingDispatcher(
     executorService.get() execute mbox
   }
 
+  private[akka] def executeFuture(invocation: FutureInvocation): Unit = if (active.isOn) {
+    executorService.get() execute invocation
+  } else log.slf4j.warn("{} is shut down", this)
+
   /**
    * Try processing the mailbox of the given actor. Fails if the dispatching lock on the actor is already held by
    * another thread (because then that thread is already processing the mailbox).
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Future.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Future.scala
index bf23ab91d9..b39aa20fc2 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Future.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Future.scala
@@ -32,10 +32,7 @@ object Futures {
                  dispatcher: MessageDispatcher = Dispatchers.defaultGlobalDispatcher)
                 (body: => T): Future[T] = {
     val f = new DefaultCompletableFuture[T](timeout)
-    spawn({
-      try { f completeWithResult body }
-      catch { case e => f completeWithException e}
-    })(dispatcher)
+    dispatcher.dispatchFuture(FutureInvocation(f.asInstanceOf[CompletableFuture[Any]], () => body))
     f
   }
 
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/HawtDispatcher.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/HawtDispatcher.scala
index e5e54ea0e9..df57f0d440 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/HawtDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/HawtDispatcher.scala
@@ -148,6 +148,9 @@ class HawtDispatcher(val aggregate: Boolean = true, val parent: DispatchQueue =
     mailbox(invocation.receiver).dispatch(invocation)
   }
 
+  private[akka] def executeFuture(invocation: FutureInvocation): Unit =
+    parent execute invocation
+
   // hawtdispatch does not have a way to get queue sizes, getting an accurate
   // size can cause extra contention.. is this really needed?
   // TODO: figure out if this can be optional in akka
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala
index 63b68e262c..b5d1276602 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@ final case class MessageInvocation(val receiver: ActorRef,
   }
 }
 
+final case class FutureInvocation(future: CompletableFuture[Any], function: () => Any) extends Runnable {
+  val uuid = akka.actor.newUuid
+
+  def run = future complete (try { Right(function.apply) } catch { case e => Left(e) })
+}
+
 object MessageDispatcher {
   val UNSCHEDULED = 0
   val SCHEDULED = 1
@@ -68,6 +74,24 @@ trait MessageDispatcher extends Logging {
     dispatch(invocation)
   } else throw new IllegalActorStateException("Can't submit invocations to dispatcher since it's not started")
 
+  private[akka] final def dispatchFuture(invocation: FutureInvocation): Unit = {
+    uuids add invocation.uuid
+    if (active.isOff) { active.switchOn { start } }
+    invocation.future.onComplete { f =>
+      if ((uuids remove invocation.uuid) && uuids.isEmpty) {
+        shutdownSchedule match {
+          case UNSCHEDULED =>
+            shutdownSchedule = SCHEDULED
+            Scheduler.scheduleOnce(shutdownAction, timeoutMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
+          case SCHEDULED =>
+            shutdownSchedule = RESCHEDULED
+          case RESCHEDULED => //Already marked for reschedule
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    executeFuture(invocation)
+  }
+
   private[akka] def register(actorRef: ActorRef) {
     if (actorRef.mailbox eq null)
       actorRef.mailbox = createMailbox(actorRef)
@@ -150,6 +174,8 @@ trait MessageDispatcher extends Logging {
    */
   private[akka] def dispatch(invocation: MessageInvocation): Unit
 
+  private[akka] def executeFuture(invocation: FutureInvocation): Unit
+
   /**
    * Called one time every time an actor is attached to this dispatcher and this dispatcher was previously shutdown
    */