diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/dispatch/DispatchersSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/dispatch/DispatchersSpec.scala
index e6ae3c0457..471cd957c0 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/dispatch/DispatchersSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/dispatch/DispatchersSpec.scala
@@ -10,8 +10,18 @@ import akka.testkit.AkkaSpec
 import scala.collection.JavaConverters._
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
 
+object DispatchersSpec {
+  val config = """
+    myapp {
+      mydispatcher {
+        throughput = 17
+      }
+    }
+    """
+}
+
 @org.junit.runner.RunWith(classOf[org.scalatest.junit.JUnitRunner])
-class DispatchersSpec extends AkkaSpec {
+class DispatchersSpec extends AkkaSpec(DispatchersSpec.config) {
 
   val df = system.dispatcherFactory
   import df._
@@ -34,14 +44,6 @@ class DispatchersSpec extends AkkaSpec {
 
   val defaultDispatcherConfig = settings.config.getConfig("akka.actor.default-dispatcher")
 
-  val dispatcherConf = ConfigFactory.parseString("""
-      myapp {
-        mydispatcher {
-          throughput = 17
-        }
-      }
-      """)
-
   lazy val allDispatchers: Map[String, Option[MessageDispatcher]] = {
     validTypes.map(t ⇒ (t, from(ConfigFactory.parseMap(Map(tipe -> t).asJava).withFallback(defaultDispatcherConfig)))).toMap
   }
@@ -59,15 +61,20 @@ class DispatchersSpec extends AkkaSpec {
     }
 
     "use defined properties when newFromConfig" in {
-      val dispatcher = newFromConfig("myapp.mydispatcher", defaultGlobalDispatcher, dispatcherConf)
+      val dispatcher = newFromConfig("myapp.mydispatcher")
       dispatcher.throughput must be(17)
     }
 
     "use specific name when newFromConfig" in {
-      val dispatcher = newFromConfig("myapp.mydispatcher", defaultGlobalDispatcher, dispatcherConf)
+      val dispatcher = newFromConfig("myapp.mydispatcher")
       dispatcher.name must be("mydispatcher")
     }
 
+    "use default dispatcher when not configured" in {
+      val dispatcher = newFromConfig("myapp.other-dispatcher")
+      dispatcher must be === defaultGlobalDispatcher
+    }
+
     "throw IllegalArgumentException if type does not exist" in {
       intercept[IllegalArgumentException] {
         from(ConfigFactory.parseMap(Map(tipe -> "typedoesntexist").asJava).withFallback(defaultDispatcherConfig))
@@ -81,6 +88,13 @@ class DispatchersSpec extends AkkaSpec {
       assert(typesAndValidators.forall(tuple ⇒ tuple._2(allDispatchers(tuple._1).get)))
     }
 
+    "provide lookup of dispatchers by key" in {
+      val d1 = lookup("myapp.mydispatcher")
+      val d2 = lookup("myapp.mydispatcher")
+      d1 must be === d2
+      d1.name must be("mydispatcher")
+    }
+
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Dispatchers.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Dispatchers.scala
index 2c8779e3cf..315f37d124 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Dispatchers.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Dispatchers.scala
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@
 
 package akka.dispatch
 
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap
+
 import akka.actor.LocalActorRef
 import akka.actor.newUuid
 import akka.util.{ Duration, ReflectiveAccess }
-import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
 import akka.actor.ActorSystem
 import akka.event.EventStream
 import akka.actor.Scheduler
@@ -29,8 +31,8 @@ case class DefaultDispatcherPrerequisites(
 
 /**
  * It is recommended to define the dispatcher in configuration to allow for tuning
- * for different environments. Use the `newFromConfig` method to create a dispatcher
- * as specified in configuration.
+ * for different environments. Use the `lookup` or `newFromConfig` method to create
+ * a dispatcher as specified in configuration.
  *
  * Scala API. Dispatcher factory.
  * <p/>
@@ -72,6 +74,26 @@ class Dispatchers(val settings: ActorSystem.Settings, val prerequisites: Dispatc
       throw new ConfigurationException("Wrong configuration [akka.actor.default-dispatcher]")
     }
 
