diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/ActorCreationTest.java b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/ActorCreationTest.java
index 744b71be73..fef5f04389 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/ActorCreationTest.java
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/ActorCreationTest.java
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ public class ActorCreationTest extends JUnitSuite {
       Props.create(new G());
       assert false;
     } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
-      assertEquals("erased Creator types are unsupported, use Props.create(actorClass, creator) instead", e.getMessage());
+      assertEquals("erased Creator types (e.g. lambdas) are unsupported, use Props.create(actorClass, creator) instead", e.getMessage());
     }
     Props.create(AbstractActor.class, new G());
   }
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ public class ActorCreationTest extends JUnitSuite {
       TestActor.propsUsingLamdaWithoutClass(17);
       org.junit.Assert.fail("Should have detected lambda erasure, and thrown");
     } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
-      assertEquals("erased Creator types are unsupported, use Props.create(actorClass, creator) instead",
+      assertEquals("erased Creator types (e.g. lambdas) are unsupported, use Props.create(actorClass, creator) instead",
           e.getMessage());
     }
   }
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/JavaAPI.java b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/JavaAPI.java
index 58cedcfb9a..1ed1088ad5 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/JavaAPI.java
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/JavaAPI.java
@@ -60,14 +60,6 @@ public class JavaAPI extends JUnitSuite {
     assertNotNull(ref);
   }
 
-  public static Props mkProps() {
-    return Props.create(new Creator<Actor>() {
-      public Actor create() {
-        return new JavaAPITestActor();
-      }
-    });
-  }
-
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
   public static Props mkErasedProps() {
     return Props.create(JavaAPITestActor.class, new Creator() {
@@ -77,9 +69,13 @@ public class JavaAPI extends JUnitSuite {
     });
   }
 
+  public static Props mkPropsWithLambda() {
+    return Props.create(JavaAPITestActor.class, JavaAPITestActor::new);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void mustBeAbleToCreateActorRefFromFactory() {
-    ActorRef ref = system.actorOf(mkProps());
+    ActorRef ref = system.actorOf(mkPropsWithLambda());
     assertNotNull(ref);
   }
 
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/AbstractProps.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/AbstractProps.scala
index e1cc2d1485..3c147ef97d 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/AbstractProps.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/AbstractProps.scala
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ private[akka] trait AbstractProps {
    *
    * Use the Props.create(actorClass, creator) instead.
    */
+  @deprecated("Use Props.create(actorClass, creator) instead, since this can't be used with Java 8 lambda.", "2.5.18")
   def create[T <: Actor](creator: Creator[T]): Props = {
     val cc = creator.getClass
     checkCreatorClosingOver(cc)
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ private[akka] trait AbstractProps {
           case x ⇒ throw new IllegalArgumentException(s"unsupported type found in Creator argument [$x]")
         }
       case c: Class[_] if (c == coc) ⇒
-        throw new IllegalArgumentException(s"erased Creator types are unsupported, use Props.create(actorClass, creator) instead")
+        throw new IllegalArgumentException("erased Creator types (e.g. lambdas) are unsupported, use Props.create(actorClass, creator) instead")
     }
     create(classOf[CreatorConsumer], actorClass, creator)
   }
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/persistence/query/MyEventsByTagJavaPublisher.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/persistence/query/MyEventsByTagJavaPublisher.java
index f076ea7760..5d37ba24f9 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/persistence/query/MyEventsByTagJavaPublisher.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/persistence/query/MyEventsByTagJavaPublisher.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class MyEventsByTagJavaPublisher extends AbstractActorPublisher<EventEnvelope> {
 
   public static Props props(Connection conn, String tag, Long offset, 
       Duration refreshInterval) {
-    return Props.create(() -> 
+    return Props.create(MyEventsByTagJavaPublisher.class, () ->
       new MyEventsByTagJavaPublisher(conn, tag, offset, refreshInterval));
   }
 
