diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Actor.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Actor.scala
index a771195edf..493baf9b1e 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Actor.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/Actor.scala
@@ -476,6 +476,7 @@ trait Actor {
    * Actors are automatically started asynchronously when created.
    * Empty default implementation.
    */
+  @throws(classOf[Exception])
   def preStart() {}
 
   /**
@@ -484,6 +485,7 @@ trait Actor {
    * Is called asynchronously after 'actor.stop()' is invoked.
    * Empty default implementation.
    */
+  @throws(classOf[Exception])
   def postStop() {}
 
   /**
@@ -494,6 +496,7 @@ trait Actor {
    * Is called on a crashed Actor right BEFORE it is restarted to allow clean
    * up of resources before Actor is terminated.
    */
+  @throws(classOf[Exception])
   def preRestart(reason: Throwable, message: Option[Any]) {
     context.children foreach context.stop
     postStop()
@@ -505,6 +508,7 @@ trait Actor {
    * <p/>
    * Is called right AFTER restart on the newly created Actor to allow reinitialization after an Actor crash.
    */
+  @throws(classOf[Exception])
   def postRestart(reason: Throwable) { preStart() }
 
   /**
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/UntypedActor.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/UntypedActor.scala
index 163d9468bc..741d74feda 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/UntypedActor.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/UntypedActor.scala
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ abstract class UntypedActor extends Actor {
    * Actor are automatically started asynchronously when created.
    * Empty default implementation.
    */
+  @throws(classOf[Exception])
   override def preStart(): Unit = super.preStart()
 
   /**
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ abstract class UntypedActor extends Actor {
    * Is called asynchronously after 'actor.stop()' is invoked.
    * Empty default implementation.
    */
+  @throws(classOf[Exception])
   override def postStop(): Unit = super.postStop()
 
   /**
@@ -147,6 +149,7 @@ abstract class UntypedActor extends Actor {
    * Is called on a crashed Actor right BEFORE it is restarted to allow clean
    * up of resources before Actor is terminated.
    */
+  @throws(classOf[Exception])
   override def preRestart(reason: Throwable, message: Option[Any]): Unit = super.preRestart(reason, message)
 
   /**
@@ -154,6 +157,7 @@ abstract class UntypedActor extends Actor {
    * <p/>
    * Is called right AFTER restart on the newly created Actor to allow reinitialization after an Actor crash.
    */
+  @throws(classOf[Exception])
   override def postRestart(reason: Throwable): Unit = super.postRestart(reason)
 
   final def receive = { case msg ⇒ onReceive(msg) }
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/actor/InitializationDocSpecJava.java b/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/actor/InitializationDocSpecJava.java
index 2e3f52108b..fd9f7d3575 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/actor/InitializationDocSpecJava.java
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/java/code/docs/actor/InitializationDocSpecJava.java
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ public class InitializationDocSpecJava {
         // of the actor. To opt-out from stopping the children, we
         // have to override preRestart()
         @Override
-        public void preRestart(Throwable reason, Option<Object> message) {
+        public void preRestart(Throwable reason, Option<Object> message) 
+              throws Exception {
             // Keep the call to postStop(), but no stopping of children
             postStop();
         }