diff --git a/akka-testkit/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/Coroner.scala b/akka-testkit/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/Coroner.scala
index 39de089e8b..dd4b0b1f85 100644
--- a/akka-testkit/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/Coroner.scala
+++ b/akka-testkit/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/Coroner.scala
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ package akka.testkit
 import java.io.PrintStream
 import java.lang.management.{ ManagementFactory, ThreadInfo }
 import java.util.Date
-import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch
+import java.util.concurrent.{ TimeoutException, CountDownLatch }
 import org.scalatest.{ BeforeAndAfterAll, Suite }
 import scala.annotation.tailrec
-import scala.concurrent.{ Awaitable, CanAwait, Await }
+import scala.concurrent.{ Promise, Awaitable, CanAwait, Await }
 import scala.concurrent.duration._
 import scala.util.control.NonFatal
 
@@ -32,37 +32,89 @@ object Coroner {
    * The result of this Awaitable will be `true` if it has been cancelled.
    */
   trait WatchHandle extends Awaitable[Boolean] {
+    /**
+     * Will try to ensure that the Coroner has finished reporting.
+     */
     def cancel(): Unit
   }
 
+  private class WatchHandleImpl(startAndStopDuration: FiniteDuration)
+    extends WatchHandle {
+    val cancelPromise = Promise[Boolean]
+    val startedLatch = new CountDownLatch(1)
+    val finishedLatch = new CountDownLatch(1)
+
+    def waitForStart(): Unit = {
+      startedLatch.await(startAndStopDuration.length, startAndStopDuration.unit)
+    }
+
+    def started(): Unit = startedLatch.countDown()
+
+    def finished(): Unit = finishedLatch.countDown()
+
+    def expired(): Unit = cancelPromise.trySuccess(false)
+
+    override def cancel(): Unit = {
+      cancelPromise.trySuccess(true)
+      finishedLatch.await(startAndStopDuration.length, startAndStopDuration.unit)
+    }
+
+    override def ready(atMost: Duration)(implicit permit: CanAwait): this.type = {
+      result(atMost)
+      this
+    }
+
+    override def result(atMost: Duration)(implicit permit: CanAwait): Boolean =
+      try { Await.result(cancelPromise.future, atMost) } catch { case _: TimeoutException ⇒ false }
+
+  }
+
+  val defaultStartAndStopDuration = 1.second
+
   /**
    * Ask the Coroner to print a report if it is not cancelled by the given deadline.
    * The returned handle can be used to perform the cancellation.
+   *
+   * If displayThreadCounts is set to true, then the Coroner will print thread counts during start
+   * and stop.
    */
-  def watch(deadline: Deadline, reportTitle: String, out: PrintStream): WatchHandle = {
-    val cancelLatch = new CountDownLatch(1) with WatchHandle {
-      override def cancel(): Unit = countDown()
-      override def ready(atMost: Duration)(implicit permit: CanAwait): this.type = {
-        result(atMost)
-        this
-      }
-      override def result(atMost: Duration)(implicit permit: CanAwait): Boolean = await(atMost.length, atMost.unit)
-    }
+  def watch(duration: FiniteDuration, reportTitle: String, out: PrintStream,
+            startAndStopDuration: FiniteDuration = defaultStartAndStopDuration,
+            displayThreadCounts: Boolean = false): WatchHandle = {
 