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/testkit/ParentChildTest.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/testkit/ParentChildTest.java
index 2de65d31e5..07691d45a6 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/testkit/ParentChildTest.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/testkit/ParentChildTest.java
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ public class ParentChildTest extends AbstractJavaTest {
     // didn't put final on these in order to make the parent fit in one line in the html docs
     //#test-fabricated-parent
     TestProbe proxy = new TestProbe(system);
-    ActorRef parent = system.actorOf(Props.create(new FabricatedParentCreator(proxy)));
+    ActorRef parent = system.actorOf(Props.create(Actor.class, new FabricatedParentCreator(proxy)));
 
     proxy.send(parent, "ping");
     proxy.expectMsg("pong");
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_1/ActorHierarchyExperiments.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_1/ActorHierarchyExperiments.java
index 4a8f1dee19..93082f832d 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_1/ActorHierarchyExperiments.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_1/ActorHierarchyExperiments.java
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ import akka.actor.ActorSystem;
 import akka.actor.Props;
 
 class PrintMyActorRefActor extends AbstractActor {
+  static Props props() {
+    return Props.create(PrintMyActorRefActor.class, PrintMyActorRefActor::new);
+  }
+
   @Override
   public Receive createReceive() {
     return receiveBuilder()
@@ -35,10 +39,14 @@ class PrintMyActorRefActor extends AbstractActor {
 
 //#start-stop
 class StartStopActor1 extends AbstractActor {
+  static Props props() {
+    return Props.create(StartStopActor1.class, StartStopActor1::new);
+  }
+
   @Override
   public void preStart() {
     System.out.println("first started");
-    getContext().actorOf(Props.create(StartStopActor2.class), "second");
+    getContext().actorOf(StartStopActor2.props(), "second");
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -57,6 +65,11 @@ class StartStopActor1 extends AbstractActor {
 }
 
 class StartStopActor2 extends AbstractActor {
+
+  static Props props() {
+    return Props.create(StartStopActor2.class, StartStopActor2::new);
+  }
+
   @Override
   public void preStart() {
     System.out.println("second started");
@@ -79,7 +92,11 @@ class StartStopActor2 extends AbstractActor {
 
 //#supervise
 class SupervisingActor extends AbstractActor {
-  ActorRef child = getContext().actorOf(Props.create(SupervisedActor.class), "supervised-actor");
+  static Props props() {
+    return Props.create(SupervisingActor.class, SupervisingActor::new);
+  }
+
+  ActorRef child = getContext().actorOf(SupervisedActor.props(), "supervised-actor");
 
   @Override
   public Receive createReceive() {
@@ -92,6 +109,10 @@ class SupervisingActor extends AbstractActor {
 }
 
 class SupervisedActor extends AbstractActor {
+  static Props props() {
+    return Props.create(SupervisedActor.class, SupervisedActor::new);
+  }
+
   @Override
   public void preStart() {
     System.out.println("supervised actor started");
@@ -119,7 +140,7 @@ public class ActorHierarchyExperiments {
   public static void main(String[] args) throws java.io.IOException {
     ActorSystem system = ActorSystem.create("testSystem");
 
-    ActorRef firstRef = system.actorOf(Props.create(PrintMyActorRefActor.class), "first-actor");
+    ActorRef firstRef = system.actorOf(PrintMyActorRefActor.props(), "first-actor");
     System.out.println("First: " + firstRef);
     firstRef.tell("printit", ActorRef.noSender());
 
@@ -151,7 +172,7 @@ class ActorHierarchyExperimentsTest extends JUnitSuite {
   @Test
   public void testStartAndStopActors() {
     //#start-stop-main
-    ActorRef first = system.actorOf(Props.create(StartStopActor1.class), "first");
+    ActorRef first = system.actorOf(StartStopActor1.props(), "first");
     first.tell("stop", ActorRef.noSender());
     //#start-stop-main
   }
@@ -159,7 +180,7 @@ class ActorHierarchyExperimentsTest extends JUnitSuite {
   @Test
   public void testSuperviseActors() {
     //#supervise-main
-    ActorRef supervisingActor = system.actorOf(Props.create(SupervisingActor.class), "supervising-actor");
+    ActorRef supervisingActor = system.actorOf(SupervisingActor.props(), "supervising-actor");
     supervisingActor.tell("failChild", ActorRef.noSender());
     //#supervise-main
   }
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_2/IotSupervisor.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_2/IotSupervisor.java
index 0dc9070511..50562795b2 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_2/IotSupervisor.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_2/IotSupervisor.java
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ public class IotSupervisor extends AbstractActor {
   private final LoggingAdapter log = Logging.getLogger(getContext().getSystem(), this);
 
