diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/BootableActorLoaderService.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/BootableActorLoaderService.scala
index d6e87ef027..5c80620d80 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/BootableActorLoaderService.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/BootableActorLoaderService.scala
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ trait BootableActorLoaderService extends Bootable with Logging {
       }
       val toDeploy = for (f <- DEPLOY_DIR.listFiles().toArray.toList.asInstanceOf[List[File]]) yield f.toURL
       log.info("Deploying applications from [%s]: [%s]", DEPLOY, toDeploy.toArray.toList)
-      new URLClassLoader(toDeploy.toArray, ClassLoader.getSystemClassLoader)
+      new URLClassLoader(toDeploy.toArray, getClass.getClassLoader)
     } else getClass.getClassLoader)
   }
 
@@ -43,4 +43,4 @@ trait BootableActorLoaderService extends Bootable with Logging {
   }
   
   abstract override def onUnload = ActorRegistry.shutdownAll
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/BootableRemoteActorService.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/BootableRemoteActorService.scala
index 2b8c2aa132..8aaec0661b 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/BootableRemoteActorService.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/BootableRemoteActorService.scala
@@ -23,21 +23,19 @@ trait BootableRemoteActorService extends Bootable with Logging {
   def startRemoteService = remoteServerThread.start
   
   abstract override def onLoad   = {
+    super.onLoad //Initialize BootableActorLoaderService before remote service
     if(config.getBool("akka.remote.server.service", true)){
-      Cluster.start
-      super.onLoad //Initialize BootableActorLoaderService before remote service
+      
+      if(config.getBool("akka.remote.cluster.service", true))
+        Cluster.start(self.applicationLoader)
+     
       log.info("Initializing Remote Actors Service...")
       startRemoteService
       log.info("Remote Actors Service initialized!")
     }
-    else
-      super.onLoad
-
   }
 
   abstract override def onUnload = {
-    super.onUnload
-
     log.info("Shutting down Remote Actors Service")
 
     RemoteNode.shutdown
@@ -49,6 +47,8 @@ trait BootableRemoteActorService extends Bootable with Logging {
     Cluster.shutdown
 
     log.info("Remote Actors Service has been shut down")
+
+    super.onUnload
   }
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/Cluster.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/Cluster.scala
index 145b07462f..7156c999bc 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/Cluster.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/Cluster.scala
@@ -17,16 +17,41 @@ import scala.collection.immutable.{Map, HashMap}
  * @author Viktor Klang
  */
 trait Cluster {
+  /**
+  * Specifies the cluster name
+  */
   def name: String
 
+  /**
+  * Adds the specified hostname + port as a local node
+  * This information will be propagated to other nodes in the cluster
+  * and will be available at the other nodes through lookup and foreach
+  */
   def registerLocalNode(hostname: String, port: Int): Unit
 
+  /**
+  * Removes the specified hostname + port from the local node
+  * This information will be propagated to other nodes in the cluster
+  * and will no longer be available at the other nodes through lookup and foreach
+  */
   def deregisterLocalNode(hostname: String, port: Int): Unit
 
+  /**
+  * Sends the message to all Actors of the specified type on all other nodes in the cluster
+  */
   def relayMessage(to: Class[_ <: Actor], msg: AnyRef): Unit
 
+  /**
+  * Traverses all known remote addresses avaiable at all other nodes in the cluster
+  * and applies the given PartialFunction on the first address that it's defined at
+  * The order of application is undefined and may vary
+  */
   def lookup[T](pf: PartialFunction[RemoteAddress, T]): Option[T]
 
+  /**
+  * Applies the specified function to all known remote addresses on al other nodes in the cluster
+  * The order of application is undefined and may vary
+  */
   def foreach(f: (RemoteAddress) => Unit): Unit
 }
 
@@ -37,6 +62,10 @@ trait Cluster {
  */
 trait ClusterActor extends Actor with Cluster {
   val name = config.getString("akka.remote.cluster.name") getOrElse "default"
+  
+  @volatile protected var serializer : Serializer = _
+  
+  private[remote] def setSerializer(s : Serializer) : Unit = serializer = s
 }
 
