diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/Actor.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/Actor.scala
index 1f669c9e32..07a6fa2fb7 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/Actor.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/Actor.scala
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ object Actor extends Logging {
     case object Spawn
     actorOf(new Actor() {
       def receive = {
-        case Spawn => body; self.stop
+        case Spawn => try { body } finally { self.stop }
       }
     }).start ! Spawn
   }
diff --git a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/Scheduler.scala b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/Scheduler.scala
index 07486521ec..c3048bd74a 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/Scheduler.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/main/scala/actor/Scheduler.scala
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ object Scheduler extends Logging {
 
   log.info("Starting up Scheduler")
 
+  /**
+   * Schedules to send the specified message to the receiver after initialDelay and then repeated after delay
+   */
   def schedule(receiver: ActorRef, message: AnyRef, initialDelay: Long, delay: Long, timeUnit: TimeUnit): ScheduledFuture[AnyRef] = {
     log.trace(
       "Schedule scheduled event\n\tevent = [%s]\n\treceiver = [%s]\n\tinitialDelay = [%s]\n\tdelay = [%s]\n\ttimeUnit = [%s]",
@@ -38,19 +41,68 @@ object Scheduler extends Logging {
         new Runnable { def run = receiver ! message },
         initialDelay, delay, timeUnit).asInstanceOf[ScheduledFuture[AnyRef]]
     } catch {
-      case e => throw SchedulerException(message + " could not be scheduled on " + receiver, e)
+      case e: Exception => throw SchedulerException(message + " could not be scheduled on " + receiver, e)
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Schedules to run specified function to the receiver after initialDelay and then repeated after delay,
+   * avoid blocking operations since this is executed in the schedulers thread
+   */
+  def schedule(f: () => Unit, initialDelay: Long, delay: Long, timeUnit: TimeUnit): ScheduledFuture[AnyRef] =
+    schedule(new Runnable { def run = f() }, initialDelay, delay, timeUnit)
+
+  /**
+   * Schedules to run specified runnable to the receiver after initialDelay and then repeated after delay,
+   * avoid blocking operations since this is executed in the schedulers thread
+   */
+  def schedule(runnable: Runnable, initialDelay: Long, delay: Long, timeUnit: TimeUnit): ScheduledFuture[AnyRef] = {
+    log.trace(
+      "Schedule scheduled event\n\trunnable = [%s]\n\tinitialDelay = [%s]\n\tdelay = [%s]\n\ttimeUnit = [%s]",
+      runnable, initialDelay, delay, timeUnit)
+
+    try {
+      service.scheduleAtFixedRate(runnable,initialDelay, delay, timeUnit).asInstanceOf[ScheduledFuture[AnyRef]]
+    } catch {
+      case e: Exception => throw SchedulerException("Failed to schedule a Runnable", e)
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Schedules to send the specified message to the receiver after delay
+   */
   def scheduleOnce(receiver: ActorRef, message: AnyRef, delay: Long, timeUnit: TimeUnit): ScheduledFuture[AnyRef] = {
     log.trace(
       "Schedule one-time event\n\tevent = [%s]\n\treceiver = [%s]\n\tdelay = [%s]\n\ttimeUnit = [%s]",
       message, receiver, delay, timeUnit)
     try {
       service.schedule(
-        new Runnable { def run = receiver ! message }, delay, timeUnit).asInstanceOf[ScheduledFuture[AnyRef]]
+        new Runnable { def run = receiver ! message },
+        delay, timeUnit).asInstanceOf[ScheduledFuture[AnyRef]]
     } catch {
-      case e => throw SchedulerException(message + " could not be scheduled on " + receiver, e)
+      case e: Exception => throw SchedulerException( message + " could not be scheduleOnce'd on " + receiver, e)
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Schedules a function to be run after delay,
+   * avoid blocking operations since the runnable is executed in the schedulers thread
+   */
+  def scheduleOnce(f: () => Unit, delay: Long, timeUnit: TimeUnit): ScheduledFuture[AnyRef] =
+    scheduleOnce(new Runnable { def run = f() }, delay, timeUnit)
+
+  /**
+   * Schedules a runnable to be run after delay,
+   * avoid blocking operations since the runnable is executed in the schedulers thread
+   */
+  def scheduleOnce(runnable: Runnable, delay: Long, timeUnit: TimeUnit): ScheduledFuture[AnyRef] = {
+    log.trace(
+      "Schedule one-time event\n\trunnable = [%s]\n\tdelay = [%s]\n\ttimeUnit = [%s]",
+      runnable, delay, timeUnit)
+    try {
+      service.schedule(runnable,delay, timeUnit).asInstanceOf[ScheduledFuture[AnyRef]]
+    } catch {
+      case e: Exception => throw SchedulerException("Failed to scheduleOnce a Runnable", e)
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/akka-core/src/test/scala/misc/SchedulerSpec.scala b/akka-core/src/test/scala/misc/SchedulerSpec.scala
index 510b24dedc..16dd21f327 100644
--- a/akka-core/src/test/scala/misc/SchedulerSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-core/src/test/scala/misc/SchedulerSpec.scala
@@ -28,16 +28,24 @@ class SchedulerSpec extends JUnitSuite {
 
     // after max 1 second it should be executed at least the 3 times already
     assert(countDownLatch.await(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS))
+
+    val countDownLatch2 = new CountDownLatch(3)
+
+    Scheduler.schedule( () => countDownLatch2.countDown, 0, 50, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
+
+    // after max 1 second it should be executed at least the 3 times already
+    assert(countDownLatch2.await(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS))
   }
 
   @Test def schedulerShouldScheduleOnce = withCleanEndState {
     case object Tick
-    val countDownLatch = new CountDownLatch(2)
+    val countDownLatch = new CountDownLatch(3)
     val tickActor = actor {
       case Tick => countDownLatch.countDown
     }
     // run every 50 millisec
     Scheduler.scheduleOnce(tickActor, Tick, 50, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
+    Scheduler.scheduleOnce( () => countDownLatch.countDown, 50, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
 
     // after 1 second the wait should fail
     assert(countDownLatch.await(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS) == false)