diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/resources/reference.conf b/akka-remote/src/main/resources/reference.conf
index c28ee7ae2c..3692405d55 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/resources/reference.conf
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/resources/reference.conf
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ akka {
       "akka.actor.InvalidActorNameException" = akka-misc
       "akka.actor.InvalidMessageException" = akka-misc
       
+      "akka.actor.ActorRef" = akka-misc
+      
     }  
 
     serialization-identifiers {
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/serialization/MiscMessageSerializer.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/serialization/MiscMessageSerializer.scala
index 266773c78e..2883018822 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/serialization/MiscMessageSerializer.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/serialization/MiscMessageSerializer.scala
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ class MiscMessageSerializer(val system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends SerializerW
     case identity: ActorIdentity ⇒ serializeActorIdentity(identity)
     case Some(value)             ⇒ serializeSome(value)
     case None                    ⇒ NoneSerialized
+    case r: ActorRef             ⇒ serializeActorRef(r)
     case s: Status.Success       ⇒ serializeStatusSuccess(s)
     case f: Status.Failure       ⇒ serializeStatusFailure(f)
     case t: Throwable            ⇒ throwableSupport.serializeThrowable(t)
@@ -53,6 +54,9 @@ class MiscMessageSerializer(val system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends SerializerW
       .build()
       .toByteArray
 
+  private def serializeActorRef(ref: ActorRef): Array[Byte] =
+    actorRefBuilder(ref).build().toByteArray
+
   private def actorRefBuilder(actorRef: ActorRef): ContainerFormats.ActorRef.Builder =
     ContainerFormats.ActorRef.newBuilder()
       .setPath(Serialization.serializedActorPath(actorRef))
@@ -69,6 +73,7 @@ class MiscMessageSerializer(val system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends SerializerW
   private val StatusSuccessManifest = "D"
   private val StatusFailureManifest = "E"
   private val ThrowableManifest = "F"
+  private val ActorRefManifest = "G"
 
   private val fromBinaryMap = Map[String, Array[Byte] ⇒ AnyRef](
     IdentifyManifest → deserializeIdentify,
@@ -76,13 +81,15 @@ class MiscMessageSerializer(val system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends SerializerW
     OptionManifest → deserializeOption,
     StatusSuccessManifest → deserializeStatusSuccess,
     StatusFailureManifest → deserializeStatusFailure,
-    ThrowableManifest → throwableSupport.deserializeThrowable)
+    ThrowableManifest → throwableSupport.deserializeThrowable,
+    ActorRefManifest → deserializeActorRefBytes)
 
   override def manifest(o: AnyRef): String =
     o match {
       case _: Identify       ⇒ IdentifyManifest
       case _: ActorIdentity  ⇒ ActorIdentifyManifest
       case _: Option[Any]    ⇒ OptionManifest
+      case _: ActorRef       ⇒ ActorRefManifest
       case _: Status.Success ⇒ StatusSuccessManifest
       case _: Status.Failure ⇒ StatusFailureManifest
       case _: Throwable      ⇒ ThrowableManifest
@@ -114,6 +121,9 @@ class MiscMessageSerializer(val system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends SerializerW
     ActorIdentity(correlationId, actorRef)
   }
 
+  private def deserializeActorRefBytes(bytes: Array[Byte]): ActorRef =
+    deserializeActorRef(ContainerFormats.ActorRef.parseFrom(bytes))
+
   private def deserializeActorRef(actorRef: ContainerFormats.ActorRef): ActorRef =
     serialization.system.provider.resolveActorRef(actorRef.getPath)
 
diff --git a/akka-remote/src/test/scala/akka/remote/serialization/MiscMessageSerializerSpec.scala b/akka-remote/src/test/scala/akka/remote/serialization/MiscMessageSerializerSpec.scala
index d6c6366684..869b87bf10 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/test/scala/akka/remote/serialization/MiscMessageSerializerSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/test/scala/akka/remote/serialization/MiscMessageSerializerSpec.scala
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ object MiscMessageSerializerSpec {
 class MiscMessageSerializerSpec extends AkkaSpec(MiscMessageSerializerSpec.testConfig) {
   import MiscMessageSerializerSpec._
 
+  val ref = system.actorOf(Props.empty, "hello")
+
   "MiscMessageSerializer" must {
     Seq(
       "Identify" → Identify("some-message"),
@@ -71,6 +73,7 @@ class MiscMessageSerializerSpec extends AkkaSpec(MiscMessageSerializerSpec.testC
       "Status.Success" → Status.Success("value"),
       "Status.Failure" → Status.Failure(new TestException("err")),
       "Status.Failure JavaSer" → Status.Failure(new OtherException("exc")), // exc with JavaSerializer
+      "ActorRef" → ref,
       "Some" → Some("value"),
       "None" → None).foreach {
         case (scenario, item) ⇒