+  private val dispatchers = new ConcurrentHashMap[String, MessageDispatcher]
+
+  /**
+   * Returns a dispatcher as specified in configuration, or if not defined it uses
+   * the default dispatcher. The same dispatcher instance is returned for subsequent
+   * lookups.
+   */
+  def lookup(key: String): MessageDispatcher = {
+    dispatchers.get(key) match {
+      case null ⇒
+        // doesn't matter if we create a dispatcher that isn't used due to concurrent lookup
+        val newDispatcher = newFromConfig(key)
+        dispatchers.putIfAbsent(key, newDispatcher) match {
+          case null     ⇒ newDispatcher
+          case existing ⇒ existing
+        }
+      case existing ⇒ existing
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Creates an thread based dispatcher serving a single actor through the same single thread.
    * Uses the default timeout
@@ -176,6 +198,7 @@ class Dispatchers(val settings: ActorSystem.Settings, val prerequisites: Dispatc
     ThreadPoolConfigDispatcherBuilder(config ⇒
       new BalancingDispatcher(prerequisites, name, throughput, throughputDeadline, mailboxType,
         config, settings.DispatcherDefaultShutdown), ThreadPoolConfig())
+
   /**
    * Creates a new dispatcher as specified in configuration
    * or if not defined it uses the supplied dispatcher.
diff --git a/akka-docs/java/code/akka/docs/actor/UntypedActorTestBase.java b/akka-docs/java/code/akka/docs/actor/UntypedActorTestBase.java
index 756618eef5..e043245be1 100644
--- a/akka-docs/java/code/akka/docs/actor/UntypedActorTestBase.java
+++ b/akka-docs/java/code/akka/docs/actor/UntypedActorTestBase.java
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public class UntypedActorTestBase {
   public void propsActorOf() {
     ActorSystem system = ActorSystem.create("MySystem");
     //#creating-props
-    MessageDispatcher dispatcher = system.dispatcherFactory().newFromConfig("my-dispatcher");
+    MessageDispatcher dispatcher = system.dispatcherFactory().lookup("my-dispatcher");
     ActorRef myActor = system.actorOf(new Props().withCreator(MyUntypedActor.class).withDispatcher(dispatcher),
         "myactor");
     //#creating-props
diff --git a/akka-docs/scala/code/ActorDocSpec.scala b/akka-docs/scala/code/ActorDocSpec.scala
index 744f439c91..84db3e4415 100644
--- a/akka-docs/scala/code/ActorDocSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-docs/scala/code/ActorDocSpec.scala
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ class ActorDocSpec extends AkkaSpec(Map("akka.loglevel" -> "INFO")) {
   "creating actor with Props" in {
     //#creating-props
     import akka.actor.Props
-    val dispatcher = system.dispatcherFactory.newFromConfig("my-dispatcher")
+    val dispatcher = system.dispatcherFactory.lookup("my-dispatcher")
     val myActor = system.actorOf(Props[MyActor].withDispatcher(dispatcher), name = "myactor")
     //#creating-props
 
diff --git a/akka-docs/scala/code/DispatcherDocSpec.scala b/akka-docs/scala/code/DispatcherDocSpec.scala
index 39ac8cfb95..13f78cbd87 100644
--- a/akka-docs/scala/code/DispatcherDocSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-docs/scala/code/DispatcherDocSpec.scala
@@ -66,14 +66,14 @@ class DispatcherDocSpec extends AkkaSpec(DispatcherDocSpec.config) {
   "defining dispatcher" in {
     //#defining-dispatcher
     import akka.actor.Props
-    val dispatcher = system.dispatcherFactory.newFromConfig("my-dispatcher")
+    val dispatcher = system.dispatcherFactory.lookup("my-dispatcher")
     val myActor1 = system.actorOf(Props[MyActor].withDispatcher(dispatcher), name = "myactor1")
     val myActor2 = system.actorOf(Props[MyActor].withDispatcher(dispatcher), name = "myactor2")
     //#defining-dispatcher
   }
 
   "defining dispatcher with bounded queue" in {
-    val dispatcher = system.dispatcherFactory.newFromConfig("my-dispatcher-bounded-queue")
+    val dispatcher = system.dispatcherFactory.lookup("my-dispatcher-bounded-queue")
   }
 
   "defining priority dispatcher" in {
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class DispatcherDocSpec extends AkkaSpec(DispatcherDocSpec.config) {
   }
 
   "defining balancing dispatcher" in {
-    val dispatcher = system.dispatcherFactory.newFromConfig("my-balancing-dispatcher")
+    val dispatcher = system.dispatcherFactory.lookup("my-balancing-dispatcher")
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/akka-docs/scala/dispatchers.rst b/akka-docs/scala/dispatchers.rst
index a4577c1878..b4e36cf0b0 100644
--- a/akka-docs/scala/dispatchers.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/scala/dispatchers.rst
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ There are 4 different types of message dispatchers:
 
 It is recommended to define the dispatcher in :ref:`configuration` to allow for tuning for different environments.
 
-Example of a custom event-based dispatcher, which can be created with ``system.dispatcherFactory.newFromConfig("my-dispatcher")`` 
+Example of a custom event-based dispatcher, which can be fetched with ``system.dispatcherFactory.lookup("my-dispatcher")`` 
 as in the example above: 
 
 .. includecode:: code/DispatcherDocSpec.scala#my-dispatcher-config