diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/io/TcpConnectionSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/io/TcpConnectionSpec.scala
index 83974579f9..cdce29a1ac 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/io/TcpConnectionSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/io/TcpConnectionSpec.scala
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 
 package akka.io
 
-import java.io.IOException
-import java.net.{ ConnectException, InetSocketAddress, SocketException }
+import java.io.{ FileOutputStream, File, IOException }
+import java.net.{ URLClassLoader, ConnectException, InetSocketAddress, SocketException }
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer
 import java.nio.channels.{ SelectionKey, Selector, ServerSocketChannel, SocketChannel }
 import java.nio.channels.spi.SelectorProvider
@@ -190,6 +190,29 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
       writer.expectMsg(Ack)
     }
 
+    "write file to network" in withEstablishedConnection() { setup ⇒
+      import setup._
+
+      // hacky: we need a file for testing purposes, so try to get the biggest one from our own classpath
+      val testFile =
+        classOf[TcpConnectionSpec].getClassLoader.asInstanceOf[URLClassLoader]
+          .getURLs
+          .filter(_.getProtocol == "file")
+          .map(url ⇒ new File(url.toURI))
+          .filter(_.exists)
+          .sortBy(-_.length)
+          .head
+
+      // maximum of 100 MB
+      val size = math.min(testFile.length(), 100000000).toInt
+
+      object Ack
+      val writer = TestProbe()
+      writer.send(connectionActor, WriteFile(testFile.getAbsolutePath, 0, size, Ack))
+      pullFromServerSide(size, 1000000)
+      writer.expectMsg(Ack)
+    }
+
     /*
      * Disabled on Windows: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/214397
      *
@@ -235,8 +258,8 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
         writer.expectMsg(CommandFailed(secondWrite))
 
         // reject even empty writes
-        writer.send(connectionActor, Write.Empty)
-        writer.expectMsg(CommandFailed(Write.Empty))
+        writer.send(connectionActor, Write.empty)
+        writer.expectMsg(CommandFailed(Write.empty))
 
         // there will be immediately more space in the send buffer because
         // some data will have been sent by now, so we assume we can write
@@ -607,7 +630,7 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
      */
     @tailrec final def pullFromServerSide(remaining: Int, remainingTries: Int = 1000): Unit =
       if (remainingTries <= 0)
-        throw new AssertionError("Pulling took too many loops")
+        throw new AssertionError("Pulling took too many loops,  remaining data: " + remaining)
       else if (remaining > 0) {
         if (selector.msgAvailable) {
           selector.expectMsg(WriteInterest)
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/resources/reference.conf b/akka-actor/src/main/resources/reference.conf
index fe6844b6e0..e79a312460 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/resources/reference.conf
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/resources/reference.conf
@@ -483,6 +483,17 @@ akka {
       # Fully qualified config path which holds the dispatcher configuration
       # for the selector management actors
       management-dispatcher = "akka.actor.default-dispatcher"
+
+      # Fully qualified config path which holds the dispatcher configuration
+      # on which file IO tasks are scheduled
+      file-io-dispatcher = "akka.actor.default-dispatcher"
+
+      # The maximum number of bytes (or "unlimited") to transfer in one batch when using
+      # `WriteFile` command which uses `FileChannel.transferTo` to pipe files to a TCP socket.
+      # On some OS like Linux `FileChannel.transferTo` may block for a long time when network
+      # IO is faster than file IO. Decreasing the value may improve fairness while increasing
+      # may improve throughput.
+      file-io-transferTo-limit = 512 KiB
     }
 
     udp {
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/io/Tcp.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/io/Tcp.scala
index 52cc39358d..89ad3e1644 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/io/Tcp.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/io/Tcp.scala
@@ -92,19 +92,42 @@ object Tcp extends ExtensionKey[TcpExt] {
   case class NoAck(token: Any)
   object NoAck extends NoAck(null)
 
