diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/JavaAPI.java b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/JavaAPI.java
index 467e51481b..1f8e198e98 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/JavaAPI.java
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/java/akka/actor/JavaAPI.java
@@ -65,11 +65,4 @@ public class JavaAPI {
     }));
     assertNotNull(ref);
   }
-
-  @Test
-  public void mustAcceptSingleArgTell() {
-    ActorRef ref = system.actorOf(Props.create(JavaAPITestActor.class));
-    ref.tell("hallo");
-    ref.tell("hallo", ref);
-  }
 }
diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/serialization/SerializeSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/serialization/SerializeSpec.scala
index f74902ed1a..06c1b9b9c0 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/serialization/SerializeSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/serialization/SerializeSpec.scala
@@ -363,35 +363,22 @@ class SerializationCompatibilitySpec extends AkkaSpec(SerializationTests.mostlyR
           "0000000000010200007870")
     }
     "be preserved for the Supervise SystemMessage" in {
-      verify(Supervise(FakeActorRef("child"), true),
+      verify(Supervise(null, true),
         "aced00057372001e616b6b612e64697370617463682e7379736d73672e5375706572766973650000" +
           "0000000000010200025a00056173796e634c00056368696c647400154c616b6b612f6163746f722f" +
-          "4163746f725265663b7870017372001f616b6b612e73657269616c697a6174696f6e2e46616b6541" +
-          "63746f7252656600000000000000010200014c00046e616d657400124c6a6176612f6c616e672f53" +
-          "7472696e673b7872001b616b6b612e6163746f722e496e7465726e616c4163746f72526566869e6c" +
-          "3669e60e5f02000078720013616b6b612e6163746f722e4163746f72526566c3585dde655f469402" +
-          "000078707400056368696c64")
+          "4163746f725265663b78700170")
     }
     "be preserved for the Watch SystemMessage" in {
-      verify(Watch(FakeActorRef("watchee"), FakeActorRef("watcher")),
+      verify(Watch(null, null),
         "aced00057372001a616b6b612e64697370617463682e7379736d73672e5761746368000000000000" +
           "00010200024c00077761746368656574001d4c616b6b612f6163746f722f496e7465726e616c4163" +
-          "746f725265663b4c00077761746368657271007e000178707372001f616b6b612e73657269616c69" +
-          "7a6174696f6e2e46616b654163746f7252656600000000000000010200014c00046e616d65740012" +
-          "4c6a6176612f6c616e672f537472696e673b7872001b616b6b612e6163746f722e496e7465726e61" +
-          "6c4163746f72526566869e6c3669e60e5f02000078720013616b6b612e6163746f722e4163746f72" +
-          "526566c3585dde655f46940200007870740007776174636865657371007e00037400077761746368" +
-          "6572")
+          "746f725265663b4c00077761746368657271007e000178707070")
     }
     "be preserved for the Unwatch SystemMessage" in {
-      verify(Unwatch(FakeActorRef("watchee"), FakeActorRef("watcher")),
+      verify(Unwatch(null, null),
         "aced00057372001c616b6b612e64697370617463682e7379736d73672e556e776174636800000000" +
           "000000010200024c0007776174636865657400154c616b6b612f6163746f722f4163746f72526566" +
-          "3b4c00077761746368657271007e000178707372001f616b6b612e73657269616c697a6174696f6e" +
-          "2e46616b654163746f7252656600000000000000010200014c00046e616d657400124c6a6176612f" +
-          "6c616e672f537472696e673b7872001b616b6b612e6163746f722e496e7465726e616c4163746f72" +
-          "526566869e6c3669e60e5f02000078720013616b6b612e6163746f722e4163746f72526566c3585d" +
-          "de655f46940200007870740007776174636865657371007e000374000777617463686572")
+          "3b4c00077761746368657271007e000178707070")
     }
     "be preserved for the NoMessage SystemMessage" in {
       verify(NoMessage,
@@ -400,15 +387,11 @@ class SerializationCompatibilitySpec extends AkkaSpec(SerializationTests.mostlyR
     }
     "be preserved for the Failed SystemMessage" in {
       // Using null as the cause to avoid a large serialized message and JDK differences
-      verify(Failed(FakeActorRef("child"), cause = null, uid = 0),
+      verify(Failed(null, cause = null, uid = 0),
         "aced00057372001b616b6b612e64697370617463682e7379736d73672e4661696c65640000000000" +
           "0000010200034900037569644c000563617573657400154c6a6176612f6c616e672f5468726f7761" +
           "626c653b4c00056368696c647400154c616b6b612f6163746f722f4163746f725265663b78700000" +
-          "0000707372001f616b6b612e73657269616c697a6174696f6e2e46616b654163746f725265660000" +
-          "0000000000010200014c00046e616d657400124c6a6176612f6c616e672f537472696e673b787200" +
-          "1b616b6b612e6163746f722e496e7465726e616c4163746f72526566869e6c3669e60e5f02000078" +
