diff --git a/akka-io/src/test/scala/akka/io/TcpConnectionSpec.scala b/akka-io/src/test/scala/akka/io/TcpConnectionSpec.scala
index 31da412b33..934cdf3fd8 100644
--- a/akka-io/src/test/scala/akka/io/TcpConnectionSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-io/src/test/scala/akka/io/TcpConnectionSpec.scala
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
       val userHandler = TestProbe()
       val selector = TestProbe()
       val connectionActor =
-        createConnectionActor(selector.ref, userHandler.ref, options = Vector(SO.ReuseAddress(true)))
+        createConnectionActor(options = Vector(SO.ReuseAddress(true)))(selector.ref, userHandler.ref)
       val clientChannel = connectionActor.underlyingActor.channel
       clientChannel.socket.getReuseAddress must be(true)
     }
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
       val userHandler = TestProbe()
       val selector = TestProbe()
       val connectionActor =
-        createConnectionActor(selector.ref, userHandler.ref, options = Vector(SO.KeepAlive(true)))
+        createConnectionActor(options = Vector(SO.KeepAlive(true)))(selector.ref, userHandler.ref)
       val clientChannel = connectionActor.underlyingActor.channel
       clientChannel.socket.getKeepAlive must be(false) // only set after connection is established
       selector.send(connectionActor, ChannelConnectable)
@@ -228,15 +228,11 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
     }
 
     // error conditions
-    "report failed connection attempt while not registered" in withLocalServer() { localServer ⇒
-      val userHandler = TestProbe()
-      val selector = TestProbe()
-      val connectionActor = createConnectionActor(selector.ref, userHandler.ref)
-      val clientSideChannel = connectionActor.underlyingActor.channel
-      selector.expectMsg(RegisterOutgoingConnection(clientSideChannel))
-
+    "report failed connection attempt while not accepted" in withUnacceptedConnection() { setup ⇒
+      import setup._
       // close instead of accept
       localServer.close()
+
       selector.send(connectionActor, ChannelConnectable)
       userHandler.expectMsgPF() {
         case ErrorClose(e) ⇒ e.getMessage must be("Connection reset by peer")
@@ -245,31 +241,27 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
       assertActorTerminated(connectionActor)
     }
 
-    "report failed connection attempt when target is unreachable" in {
-      val userHandler = TestProbe()
-      val selector = TestProbe()
-      val connectionActor = createConnectionActor(selector.ref, userHandler.ref, serverAddress = new InetSocketAddress("127.0.0.1", 63186))
-      val clientSideChannel = connectionActor.underlyingActor.channel
-      selector.expectMsg(RegisterOutgoingConnection(clientSideChannel))
-      val sel = SelectorProvider.provider().openSelector()
-      val key = clientSideChannel.register(sel, SelectionKey.OP_CONNECT | SelectionKey.OP_READ)
-      sel.select(200)
+    val UnknownAddress = new InetSocketAddress("127.0.0.1", 63186)
+    "report failed connection attempt when target is unreachable" in
+      withUnacceptedConnection(connectionActorCons = createConnectionActor(serverAddress = UnknownAddress)) { setup ⇒
+        import setup._
 
-      key.isConnectable must be(true)
-      selector.send(connectionActor, ChannelConnectable)
-      userHandler.expectMsgPF() {
-        case ErrorClose(e) ⇒ e.getMessage must be("Connection refused")
+        val sel = SelectorProvider.provider().openSelector()
+        val key = clientSideChannel.register(sel, SelectionKey.OP_CONNECT | SelectionKey.OP_READ)
+        sel.select(200)
+
+        key.isConnectable must be(true)
+        selector.send(connectionActor, ChannelConnectable)
+        userHandler.expectMsgPF() {
+          case ErrorClose(e) ⇒ e.getMessage must be("Connection refused")
+        }
+
+        assertActorTerminated(connectionActor)
       }
 
-      assertActorTerminated(connectionActor)
-    }
+    "time out when Connected isn't answered with Register" in withUnacceptedConnection() { setup ⇒
+      import setup._
 
-    "time out when Connected isn't answered with Register" in withLocalServer() { localServer ⇒
-      val userHandler = TestProbe()
-      val selector = TestProbe()
-      val connectionActor = createConnectionActor(selector.ref, userHandler.ref)
-      val clientSideChannel = connectionActor.underlyingActor.channel
-      selector.expectMsg(RegisterOutgoingConnection(clientSideChannel))
       localServer.accept()
       selector.send(connectionActor, ChannelConnectable)
       userHandler.expectMsg(Connected(serverAddress, clientSideChannel.socket.getLocalSocketAddress.asInstanceOf[InetSocketAddress]))
@@ -277,15 +269,12 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
       assertActorTerminated(connectionActor)
     }
 