+  sealed trait WriteCommand extends Command {
+    require(ack != null, "ack must be non-null. Use NoAck if you don't want acks.")
+
+    def ack: Any
+    def wantsAck: Boolean = !ack.isInstanceOf[NoAck]
+  }
+
   /**
    * Write data to the TCP connection. If no ack is needed use the special
    * `NoAck` object.
    */
-  case class Write(data: ByteString, ack: Any) extends Command {
-    require(ack != null, "ack must be non-null. Use NoAck if you don't want acks.")
-
-    def wantsAck: Boolean = !ack.isInstanceOf[NoAck]
-  }
+  case class Write(data: ByteString, ack: Any) extends WriteCommand
   object Write {
-    val Empty: Write = Write(ByteString.empty, NoAck)
+    /**
+     * The empty Write doesn't write anything and isn't acknowledged.
+     * It will, however, be denied and sent back with `CommandFailed` if the
+     * connection isn't currently ready to send any data (because another WriteCommand
+     * is still pending).
+     */
+    val empty: Write = Write(ByteString.empty, NoAck)
+
+    /**
+     * Create a new unacknowledged Write command with the given data.
+     */
     def apply(data: ByteString): Write =
-      if (data.isEmpty) Empty else Write(data, NoAck)
+      if (data.isEmpty) empty else Write(data, NoAck)
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Write `count` bytes starting at `position` from file at `filePath` to the connection.
+   * When write is finished acknowledge with `ack`. If no ack is needed use `NoAck`. The
+   * count must be > 0.
+   */
+  case class WriteFile(filePath: String, position: Long, count: Long, ack: Any) extends WriteCommand {
+    require(position >= 0, "WriteFile.position must be >= 0")
+    require(count > 0, "WriteFile.count must be > 0")
   }
 
   case object StopReading extends Command
@@ -164,6 +187,11 @@ class TcpExt(system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends IO.Extension {
       case x           ⇒ getIntBytes("received-message-size-limit")
     }
     val ManagementDispatcher = getString("management-dispatcher")
+    val FileIODispatcher = getString("file-io-dispatcher")
+    val TransferToLimit = getString("file-io-transferTo-limit") match {
+      case "unlimited" ⇒ Int.MaxValue
+      case _           ⇒ getIntBytes("file-io-transferTo-limit")
+    }
 
     require(NrOfSelectors > 0, "nr-of-selectors must be > 0")
     require(MaxChannels == -1 || MaxChannels > 0, "max-channels must be > 0 or 'unlimited'")
@@ -187,6 +215,7 @@ class TcpExt(system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends IO.Extension {
   }
 
   val bufferPool: BufferPool = new DirectByteBufferPool(Settings.DirectBufferSize, Settings.MaxDirectBufferPoolSize)
+  val fileIoDispatcher = system.dispatchers.lookup(Settings.FileIODispatcher)
 }
 
 object TcpSO extends SoJavaFactories {
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/io/TcpConnection.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/io/TcpConnection.scala
index 9e5629adbb..83bd842272 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/io/TcpConnection.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/io/TcpConnection.scala
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 package akka.io
 
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress
-import java.io.IOException
-import java.nio.channels.SocketChannel
+import java.io.{ FileInputStream, IOException }
+import java.nio.channels.{ FileChannel, SocketChannel }
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer
 import scala.annotation.tailrec
 import scala.collection.immutable
@@ -92,8 +92,11 @@ private[io] abstract class TcpConnection(val channel: SocketChannel,
       doWrite(handler)
       if (!writePending) // writing is now finished
         handleClose(handler, closeCommander, closedEvent)
+    case SendBufferFull(remaining) ⇒ pendingWrite = remaining; selector ! WriteInterest
+    case WriteFileFinished         ⇒ pendingWrite = null; handleClose(handler, closeCommander, closedEvent)
+    case WriteFileFailed(e)        ⇒ handleError(handler, e) // rethrow exception from dispatcher task
 
-    case Abort ⇒ handleClose(handler, Some(sender), Aborted)
+    case Abort                     ⇒ handleClose(handler, Some(sender), Aborted)
   }
 
   /** connection is closed on our side and we're waiting from confirmation from the other side */
@@ -107,7 +110,7 @@ private[io] abstract class TcpConnection(val channel: SocketChannel,
   def handleWriteMessages(handler: ActorRef): Receive = {
     case ChannelWritable ⇒ if (writePending) doWrite(handler)
 
-    case write: Write if writePending ⇒
+    case write: WriteCommand if writePending ⇒
       if (TraceLogging) log.debug("Dropping write because queue is full")
       sender ! write.failureMessage
 
