diff --git a/akka-actors/src/main/scala/actor/Actor.scala b/akka-actors/src/main/scala/actor/Actor.scala
index 5e0191483a..d18092dd83 100644
--- a/akka-actors/src/main/scala/actor/Actor.scala
+++ b/akka-actors/src/main/scala/actor/Actor.scala
@@ -348,8 +348,8 @@ trait Actor extends Logging with TransactionManagement {
    * <p/>
    * To be invoked from within the actor itself.
    */
-  protected[this] def startLinkRemote(actor: Actor) = {
-    actor.makeRemote(RemoteServer.HOSTNAME, RemoteServer.PORT)
+  protected[this] def startLinkRemote(actor: Actor, hostname: String, port: Int) = {
+    actor.makeRemote(hostname, port)
     actor.start
     link(actor)
   }
@@ -372,9 +372,9 @@ trait Actor extends Logging with TransactionManagement {
    * <p/>
    * To be invoked from within the actor itself.
    */
-  protected[this] def spawnRemote[T <: Actor](actorClass: Class[T]): T = {
+  protected[this] def spawnRemote[T <: Actor](actorClass: Class[T], hostname: String, port: Int): T = {
     val actor = actorClass.newInstance.asInstanceOf[T]
-    actor.makeRemote(RemoteServer.HOSTNAME, RemoteServer.PORT)
+    actor.makeRemote(hostname, port)
     actor.dispatcher = dispatcher
     actor.mailbox = mailbox
     actor.start
@@ -397,9 +397,9 @@ trait Actor extends Logging with TransactionManagement {
    * <p/>
    * To be invoked from within the actor itself.
    */
-  protected[this] def spawnLinkRemote[T <: Actor](actorClass: Class[T]): T = {
+  protected[this] def spawnLinkRemote[T <: Actor](actorClass: Class[T], hostname: String, port: Int): T = {
     val actor = spawn[T](actorClass)
-    actor.makeRemote(RemoteServer.HOSTNAME, RemoteServer.PORT)
+    actor.makeRemote(hostname, port)
     link(actor)
     actor
   }
diff --git a/akka-actors/src/main/scala/nio/RemoteServer.scala b/akka-actors/src/main/scala/nio/RemoteServer.scala
index c8a5bbdd9d..99429fdbb9 100644
--- a/akka-actors/src/main/scala/nio/RemoteServer.scala
+++ b/akka-actors/src/main/scala/nio/RemoteServer.scala
@@ -23,21 +23,20 @@ import org.jboss.netty.handler.codec.protobuf.{ProtobufDecoder, ProtobufEncoder}
 /**
  * @author <a href="http://jonasboner.com">Jonas Bon&#233;r</a>
  */
-class RemoteServer extends Logging {
-  def start = RemoteServer.start(None)
-}
+object RemoteServer extends RemoteServer
 
 /**
  * @author <a href="http://jonasboner.com">Jonas Bon&#233;r</a>
  */
-object RemoteServer extends Logging {
+class RemoteServer extends Logging {
   import Config.config
   val HOSTNAME = config.getString("akka.remote.hostname", "localhost")
   val PORT = config.getInt("akka.remote.port", 9999)
   val CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MILLIS = config.getInt("akka.remote.connection-timeout", 1000)  
 
-  val name = "RemoteServer@" + HOSTNAME
-
+  private var hostname = HOSTNAME 
+  private var port = PORT
+   
   @volatile private var isRunning = false
   @volatile private var isConfigured = false
 
@@ -49,19 +48,26 @@ object RemoteServer extends Logging {
 
   private val bootstrap = new ServerBootstrap(factory)
 
+  def name = "RemoteServer@" + hostname + ":" + port
+  
   def start: Unit = start(None)
-  def start(loader: Option[ClassLoader]): Unit = start(HOSTNAME, PORT)
+
+  def start(loader: Option[ClassLoader]): Unit = start(HOSTNAME, PORT, loader)
+
   def start(hostname: String, port: Int): Unit = start(hostname, port, None)
-  def start(hostname: String, port: Int, loader: Option[ClassLoader]): Unit = synchronized {
+
+  def start(_hostname: String, _port: Int, loader: Option[ClassLoader]): Unit = synchronized {
     if (!isRunning) {
-      log.info("Starting remote server at [%s:%s]", HOSTNAME, PORT)
+      hostname = _hostname
+      port = _port
+      log.info("Starting remote server at [%s:%s]", hostname, port)
       bootstrap.setPipelineFactory(new RemoteServerPipelineFactory(name, loader))
       // FIXME make these RemoteServer options configurable
       bootstrap.setOption("child.tcpNoDelay", true)
       bootstrap.setOption("child.keepAlive", true)
       bootstrap.setOption("child.reuseAddress", true)
       bootstrap.setOption("child.connectTimeoutMillis", CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MILLIS)
-      bootstrap.bind(new InetSocketAddress(HOSTNAME, PORT))
+      bootstrap.bind(new InetSocketAddress(hostname, port))
       isRunning = true
     }
   }
diff --git a/akka-actors/src/test/scala/RemoteActorSpec.scala b/akka-actors/src/test/scala/RemoteActorSpec.scala
index f492189fe2..43f4d7573c 100644
--- a/akka-actors/src/test/scala/RemoteActorSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actors/src/test/scala/RemoteActorSpec.scala
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ class RemoteActorSpec extends TestCase {
   akka.Config.config
   new Thread(new Runnable() {
      def run = {
-       val server = new RemoteServer
-       server.start
+       RemoteServer.start
      }
   }).start
   Thread.sleep(1000)
diff --git a/akka-actors/src/test/scala/RemoteSupervisorSpec.scala b/akka-actors/src/test/scala/RemoteSupervisorSpec.scala
index e7425aedc2..dfc97959c9 100644
--- a/akka-actors/src/test/scala/RemoteSupervisorSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actors/src/test/scala/RemoteSupervisorSpec.scala
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@ class RemoteSupervisorSpec extends junit.framework.TestCase with Suite  {
   akka.Config.config
   new Thread(new Runnable() {
      def run = {
-       val server = new RemoteServer
-       server.start
+       RemoteServer.start
      }
   }).start
   Thread.sleep(1000)
diff --git a/akka-kernel/src/main/scala/Kernel.scala b/akka-kernel/src/main/scala/Kernel.scala
index 5dd8bcf190..e9ec2a8275 100644
--- a/akka-kernel/src/main/scala/Kernel.scala
+++ b/akka-kernel/src/main/scala/Kernel.scala
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ object Kernel extends Logging {
 
   // FIXME add API to shut server down gracefully
   @volatile private var hasBooted = false
-  private var remoteServer: RemoteServer = _
   private var jerseySelectorThread: SelectorThread = _
   private val startTime = System.currentTimeMillis
   private var applicationLoader: Option[ClassLoader] = None