-    def triggerReportIfOverdue(duration: Duration): Unit =
-      if (!Await.result(cancelLatch, duration)) {
-        out.println(s"Coroner not cancelled after ${duration.toMillis}ms. Looking for signs of foul play...")
-        try printReport(reportTitle, out) catch {
-          case NonFatal(ex) ⇒ {
-            out.println("Error displaying Coroner's Report")
-            ex.printStackTrace(out)
-          }
-        } finally out.flush()
+    val watchedHandle = new WatchHandleImpl(startAndStopDuration)
+
+    def triggerReportIfOverdue(duration: Duration): Unit = {
+      val threadMx = ManagementFactory.getThreadMXBean()
+      val startThreads = threadMx.getThreadCount
+      if (displayThreadCounts) {
+        threadMx.resetPeakThreadCount()
+        out.println(s"Coroner Thread Count Start: current = ${startThreads} in ${reportTitle}")
       }
-    val duration = deadline.timeLeft // Store for later reporting
-    val thread = new Thread(new Runnable { def run = triggerReportIfOverdue(duration) }, "Coroner")
-    thread.start() // Must store thread in val to work around SI-7203
-    cancelLatch
+      watchedHandle.started()
+      try {
+        if (!Await.result(watchedHandle, duration)) {
+          watchedHandle.expired()
+          out.println(s"Coroner not cancelled after ${duration.toMillis}ms. Looking for signs of foul play...")
+          try printReport(reportTitle, out) catch {
+            case NonFatal(ex) ⇒ {
+              out.println("Error displaying Coroner's Report")
+              ex.printStackTrace(out)
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      } finally {
+        if (displayThreadCounts) {
+          val endThreads = threadMx.getThreadCount
+          out.println(s"Coroner Thread Count End: current = ${endThreads}, diff = ${endThreads - startThreads}, peak = ${threadMx.getPeakThreadCount} in ${reportTitle}")
+        }
+        out.flush()
+        watchedHandle.finished()
+      }
+    }
+    new Thread(new Runnable { def run = triggerReportIfOverdue(duration) }, "Coroner").start()
+    watchedHandle.waitForStart()
+    watchedHandle
   }
 
   /**
@@ -191,6 +243,9 @@ object Coroner {
  * and `stopCoroner` methods should be called before and after the test runs.
  * The Coroner will display its report if the test takes longer than the
  * (dilated) `expectedTestDuration` to run.
+ *
+ * If displayThreadCounts is set to true, then the Coroner will print thread
+ * counts during start and stop.
  */
 trait WatchedByCoroner {
   self: TestKit ⇒
@@ -198,7 +253,8 @@ trait WatchedByCoroner {
   @volatile private var coronerWatch: Coroner.WatchHandle = _
 
   final def startCoroner() {
-    coronerWatch = Coroner.watch(expectedTestDuration.dilated.fromNow, getClass.getName, System.err)
+    coronerWatch = Coroner.watch(expectedTestDuration.dilated, getClass.getName, System.err,
+      startAndStopDuration.dilated, displayThreadCounts)
   }
 
   final def stopCoroner() {
@@ -207,4 +263,8 @@ trait WatchedByCoroner {
   }
 
   def expectedTestDuration: FiniteDuration
+
+  def displayThreadCounts: Boolean = true
+
+  def startAndStopDuration: FiniteDuration = Coroner.defaultStartAndStopDuration
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-testkit/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/CoronerSpec.scala b/akka-testkit/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/CoronerSpec.scala
index 25ae910158..d222a17f75 100644
--- a/akka-testkit/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/CoronerSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-testkit/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/CoronerSpec.scala
@@ -24,19 +24,35 @@ class CoronerSpec extends WordSpec with MustMatchers {
 
   "A Coroner" must {
 
-    "generate a report if enough time passes" taggedAs TimingTest in {
-      val (_, report) = captureOutput(out ⇒ Await.ready(Coroner.watch(100.milliseconds.fromNow, "XXXX", out), 1.second))
+    "generate a report if enough time passes" in {
+      val (_, report) = captureOutput(out ⇒ {
+        val coroner = Coroner.watch(100.milliseconds, "XXXX", out)
+        Await.ready(coroner, 5.seconds)
+        coroner.cancel()
+      })
       report must include("Coroner's Report")
       report must include("XXXX")
     }
 
-    "not generate a report if cancelled early" taggedAs TimingTest in {
+    "not generate a report if cancelled early" in {
       val (_, report) = captureOutput(out ⇒ {
-        val coroner = Coroner.watch(100.milliseconds.fromNow, "XXXX", out)
+        val coroner = Coroner.watch(60.seconds, "XXXX", out)
+        coroner.cancel()
+        Await.ready(coroner, 1.seconds)
+      })
+      report must be("")
+    }
+
+    "display thread counts if enabled" in {
+      val (_, report) = captureOutput(out ⇒ {
+        val coroner = Coroner.watch(60.seconds, "XXXX", out, displayThreadCounts = true)
         coroner.cancel()
         Await.ready(coroner, 1.second)
       })
-      report must be("")
+      report must include("Coroner Thread Count Start:")
+      report must include("Coroner Thread Count End:")
+      report must include("XXXX")
+      report must not include ("Coroner's Report")
     }
 
     "display deadlock information in its report" in {