   public static Props props() {
-    return Props.create(IotSupervisor.class);
+    return Props.create(IotSupervisor.class, IotSupervisor::new);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_3/Device.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_3/Device.java
index 404e5d0964..ed7417aa52 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_3/Device.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_3/Device.java
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public class Device extends AbstractActor {
   }
 
   public static Props props(String groupId, String deviceId) {
-    return Props.create(Device.class, groupId, deviceId);
+    return Props.create(Device.class, () -> new Device(groupId, deviceId));
   }
 
   public static final class RecordTemperature {
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_3/inprogress2/DeviceInProgress2.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_3/inprogress2/DeviceInProgress2.java
index 161993d819..5ccfe25cc1 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_3/inprogress2/DeviceInProgress2.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_3/inprogress2/DeviceInProgress2.java
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class Device extends AbstractActor {
   }
 
   public static Props props(String groupId, String deviceId) {
-    return Props.create(Device.class, groupId, deviceId);
+    return Props.create(Device.class, () -> new Device(groupId, deviceId));
   }
 
   //#read-protocol-2
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_4/Device.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_4/Device.java
index a3bc53d683..ed5877692a 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_4/Device.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_4/Device.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public class Device extends AbstractActor {
   }
 
   public static Props props(String groupId, String deviceId) {
-    return Props.create(Device.class, groupId, deviceId);
+    return Props.create(Device.class, () -> new Device(groupId, deviceId));
   }
 
   public static final class RecordTemperature {
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_4/DeviceGroup.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_4/DeviceGroup.java
index 954734bd69..cbb5cc37fe 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_4/DeviceGroup.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_4/DeviceGroup.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ public class DeviceGroup extends AbstractActor {
   }
 
   public static Props props(String groupId) {
-    return Props.create(DeviceGroup.class, groupId);
+    return Props.create(DeviceGroup.class, () -> new DeviceGroup(groupId));
   }
   //#device-group-register
   //#device-group-remove
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_4/DeviceManager.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_4/DeviceManager.java
index 6782030364..98350c2cf7 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_4/DeviceManager.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_4/DeviceManager.java
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public class DeviceManager extends AbstractActor {
   private final LoggingAdapter log = Logging.getLogger(getContext().getSystem(), this);
 
   public static Props props() {
-    return Props.create(DeviceManager.class);
+    return Props.create(DeviceManager.class, DeviceManager::new);
   }
 
   //#device-manager-msgs
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/Device.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/Device.java
index 93235c4ba1..9390d1afca 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/Device.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/Device.java
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public class Device extends AbstractActor {
   }
 
   public static Props props(String groupId, String deviceId) {
-    return Props.create(Device.class, groupId, deviceId);
+    return Props.create(Device.class, () -> new Device(groupId, deviceId));
   }
 
   public static final class RecordTemperature {
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/DeviceGroup.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/DeviceGroup.java
index ff3459aaf1..3a6bd527e6 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/DeviceGroup.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/DeviceGroup.java
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public class DeviceGroup extends AbstractActor {
   }
 
   public static Props props(String groupId) {
-    return Props.create(DeviceGroup.class, groupId);
+    return Props.create(DeviceGroup.class, () -> new DeviceGroup(groupId));
   }
 
   public static final class RequestDeviceList {
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/DeviceGroupQuery.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/DeviceGroupQuery.java
index 0de878d056..f3fc0584b9 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/DeviceGroupQuery.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/DeviceGroupQuery.java
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public class DeviceGroupQuery extends AbstractActor {
   }
 