 /**
@@ -110,7 +139,7 @@ abstract class BasicClusterActor extends ClusterActor {
 
     case m: Message[ADDR_T] => {
       val (src, msg) = (m.sender, m.msg)
-      (Cluster.serializer in (msg, None)) match {
+      (serializer in (msg, None)) match {
 
         case PapersPlease => {
           log debug ("Asked for papers by %s", src)
@@ -156,7 +185,7 @@ abstract class BasicClusterActor extends ClusterActor {
    * that's been set in the akka-conf
    */
   protected def broadcast[T <: AnyRef](recipients: Iterable[ADDR_T], msg: T): Unit = {
-    lazy val m = Cluster.serializer out msg
+    lazy val m = serializer out msg
     for (r <- recipients) toOneNode(r, m)
   }
 
@@ -165,7 +194,7 @@ abstract class BasicClusterActor extends ClusterActor {
    * that's been set in the akka-conf
    */
   protected def broadcast[T <: AnyRef](msg: T): Unit =
-    if (!remotes.isEmpty) toAllNodes(Cluster.serializer out msg)
+    if (!remotes.isEmpty) toAllNodes(serializer out msg)
 
   /**
    * Applies the given PartialFunction to all known RemoteAddresses
@@ -205,23 +234,21 @@ abstract class BasicClusterActor extends ClusterActor {
 object Cluster extends Cluster with Logging {
   lazy val DEFAULT_SERIALIZER_CLASS_NAME = Serializer.Java.getClass.getName
 
-  @volatile private[akka] var clusterActor: Option[ClusterActor] = None
+  @volatile private[remote] var clusterActor: Option[ClusterActor] = None 
 
-  // FIXME Use the supervisor member field
-  @volatile private[akka] var supervisor: Option[Supervisor] = None
-
-  private[akka] lazy val serializer: Serializer =
-  Class.forName(config.getString("akka.remote.cluster.serializer", DEFAULT_SERIALIZER_CLASS_NAME))
-      .newInstance.asInstanceOf[Serializer]
-
-  private[akka] def createClusterActor: Option[ClusterActor] = {
+  private[remote] def createClusterActor(loader : ClassLoader): Option[ClusterActor] = {
     val name = config.getString("akka.remote.cluster.actor")
     if (name.isEmpty) throw new IllegalArgumentException(
       "Can't start cluster since the 'akka.remote.cluster.actor' configuration option is not defined")
+      
+    val serializer = Class.forName(config.getString("akka.remote.cluster.serializer", DEFAULT_SERIALIZER_CLASS_NAME)).newInstance.asInstanceOf[Serializer]
+    serializer setClassLoader loader 
     try {
       name map {
         fqn =>
-          Class.forName(fqn).newInstance.asInstanceOf[ClusterActor]
+          val a = Class.forName(fqn).newInstance.asInstanceOf[ClusterActor]
+          a setSerializer serializer
+          a
       }
     }
     catch {
@@ -251,13 +278,14 @@ object Cluster extends Cluster with Logging {
 
   def foreach(f: (RemoteAddress) => Unit): Unit = clusterActor.foreach(_.foreach(f))
 
-  def start: Unit = synchronized {
+  def start: Unit = start(None)
+
+  def start(serializerClassLoader : Option[ClassLoader]): Unit = synchronized {
     log.info("Starting up Cluster Service...")
-    if (supervisor.isEmpty) {
-      for (actor <- createClusterActor;
-           sup <- createSupervisor(actor)) {
+    if (clusterActor.isEmpty) {
+      for{ actor <- createClusterActor(serializerClassLoader getOrElse getClass.getClassLoader)
+             sup <- createSupervisor(actor) } {
         clusterActor = Some(actor)
-        supervisor = Some(sup)
         sup.start
       }
     }
@@ -265,8 +293,10 @@ object Cluster extends Cluster with Logging {
 
   def shutdown: Unit = synchronized {
     log.info("Shutting down Cluster Service...")
-    supervisor.foreach(_.stop)
-    supervisor = None
+    for{
+      c <- clusterActor
+      s <- c._supervisor
+    } s.stop
     clusterActor = None
   }
 }
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/RemoteServer.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/RemoteServer.scala
index bcd6b55494..8a40049fea 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/RemoteServer.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/remote/RemoteServer.scala
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ object RemoteNode extends RemoteServer
  */
 object RemoteServer {
   val HOSTNAME = config.getString("akka.remote.server.hostname", "localhost")
-  val PORT = config.getInt("akka.remote.server.port", 9966)
+  val PORT = config.getInt("akka.remote.server.port", 9999)
 
   val CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MILLIS = config.getInt("akka.remote.server.connection-timeout", 1000)
 
