diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/event/EventStreamSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/event/EventStreamSpec.scala
index a8cd32f5d3..d1846860f3 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/event/EventStreamSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/event/EventStreamSpec.scala
@@ -74,6 +74,17 @@ class EventStreamSpec extends AkkaSpec(EventStreamSpec.config) {
       }
     }
 
+    "not allow null as subscriber" in {
+      val bus = new EventStream(true)
+      intercept[IllegalArgumentException] { bus.subscribe(null, classOf[M]) }.getMessage must be("subscriber is null")
+    }
+
+    "not allow null as unsubscriber" in {
+      val bus = new EventStream(true)
+      intercept[IllegalArgumentException] { bus.unsubscribe(null, classOf[M]) }.getMessage must be("subscriber is null")
+      intercept[IllegalArgumentException] { bus.unsubscribe(null) }.getMessage must be("subscriber is null")
+    }
+
     "be able to log unhandled messages" in {
       val sys = ActorSystem("EventStreamSpecUnhandled", configUnhandled)
       try {
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/EventBus.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/EventBus.scala
index 6a5cc67cc4..cad7351bbb 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/EventBus.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/EventBus.scala
@@ -324,7 +324,17 @@ trait ActorClassification { this: ActorEventBus with ActorClassifier ⇒
     case some ⇒ some foreach { _ ! event }
   }
 
-  def subscribe(subscriber: Subscriber, to: Classifier): Boolean = associate(to, subscriber)
-  def unsubscribe(subscriber: Subscriber, from: Classifier): Boolean = dissociate(from, subscriber)
-  def unsubscribe(subscriber: Subscriber): Unit = dissociate(subscriber)
+  def subscribe(subscriber: Subscriber, to: Classifier): Boolean =
+    if (subscriber eq null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Subscriber is null")
+    else if (to eq null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Classifier is null")
+    else associate(to, subscriber)
+
+  def unsubscribe(subscriber: Subscriber, from: Classifier): Boolean =
+    if (subscriber eq null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Subscriber is null")
+    else if (from eq null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Classifier is null")
+    else dissociate(from, subscriber)
+
+  def unsubscribe(subscriber: Subscriber): Unit =
+    if (subscriber eq null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Subscriber is null")
+    else dissociate(subscriber)
 }
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/EventStream.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/EventStream.scala
index 172cf052ca..2cc9bf8c2b 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/EventStream.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/EventStream.scala
@@ -39,17 +39,20 @@ class EventStream(private val debug: Boolean = false) extends LoggingBus with Su
   }
 
   override def subscribe(subscriber: ActorRef, channel: Class[_]): Boolean = {
+    if (subscriber eq null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("subscriber is null")
     if (debug) publish(Logging.Debug(simpleName(this), this.getClass, "subscribing " + subscriber + " to channel " + channel))
     super.subscribe(subscriber, channel)
   }
 
   override def unsubscribe(subscriber: ActorRef, channel: Class[_]): Boolean = {
+    if (subscriber eq null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("subscriber is null")
     val ret = super.unsubscribe(subscriber, channel)
     if (debug) publish(Logging.Debug(simpleName(this), this.getClass, "unsubscribing " + subscriber + " from channel " + channel))
     ret
   }
 
   override def unsubscribe(subscriber: ActorRef) {
+    if (subscriber eq null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("subscriber is null")
     super.unsubscribe(subscriber)
     if (debug) publish(Logging.Debug(simpleName(this), this.getClass, "unsubscribing " + subscriber + " from all channels"))
   }