-    "close the connection when user handler dies while connecting" in withLocalServer() { localServer ⇒
-      val userHandler = system.actorOf(Props(new Actor {
-        def receive = PartialFunction.empty
-      }))
-      val selector = TestProbe()
-      val connectionActor = createConnectionActor(selector.ref, userHandler)
-      val clientSideChannel = connectionActor.underlyingActor.channel
-      selector.expectMsg(RegisterOutgoingConnection(clientSideChannel))
-      system.stop(userHandler)
+    "close the connection when user handler dies while connecting" in withUnacceptedConnection() { setup ⇒
+      import setup._
+
+      // simulate death of userHandler test probe
+      userHandler.send(connectionActor, akka.actor.Terminated(userHandler.ref)(false, false))
+
       assertActorTerminated(connectionActor)
     }
 
@@ -309,14 +298,22 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
     } finally localServer.close()
   }
 
-  case class Setup(
+  case class UnacceptedSetup(
+    localServer: ServerSocketChannel,
     userHandler: TestProbe,
-    connectionHandler: TestProbe,
     selector: TestProbe,
     connectionActor: TestActorRef[TcpOutgoingConnection],
-    clientSideChannel: SocketChannel,
+    clientSideChannel: SocketChannel)
+  case class RegisteredSetup(
+    unregisteredSetup: UnacceptedSetup,
+    connectionHandler: TestProbe,
     serverSideChannel: SocketChannel) {
 
+    def userHandler: TestProbe = unregisteredSetup.userHandler
+    def selector: TestProbe = unregisteredSetup.selector
+    def connectionActor: TestActorRef[TcpOutgoingConnection] = unregisteredSetup.connectionActor
+    def clientSideChannel: SocketChannel = unregisteredSetup.clientSideChannel
+
     val buffer = ByteBuffer.allocate(TestSize)
     @tailrec final def pullFromServerSide(remaining: Int): Unit =
       if (remaining > 0) {
@@ -339,14 +336,29 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
       clientSideChannel must not be ('open)
     }
   }
-  def withEstablishedConnection(setServerSocketOptions: ServerSocketChannel ⇒ Unit = _ ⇒ ())(body: Setup ⇒ Any): Unit = withLocalServer(setServerSocketOptions) { localServer ⇒
-    val userHandler = TestProbe()
-    val connectionHandler = TestProbe()
-    val selector = TestProbe()
-    val connectionActor = createConnectionActor(selector.ref, userHandler.ref)
-    val clientSideChannel = connectionActor.underlyingActor.channel
+  def withUnacceptedConnection(
+    setServerSocketOptions: ServerSocketChannel ⇒ Unit = _ ⇒ (),
+    connectionActorCons: (ActorRef, ActorRef) ⇒ TestActorRef[TcpOutgoingConnection] = createConnectionActor())(body: UnacceptedSetup ⇒ Any): Unit =
 
-    selector.expectMsg(RegisterOutgoingConnection(clientSideChannel))
+    withLocalServer(setServerSocketOptions) { localServer ⇒
+      val userHandler = TestProbe()
+      val selector = TestProbe()
+      val connectionActor = connectionActorCons(selector.ref, userHandler.ref)
+      val clientSideChannel = connectionActor.underlyingActor.channel
+
+      selector.expectMsg(RegisterOutgoingConnection(clientSideChannel))
+
+      body {
+        UnacceptedSetup(
+          localServer,
+          userHandler,
+          selector,
+          connectionActor,
+          clientSideChannel)
+      }
+    }
+  def withEstablishedConnection(setServerSocketOptions: ServerSocketChannel ⇒ Unit = _ ⇒ ())(body: RegisteredSetup ⇒ Any): Unit = withUnacceptedConnection(setServerSocketOptions) { unregisteredSetup ⇒
+    import unregisteredSetup._
 
     localServer.configureBlocking(true)
     val serverSideChannel = localServer.accept()
@@ -354,16 +366,15 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
     serverSideChannel must not be (null)
     selector.send(connectionActor, ChannelConnectable)
     userHandler.expectMsg(Connected(serverAddress, clientSideChannel.socket.getLocalSocketAddress.asInstanceOf[InetSocketAddress]))
+
+    val connectionHandler = TestProbe()
     userHandler.send(connectionActor, Register(connectionHandler.ref))
     selector.expectMsg(ReadInterest)
 
     body {
-      Setup(
-        userHandler,
+      RegisteredSetup(
+        unregisteredSetup,
         connectionHandler,
-        selector,
-        connectionActor,
-        clientSideChannel,
         serverSideChannel)
     }
   }
@@ -377,11 +388,11 @@ class TcpConnectionSpec extends AkkaSpec("akka.io.tcp.register-timeout = 500ms")
     channel.socket.setReceiveBufferSize(1024)
 
   def createConnectionActor(
-    selector: ActorRef,
-    commander: ActorRef,
     serverAddress: InetSocketAddress = serverAddress,
     localAddress: Option[InetSocketAddress] = None,
-    options: immutable.Seq[Tcp.SocketOption] = Nil): TestActorRef[TcpOutgoingConnection] = {
+    options: immutable.Seq[Tcp.SocketOption] = Nil)(
+      selector: ActorRef,
+      commander: ActorRef): TestActorRef[TcpOutgoingConnection] = {
 
     TestActorRef(
       new TcpOutgoingConnection(selector, commander, serverAddress, localAddress, options) {