diff --git a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/ChannelSpec.scala b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/ChannelSpec.scala
index 134b66b979..f6ed598f11 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/ChannelSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/ChannelSpec.scala
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ abstract class ChannelSpec(config: Config) extends AkkaSpec(config) with Persist
 
       1 to 3 foreach { i ⇒ channel ! Deliver(Persistent(i), system.deadLetters.path) }
 
-      probe.expectMsgAllOf(10.seconds, 1, 2, 3)
+      probe.expectMsgAllOf(1, 2, 3)
       system.stop(channel)
     }
   }
diff --git a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/EventsourcedSpec.scala b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/EventsourcedSpec.scala
index 74dcbd637a..5fa622eb0b 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/EventsourcedSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/EventsourcedSpec.scala
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ abstract class EventsourcedSpec(config: Config) extends AkkaSpec(config) with Pe
       expectMsg("c")
       expectMsg("a")
     }
-    "support user stash operations with several stashed messages" in within(10.seconds) {
+    "support user stash operations with several stashed messages" in {
       val processor = namedProcessor[UserStashManyProcessor]
       val n = 10
       val cmds = 1 to n flatMap (_ ⇒ List(Cmd("a"), Cmd("b-1"), Cmd("b-2"), Cmd("c")))
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ abstract class EventsourcedSpec(config: Config) extends AkkaSpec(config) with Pe
       processor ! GetState
       expectMsg((List("a-1", "a-2") ++ evts))
     }
-    "support user stash operations under failures" in within(5.seconds) {
+    "support user stash operations under failures" in {
       val processor = namedProcessor[UserStashFailureProcessor]
       val bs = 1 to 10 map ("b-" + _)
       processor ! Cmd("a")
diff --git a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/PersistenceSpec.scala b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/PersistenceSpec.scala
index ee5f13b7c7..d64e6bd872 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/PersistenceSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/PersistenceSpec.scala
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ object PersistenceSpec {
       akka.persistence.journal.plugin = "akka.persistence.journal.${plugin}"
       akka.persistence.journal.leveldb.dir = "target/journal-${test}"
       akka.persistence.snapshot-store.local.dir = "target/snapshots-${test}/"
+      akka.test.single-expect-default = 10s
     """)
 }
 
diff --git a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/ProcessorSpec.scala b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/ProcessorSpec.scala
index aab5c5ead6..9275641b25 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/ProcessorSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/ProcessorSpec.scala
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ abstract class ProcessorSpec(config: Config) extends AkkaSpec(config) with Persi
     processor ! Persistent("a")
     processor ! Persistent("b")
     processor ! GetState
-    expectMsg(5.seconds, List("a-1", "b-2"))
+    expectMsg(List("a-1", "b-2"))
   }
 
   "A processor" must {
diff --git a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/journal/leveldb/SharedLeveldbJournalSpec.scala b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/journal/leveldb/SharedLeveldbJournalSpec.scala
index 7121d7d79d..2cbe815f95 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/journal/leveldb/SharedLeveldbJournalSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/journal/leveldb/SharedLeveldbJournalSpec.scala
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class SharedLeveldbJournalSpec extends AkkaSpec(SharedLeveldbJournalSpec.config)
       appA ! Persistent("a1")
       appB ! Persistent("b1")
 
-      processorAProbe.expectMsg(5.seconds, "a1")
+      processorAProbe.expectMsg("a1")
       processorBProbe.expectMsg("b1")
 
       val recoveredAppA = processorASystem.actorOf(Props(classOf[ExampleApp], processorAProbe.ref, storePath))
diff --git a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/serialization/SerializerSpec.scala b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/serialization/SerializerSpec.scala
index 5ec13c700b..9a153e8020 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/serialization/SerializerSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/src/test/scala/akka/persistence/serialization/SerializerSpec.scala
@@ -5,18 +5,13 @@
 package akka.persistence.serialization
 
 import scala.collection.immutable
-import scala.concurrent._
-import scala.concurrent.duration._
-import scala.util._
 
 import com.typesafe.config._
 
 import akka.actor._
-import akka.pattern.ask
 import akka.persistence._
 import akka.serialization._
 import akka.testkit._
-import akka.util.Timeout
 
 object SerializerSpecConfigs {
   val customSerializers = ConfigFactory.parseString(
@@ -166,11 +161,8 @@ object MessageSerializerRemotingSpec {
     system.asInstanceOf[ExtendedActorSystem].provider.getDefaultAddress
 }
 
-class MessageSerializerRemotingSpec extends AkkaSpec(remote.withFallback(customSerializers)) with ImplicitSender {
-  implicit val timeout = Timeout(5.seconds)
-
+class MessageSerializerRemotingSpec extends AkkaSpec(remote.withFallback(customSerializers)) with ImplicitSender with DefaultTimeout {
   import MessageSerializerRemotingSpec._
-  import system.dispatcher
 
   val remoteSystem = ActorSystem("remote", remote.withFallback(customSerializers))
   val localActor = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[LocalActor], port(remoteSystem)), "local")