@@ -115,9 +118,13 @@ private[io] abstract class TcpConnection(val channel: SocketChannel,
       if (write.wantsAck)
         sender ! write.ack
 
-    case write: Write ⇒
+    case write: WriteCommand ⇒
       pendingWrite = createWrite(write)
       doWrite(handler)
+
+    case SendBufferFull(remaining) ⇒ pendingWrite = remaining; selector ! WriteInterest
+    case WriteFileFinished         ⇒ pendingWrite = null
+    case WriteFileFailed(e)        ⇒ handleError(handler, e) // rethrow exception from dispatcher task
   }
 
   // AUXILIARIES and IMPLEMENTATION
@@ -173,32 +180,8 @@ private[io] abstract class TcpConnection(val channel: SocketChannel,
     } finally bufferPool.release(buffer)
   }
 
-  final def doWrite(handler: ActorRef): Unit = {
-    @tailrec def innerWrite(): Unit = {
-      val toWrite = pendingWrite.buffer.remaining()
-      require(toWrite != 0)
-      val writtenBytes = channel.write(pendingWrite.buffer)
-      if (TraceLogging) log.debug("Wrote [{}] bytes to channel", writtenBytes)
-
-      pendingWrite = pendingWrite.consume(writtenBytes)
-
-      if (pendingWrite.hasData)
-        if (writtenBytes == toWrite) innerWrite() // wrote complete buffer, try again now
-        else selector ! WriteInterest // try again later
-      else { // everything written
-        if (pendingWrite.wantsAck)
-          pendingWrite.commander ! pendingWrite.ack
-
-        val buffer = pendingWrite.buffer
-        pendingWrite = null
-
-        bufferPool.release(buffer)
-      }
-    }
-
-    try innerWrite()
-    catch { case e: IOException ⇒ handleError(handler, e) }
-  }
+  def doWrite(handler: ActorRef): Unit =
+    pendingWrite = pendingWrite.doWrite(handler)
 
   def closeReason =
     if (channel.socket.isOutputShutdown) ConfirmedClosed
@@ -238,7 +221,7 @@ private[io] abstract class TcpConnection(val channel: SocketChannel,
     context.stop(self)
   }
 
-  def handleError(handler: ActorRef, exception: IOException): Unit = {
+  def handleError(handler: ActorRef, exception: IOException): Nothing = {
     closedMessage = CloseInformation(Set(handler), ErrorClosed(extractMsg(exception)))
 
     throw exception
@@ -267,8 +250,7 @@ private[io] abstract class TcpConnection(val channel: SocketChannel,
     if (channel.isOpen)
       abort()
 
-    if (writePending)
-      bufferPool.release(pendingWrite.buffer)
+    if (writePending) pendingWrite.release()
 
     if (closedMessage != null) {
       val interestedInClose =
@@ -282,30 +264,113 @@ private[io] abstract class TcpConnection(val channel: SocketChannel,
   override def postRestart(reason: Throwable): Unit =
     throw new IllegalStateException("Restarting not supported for connection actors.")
 
-  private[io] case class PendingWrite(
+  /** Create a pending write from a WriteCommand */
+  private[io] def createWrite(write: WriteCommand): PendingWrite = write match {
+    case write: Write ⇒
+      val buffer = bufferPool.acquire()
+
+      try {
+        val copied = write.data.copyToBuffer(buffer)
+        buffer.flip()
+
+        PendingBufferWrite(sender, write.ack, write.data.drop(copied), buffer)
+      } catch {
+        case NonFatal(e) ⇒
+          bufferPool.release(buffer)
+          throw e
+      }
+    case write: WriteFile ⇒
+      PendingWriteFile(sender, write, new FileInputStream(write.filePath).getChannel, 0L)
+  }
+
+  private[io] case class PendingBufferWrite(
     commander: ActorRef,
     ack: Any,
     remainingData: ByteString,
-    buffer: ByteBuffer) {
+    buffer: ByteBuffer) extends PendingWrite {
 