-          "720013616b6b612e6163746f722e4163746f72526566c3585dde655f469402000078707400056368" +
-          "696c64")
+          "00007070")
     }
   }
 }
@@ -450,21 +433,3 @@ protected[akka] class TestSerializer extends Serializer {
 protected[akka] case class FakeThrowable(msg: String) extends Throwable(msg) with Serializable {
   override def fillInStackTrace = null
 }
-
-@SerialVersionUID(1)
-protected[akka] case class FakeActorRef(name: String) extends InternalActorRef with ActorRefScope {
-  override def path = RootActorPath(Address("proto", "SomeSystem"), name)
-  override def forward(message: Any)(implicit context: ActorContext) = ???
-  @deprecated("Use context.watch(actor) and receive Terminated(actor)", "2.2") override def isTerminated = ???
-  override def start() = ???
-  override def resume(causedByFailure: Throwable) = ???
-  override def suspend() = ???
-  override def restart(cause: Throwable) = ???
-  override def stop() = ???
-  override def sendSystemMessage(message: SystemMessage) = ???
-  override def provider = ???
-  override def getParent = ???
-  override def getChild(name: Iterator[String]) = ???
-  override def isLocal = ???
-  override def !(message: Any)(implicit sender: ActorRef = Actor.noSender) = ???
-}
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRef.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRef.scala
index 10408ac962..9bc923251c 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRef.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/ActorRef.scala
@@ -100,16 +100,6 @@ abstract class ActorRef extends java.lang.Comparable[ActorRef] with Serializable
     else x
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Sends the specified message to the sender, i.e. fire-and-forget semantics.
-   *
-   * <pre>
-   * actor.tell(message);
-   * </pre>
-   */
-  @deprecated("use the two-arg variant (typically getSelf() as second arg)", "2.1")
-  final def tell(msg: Any): Unit = this.!(msg)(null: ActorRef)
-
   /**
    * Java API: Sends the specified message to the sender, i.e. fire-and-forget
    * semantics, including the sender reference if possible (pass `null` if
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/UntypedActor.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/UntypedActor.scala
index 23fed1d819..0b88c58089 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/UntypedActor.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/UntypedActor.scala
@@ -63,11 +63,11 @@ import akka.japi.{ Creator }
  *
  *        if (msg.equals("UseSender")) {
  *          // Reply to original sender of message
- *          getSender().tell(msg + ":" + getSelf());
+ *          getSender().tell(msg, getSelf());
  *
  *        } else if (msg.equals("SendToSelf")) {
  *          // Send message to the actor itself recursively
- *          getSelf().tell("SomeOtherMessage");
+ *          getSelf().tell("SomeOtherMessage", getSelf());
  *
  *        } else if (msg.equals("ErrorKernelWithDirectReply")) {
  *          // Send work to one-off child which will reply directly to original sender
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ import akka.japi.{ Creator }
  *
  *        final Reply reply = (Reply) message;
  *        // might want to do some processing/book-keeping here
- *        reply.sender.tell(reply.result);
+ *        reply.sender.tell(reply.result, getSelf());
  *
  *      } else throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unknown message: " + message);
  *    }
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/UntypedActorWithStash.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/UntypedActorWithStash.scala
index 210fade3fd..4cf36dcd99 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/UntypedActorWithStash.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/actor/UntypedActorWithStash.scala
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ package akka.actor
  *     public void onReceive(Object msg) {
  *       if (msg instanceof String) {
  *         if (count < 0) {
- *           getSender().tell(new Integer(((String) msg).length()));
+ *           getSender().tell(new Integer(((String) msg).length()), getSelf());
  *         } else if (count == 2) {
  *           count = -1;
  *           unstashAll();
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/java/dispatchers.rst b/akka-docs/rst/java/dispatchers.rst
index b62389542a..c603bb4948 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/java/dispatchers.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/java/dispatchers.rst
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ filling in will they be transferred into the real mailbox. Thus,
 
