diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/Stream.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/Stream.scala
index bb51a7a857..f48568b933 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/Stream.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/Stream.scala
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import scala.util.control.NoStackTrace
 import akka.stream.impl.Ast.IteratorProducerNode
 import akka.stream.impl.Ast.IterableProducerNode
 import akka.stream.impl.Ast.ExistingProducer
+import scala.annotation.unchecked.uncheckedVariance
 
 object Stream {
   def apply[T](producer: Producer[T]): Stream[T] = StreamImpl(ExistingProducer(producer), Nil)
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ object Stream {
   object Stop extends RuntimeException with NoStackTrace
 }
 
-trait Stream[T] {
+trait Stream[+T] {
   def map[U](f: T ⇒ U): Stream[U]
   def filter(p: T ⇒ Boolean): Stream[T]
   def foreach(c: T ⇒ Unit): Stream[Unit]
@@ -45,16 +46,16 @@ trait Stream[T] {
     onComplete: S ⇒ immutable.Seq[U] = (_: S) ⇒ Nil,
     isComplete: S ⇒ Boolean = (_: S) ⇒ false): Stream[U]
 
-  def groupBy[K](f: T ⇒ K): Stream[(K, Producer[T])]
-  def splitWhen(p: T ⇒ Boolean): Stream[Producer[T]]
+  def groupBy[K](f: T ⇒ K): Stream[(K, Producer[T @uncheckedVariance])]
+  def splitWhen(p: T ⇒ Boolean): Stream[Producer[T @uncheckedVariance]]
 
-  def merge(other: Producer[T]): Stream[T]
+  def merge[U >: T](other: Producer[U]): Stream[U]
   def zip[U](other: Producer[U]): Stream[(T, U)]
-  def concat(next: Producer[T]): Stream[T]
+  def concat[U >: T](next: Producer[U]): Stream[U]
 
   def toFuture(generator: ProcessorGenerator): Future[T]
   def consume(generator: ProcessorGenerator): Unit
-  def toProducer(generator: ProcessorGenerator): Producer[T]
+  def toProducer(generator: ProcessorGenerator): Producer[T @uncheckedVariance]
 }
 
 // FIXME is Processor the right naming here?
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/StreamImpl.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/StreamImpl.scala
index f5d8f0c7b1..cf5ef50082 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/StreamImpl.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/StreamImpl.scala
@@ -63,9 +63,9 @@ private[akka] case class StreamImpl[I, O](producerNode: Ast.ProducerNode[I], ops
 
   override def zip[O2](other: Producer[O2]): Stream[(O, O2)] = andThen(Zip(other.asInstanceOf[Producer[Any]]))
 
-  override def concat(next: Producer[O]): Stream[O] = andThen(Concat(next.asInstanceOf[Producer[Any]]))
+  override def concat[U >: O](next: Producer[U]): Stream[U] = andThen(Concat(next.asInstanceOf[Producer[Any]]))
 
-  override def merge(other: Producer[O]): Stream[O] = andThen(Merge(other.asInstanceOf[Producer[Any]]))
+  override def merge[U >: O](other: Producer[U]): Stream[U] = andThen(Merge(other.asInstanceOf[Producer[Any]]))
 
   override def splitWhen(p: (O) ⇒ Boolean): Stream[Producer[O]] = andThen(SplitWhen(p.asInstanceOf[Any ⇒ Boolean]))
 
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/test/scala/akka/stream/IterableProducerTest.scala b/akka-stream/src/test/scala/akka/stream/IterableProducerTest.scala
index 4aae17bdbe..2ae302ca95 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/test/scala/akka/stream/IterableProducerTest.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/test/scala/akka/stream/IterableProducerTest.scala
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class IterableProducerTest extends PublisherVerification[Int] with WithActorSyst
   }
 
   override def createCompletedStatePublisher(): Publisher[Int] =
-    Stream(Nil).toProducer(gen).getPublisher
+    Stream[Int](Nil).toProducer(gen).getPublisher
 
   override def publisherShutdownTimeoutMillis: Int = 1000
 }
\ No newline at end of file