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/serialization/Serializer.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/serialization/Serializer.scala
index 3eb9315126..1cc930a7eb 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/serialization/Serializer.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/serialization/Serializer.scala
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ trait Serializer {
   def deepClone(obj: AnyRef): AnyRef
   def out(obj: AnyRef): Array[Byte]
   def in(bytes: Array[Byte], clazz: Option[Class[_]]): AnyRef
+  
+  protected var classLoader: Option[ClassLoader] = None
+
+  def setClassLoader(cl: ClassLoader) = classLoader = Some(cl)
 }
 
 // For Java API
@@ -52,10 +56,6 @@ object Serializer {
    */
   object Java extends Java
   class Java extends Serializer {
-    private var classLoader: Option[ClassLoader] = None
-
-    def setClassLoader(cl: ClassLoader) = classLoader = Some(cl)
-
     def deepClone(obj: AnyRef): AnyRef = in(out(obj), None)
 
     def out(obj: AnyRef): Array[Byte] = {
@@ -107,10 +107,6 @@ object Serializer {
   class JavaJSON extends Serializer {
     private val mapper = new ObjectMapper
 
-    private var classLoader: Option[ClassLoader] = None
-
-    def setClassLoader(cl: ClassLoader) = classLoader = Some(cl)
-
     def deepClone(obj: AnyRef): AnyRef = in(out(obj), Some(obj.getClass))
 
     def out(obj: AnyRef): Array[Byte] = {
@@ -143,10 +139,6 @@ object Serializer {
   class ScalaJSON extends Serializer {
     def deepClone(obj: AnyRef): AnyRef = in(out(obj), None)
 
-    private var classLoader: Option[ClassLoader] = None
-
-    def setClassLoader(cl: ClassLoader) = classLoader = Some(cl)
-
     def out(obj: AnyRef): Array[Byte] = SJSONSerializer.SJSON.out(obj)
 
     // FIXME set ClassLoader on SJSONSerializer.SJSON
diff --git a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/main/scala/StorageBackend.scala b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/main/scala/StorageBackend.scala
index cf08095334..d909f0e4a4 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/main/scala/StorageBackend.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-common/src/main/scala/StorageBackend.scala
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@ trait VectorStorageBackend[T] extends StorageBackend {
 trait RefStorageBackend[T] extends StorageBackend {
   def insertRefStorageFor(name: String, element: T)
   def getRefStorageFor(name: String): Option[T]
+  def incrementAtomically(name: String): Option[Int] =
+    throw new UnsupportedOperationException // only for redis
+  def incrementByAtomically(name: String, by: Int): Option[Int] =
+    throw new UnsupportedOperationException // only for redis
+  def decrementAtomically(name: String): Option[Int] =
+    throw new UnsupportedOperationException // only for redis
+  def decrementByAtomically(name: String, by: Int): Option[Int] =
+    throw new UnsupportedOperationException // only for redis
 }
 
 // for Queue
diff --git a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-redis/src/main/scala/RedisStorageBackend.scala b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-redis/src/main/scala/RedisStorageBackend.scala
index 59a04135b4..8bca9c6af6 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-redis/src/main/scala/RedisStorageBackend.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-redis/src/main/scala/RedisStorageBackend.scala
@@ -252,6 +252,38 @@ private [akka] object RedisStorageBackend extends
     }
   }
 