    final Props props = ...
    // this actor uses MyCustomMailbox, which is assumed to be a singleton
-   system.actorOf(props.withDispatcher("myCustomMailbox").tell("bang");
+   system.actorOf(props.withDispatcher("myCustomMailbox").tell("bang", sender);
    assert(MyCustomMailbox.getInstance().getLastEnqueued().equals("bang"));
 
 will probably fail; you will have to allow for some time to pass and retry the
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/java/futures.rst b/akka-docs/rst/java/futures.rst
index 9854a3635b..38d614530d 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/java/futures.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/java/futures.rst
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ by the ``ExecutionContexts`` class to wrap ``Executors`` and ``ExecutorServices`
 Use with Actors
 ---------------
 
-There are generally two ways of getting a reply from an ``UntypedActor``: the first is by a sent message (``actorRef.tell(msg)``),
+There are generally two ways of getting a reply from an ``UntypedActor``: the first is by a sent message (``actorRef.tell(msg, sender)``),
 which only works if the original sender was an ``UntypedActor``) and the second is through a ``Future``.
 
 Using the ``ActorRef``\'s ``ask`` method to send a message will return a ``Future``.
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/java/routing.rst b/akka-docs/rst/java/routing.rst
index 5f994200c0..d230b7fa51 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/java/routing.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/java/routing.rst
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Sending a message to a router is easy.
 
 .. code-block:: java
 
-  router.tell(new MyMsg());
+  router.tell(new MyMsg(), sender);
 
 A router actor forwards messages to its routees according to its routing policy.
 
diff --git a/akka-docs/rst/java/untyped-actors.rst b/akka-docs/rst/java/untyped-actors.rst
index a014d9358e..f688358578 100644
--- a/akka-docs/rst/java/untyped-actors.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/rst/java/untyped-actors.rst
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ an ``onComplete``-handler on the future to effect the submission of the
 aggregated :class:`Result` to another actor.
 
 Using ``ask`` will send a message to the receiving Actor as with ``tell``, and
-the receiving actor must reply with ``getSender().tell(reply)`` in order to
+the receiving actor must reply with ``getSender().tell(reply, getSelf())`` in order to
 complete the returned :class:`Future` with a value. The ``ask`` operation
 involves creating an internal actor for handling this reply, which needs to
 have a timeout after which it is destroyed in order not to leak resources; see
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ Reply to messages
 
 If you want to have a handle for replying to a message, you can use
 ``getSender()``, which gives you an ActorRef. You can reply by sending to
-that ActorRef with ``getSender().tell(replyMsg)``. You can also store the ActorRef
+that ActorRef with ``getSender().tell(replyMsg, getSelf())``. You can also store the ActorRef
 for replying later, or passing on to other actors. If there is no sender (a
 message was sent without an actor or future context) then the sender
 defaults to a 'dead-letter' actor ref.