-    def consume(writtenBytes: Int): PendingWrite =
-      if (buffer.remaining() == 0) {
+    def release(): Unit = bufferPool.release(buffer)
+
+    def doWrite(handler: ActorRef): PendingWrite = {
+      @tailrec def innerWrite(pendingWrite: PendingBufferWrite): PendingWrite = {
+        val toWrite = pendingWrite.buffer.remaining()
+        require(toWrite != 0)
+        val writtenBytes = channel.write(pendingWrite.buffer)
+        if (TraceLogging) log.debug("Wrote [{}] bytes to channel", writtenBytes)
+
+        val nextWrite = pendingWrite.consume(writtenBytes)
+
+        if (pendingWrite.hasData)
+          if (writtenBytes == toWrite) innerWrite(nextWrite) // wrote complete buffer, try again now
+          else {
+            selector ! WriteInterest
+            nextWrite
+          } // try again later
+        else { // everything written
+          if (pendingWrite.wantsAck)
+            pendingWrite.commander ! pendingWrite.ack
+
+          pendingWrite.release()
+          null
+        }
+      }
+
+      try innerWrite(this)
+      catch { case e: IOException ⇒ handleError(handler, e) }
+    }
+    def hasData = buffer.hasRemaining || remainingData.nonEmpty
+    def consume(writtenBytes: Int): PendingBufferWrite =
+      if (buffer.hasRemaining) this
+      else {
         buffer.clear()
         val copied = remainingData.copyToBuffer(buffer)
         buffer.flip()
         copy(remainingData = remainingData.drop(copied))
-      } else this
-
-    def hasData = buffer.remaining() > 0 || remainingData.size > 0
-    def wantsAck = !ack.isInstanceOf[NoAck]
+      }
   }
-  def createWrite(write: Write): PendingWrite = {
-    val buffer = bufferPool.acquire()
-    val copied = write.data.copyToBuffer(buffer)
-    buffer.flip()
 
-    PendingWrite(sender, write.ack, write.data.drop(copied), buffer)
+  private[io] case class PendingWriteFile(
+    commander: ActorRef,
+    write: WriteFile,
+    fileChannel: FileChannel,
+    alreadyWritten: Long) extends PendingWrite {
+
+    def doWrite(handler: ActorRef): PendingWrite = {
+      tcp.fileIoDispatcher.execute(writeFileRunnable(this))
+      this
+    }
+
+    def ack: Any = write.ack
+
+    /** Release any open resources */
+    def release() { fileChannel.close() }
+
+    def updatedWrite(nowWritten: Long): PendingWriteFile = {
+      require(nowWritten < write.count)
+      copy(alreadyWritten = nowWritten)
+    }
+
+    def remainingBytes = write.count - alreadyWritten
+    def currentPosition = write.position + alreadyWritten
   }
+  private[io] def writeFileRunnable(pendingWrite: PendingWriteFile): Runnable =
+    new Runnable {
+      def run(): Unit = try {
+        import pendingWrite._
+        val toWrite = math.min(remainingBytes, tcp.Settings.TransferToLimit)
+        val writtenBytes = fileChannel.transferTo(currentPosition, toWrite, channel)
+
+        if (writtenBytes < remainingBytes) self ! SendBufferFull(pendingWrite.updatedWrite(alreadyWritten + writtenBytes))
+        else { // finished
+          if (wantsAck) commander ! write.ack
+          self ! WriteFileFinished
+
+          pendingWrite.release()
+        }
+      } catch {
+        case e: IOException ⇒ self ! WriteFileFailed(e)
+      }
+    }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -324,4 +389,25 @@ private[io] object TcpConnection {
   case class CloseInformation(
     notificationsTo: Set[ActorRef],
     closedEvent: Event)
+
+  // INTERNAL MESSAGES
+
+  /** Informs actor that no writing was possible but there is still work remaining */
+  case class SendBufferFull(remainingWrite: PendingWrite)
+  /** Informs actor that a pending file write has finished */
+  case object WriteFileFinished
+  /** Informs actor that a pending WriteFile failed */
+  case class WriteFileFailed(e: IOException)
+
+  /** Abstraction over pending writes */
+  trait PendingWrite {
+    def commander: ActorRef
+    def ack: Any
+
+    def wantsAck = !ack.isInstanceOf[NoAck]
+    def doWrite(handler: ActorRef): PendingWrite
+
+    /** Release any open resources */
+    def release(): Unit
+  }
 }