+  override def incrementAtomically(name: String): Option[Int] = withErrorHandling {
+    db.incr(new String(encode(name.getBytes))) match {
+      case Some(i) => Some(i)
+      case None => 
+        throw new Predef.IllegalArgumentException(name + " exception in incr")
+    }
+  }
+
+  override def incrementByAtomically(name: String, by: Int): Option[Int] = withErrorHandling {
+    db.incrBy(new String(encode(name.getBytes)), by) match {
+      case Some(i) => Some(i)
+      case None => 
+        throw new Predef.IllegalArgumentException(name + " exception in incrby")
+    }
+  }
+
+  override def decrementAtomically(name: String): Option[Int] = withErrorHandling {
+    db.decr(new String(encode(name.getBytes))) match {
+      case Some(i) => Some(i)
+      case None => 
+        throw new Predef.IllegalArgumentException(name + " exception in decr")
+    }
+  }
+
+  override def decrementByAtomically(name: String, by: Int): Option[Int] = withErrorHandling {
+    db.decrBy(new String(encode(name.getBytes)), by) match {
+      case Some(i) => Some(i)
+      case None => 
+        throw new Predef.IllegalArgumentException(name + " exception in decrby")
+    }
+  }
+
   // add to the end of the queue
   def enqueue(name: String, item: Array[Byte]): Boolean = withErrorHandling {
     db.rpush(new String(encode(name.getBytes)), new String(item))
diff --git a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-redis/src/test/scala/RedisStorageBackendSpec.scala b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-redis/src/test/scala/RedisStorageBackendSpec.scala
index 737a7e2894..cfe704c6ba 100644
--- a/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-redis/src/test/scala/RedisStorageBackendSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-persistence/akka-persistence-redis/src/test/scala/RedisStorageBackendSpec.scala
@@ -114,6 +114,48 @@ class RedisStorageBackendSpec extends
     }
   }
 
+  describe("atomic increment in ref") {
+    it("should increment an existing key value by 1") {
+      insertRefStorageFor("T-4-1", "1200".getBytes)
+      new String(getRefStorageFor("T-4-1").get) should equal("1200")
+      incrementAtomically("T-4-1").get should equal(1201)
+    }
+    it("should create and increment a non-existing key value by 1") {
+      incrementAtomically("T-4-2").get should equal(1)
+      new String(getRefStorageFor("T-4-2").get) should equal("1")
+    }
+    it("should increment an existing key value by the amount specified") {
+      insertRefStorageFor("T-4-3", "1200".getBytes)
+      new String(getRefStorageFor("T-4-3").get) should equal("1200")
+      incrementByAtomically("T-4-3", 50).get should equal(1250)
+    }
+    it("should create and increment a non-existing key value by the amount specified") {
+      incrementByAtomically("T-4-4", 20).get should equal(20)
+      new String(getRefStorageFor("T-4-4").get) should equal("20")
+    }
+  }
+
+  describe("atomic decrement in ref") {
+    it("should decrement an existing key value by 1") {
+      insertRefStorageFor("T-4-5", "1200".getBytes)
+      new String(getRefStorageFor("T-4-5").get) should equal("1200")
+      decrementAtomically("T-4-5").get should equal(1199)
+    }
+    it("should create and decrement a non-existing key value by 1") {
+      decrementAtomically("T-4-6").get should equal(-1)
+      new String(getRefStorageFor("T-4-6").get) should equal("-1")
+    }
+    it("should decrement an existing key value by the amount specified") {
+      insertRefStorageFor("T-4-7", "1200".getBytes)
+      new String(getRefStorageFor("T-4-7").get) should equal("1200")
+      decrementByAtomically("T-4-7", 50).get should equal(1150)
+    }
+    it("should create and decrement a non-existing key value by the amount specified") {
+      decrementByAtomically("T-4-8", 20).get should equal(-20)
+      new String(getRefStorageFor("T-4-8").get) should equal("-20")
+    }
+  }
+
   describe("store and query in queue") {
     it("should give proper queue semantics") {
       enqueue("T-5", "alan kay".getBytes)
diff --git a/config/akka-reference.conf b/config/akka-reference.conf
index dd3cfc01b2..ca9f1068ea 100644
--- a/config/akka-reference.conf
+++ b/config/akka-reference.conf
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
     zlib-compression-level = 6  # Options: 0-9 (1 being fastest and 9 being the most compressed), default is 6
 
     <cluster>
-      service = on # FIXME add 'service = on' for <cluster>
+      service = on
       name = "default"                                                       # The name of the cluster
       actor = "se.scalablesolutions.akka.cluster.jgroups.JGroupsClusterActor"         # FQN of an implementation of ClusterActor
       serializer = "se.scalablesolutions.akka.serialization.Serializer$Java" # FQN of the serializer class