   public static Props props(Map<ActorRef, String> actorToDeviceId, long requestId, ActorRef requester, FiniteDuration timeout) {
-    return Props.create(DeviceGroupQuery.class, actorToDeviceId, requestId, requester, timeout);
+    return Props.create(DeviceGroupQuery.class, () -> new DeviceGroupQuery(actorToDeviceId, requestId, requester, timeout));
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/DeviceManager.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/DeviceManager.java
index 6cd29a9954..d3426d5160 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/DeviceManager.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/tutorial_5/DeviceManager.java
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public class DeviceManager extends AbstractActor {
   private final LoggingAdapter log = Logging.getLogger(getContext().getSystem(), this);
 
   public static Props props() {
-    return Props.create(DeviceManager.class);
+    return Props.create(DeviceManager.class, DeviceManager::new);
   }
 
   public static final class RequestTrackDevice {
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/scala/tutorial_1/ActorHierarchyExperiments.scala b/akka-docs/src/test/scala/tutorial_1/ActorHierarchyExperiments.scala
index 9564ccd9ac..ba340a0ec4 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/scala/tutorial_1/ActorHierarchyExperiments.scala
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/scala/tutorial_1/ActorHierarchyExperiments.scala
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ package com.lightbend.akka.sample
 import akka.actor.{ Actor, Props, ActorSystem }
 import scala.io.StdIn
 
+object PrintMyActorRefActor {
+  def props: Props =
+    Props(new PrintMyActorRefActor)
+}
+
 class PrintMyActorRefActor extends Actor {
   override def receive: Receive = {
     case "printit" ⇒
@@ -22,11 +27,16 @@ class PrintMyActorRefActor extends Actor {
 
 import akka.testkit.AkkaSpec
 
+object StartStopActor1 {
+  def props: Props =
+    Props(new StartStopActor1)
+}
+
 //#start-stop
 class StartStopActor1 extends Actor {
   override def preStart(): Unit = {
     println("first started")
-    context.actorOf(Props[StartStopActor2], "second")
+    context.actorOf(StartStopActor2.props, "second")
   }
   override def postStop(): Unit = println("first stopped")
 
@@ -35,6 +45,11 @@ class StartStopActor1 extends Actor {
   }
 }
 
+object StartStopActor2 {
+  def props: Props =
+    Props(new StartStopActor2)
+}
+
 class StartStopActor2 extends Actor {
   override def preStart(): Unit = println("second started")
   override def postStop(): Unit = println("second stopped")
@@ -45,15 +60,25 @@ class StartStopActor2 extends Actor {
 }
 //#start-stop
 
+object SupervisingActor {
+  def props: Props =
+    Props(new SupervisingActor)
+}
+
 //#supervise
 class SupervisingActor extends Actor {
-  val child = context.actorOf(Props[SupervisedActor], "supervised-actor")
+  val child = context.actorOf(SupervisedActor.props, "supervised-actor")
 
   override def receive: Receive = {
     case "failChild" ⇒ child ! "fail"
   }
 }
 
+object SupervisedActor {
+  def props: Props =
+    Props(new SupervisedActor)
+}
+
 class SupervisedActor extends Actor {
   override def preStart(): Unit = println("supervised actor started")
   override def postStop(): Unit = println("supervised actor stopped")
@@ -74,7 +99,7 @@ class ActorHierarchyExperiments extends AkkaSpec {
 object ActorHierarchyExperiments extends App {
   val system = ActorSystem("testSystem")
 
-  val firstRef = system.actorOf(Props[PrintMyActorRefActor], "first-actor")
+  val firstRef = system.actorOf(PrintMyActorRefActor.props, "first-actor")
   println(s"First: $firstRef")
   firstRef ! "printit"
 
@@ -90,7 +115,7 @@ object ActorHierarchyExperiments extends App {
     // format: OFF
     //#start-stop-main
 
-val first = system.actorOf(Props[StartStopActor1], "first")
+val first = system.actorOf(StartStopActor1.props, "first")
 first ! "stop"
     //#start-stop-main
     // format: ON
@@ -100,7 +125,7 @@ first ! "stop"
     // format: OFF
     //#supervise-main
 
-val supervisingActor = system.actorOf(Props[SupervisingActor], "supervising-actor")
+val supervisingActor = system.actorOf(SupervisingActor.props, "supervising-actor")
 supervisingActor ! "failChild"
     //#supervise-main
     // format: ON