diff --git a/akka-docs/src/main/paradox/testing.md b/akka-docs/src/main/paradox/testing.md
index 6cbf49e4f0..938a577870 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/main/paradox/testing.md
+++ b/akka-docs/src/main/paradox/testing.md
@@ -238,6 +238,27 @@ akka.loggers = [akka.testkit.TestEventListener]
 
 @@@
 
+### Overriding behavior
+
+Sometimes you want to 'hook into' your actor to be able to test some internals.
+Usually it is better to test an actors' external interface, but for example if
+you want to test timing-sensitive behavior this can come in handy. Say for
+instance you want to test an actor that schedules a task:
+
+Scala
+:  @@snip [TestkitDocSpec.scala]($code$/scala/docs/testkit/TestkitDocSpec.scala) { #timer }
+
+Java
+:  @@snip [TestKitDocTest.java]($code$/java/jdocs/testkit/TestKitDocTest.java) { #timer }
+
+You can override the method that does the scheduling in your test:
+
+Scala
+:  @@snip [TestkitDocSpec.scala]($code$/scala/docs/testkit/TestkitDocSpec.scala) { #timer-test }
+
+Java
+:  @@snip [TestKitDocTest.java]($code$/java/jdocs/testkit/TestKitDocTest.java) { #timer-test }
+
 <a id="testkit-within"></a>
 ### Timing Assertions
 
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/testkit/TestKitDocTest.java b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/testkit/TestKitDocTest.java
index fd32ce4fb3..3c8d2d17cf 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/testkit/TestKitDocTest.java
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/java/jdocs/testkit/TestKitDocTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import org.junit.Test;
 
 import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory;
 
+import akka.actor.AbstractActorWithTimers;
 import akka.actor.ActorKilledException;
 import akka.actor.ActorRef;
 import akka.actor.ActorSystem;
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ import akka.actor.PoisonPill;
 import akka.actor.Props;
 import akka.actor.Terminated;
 import akka.actor.AbstractActor;
+import akka.actor.AbstractActor.Receive;
 import akka.testkit.TestActor.AutoPilot;
 import scala.concurrent.duration.Duration;
 import scala.concurrent.duration.FiniteDuration;
@@ -37,6 +39,7 @@ import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 public class TestKitDocTest extends AbstractJavaTest {
 
@@ -72,6 +75,29 @@ public class TestKitDocTest extends AbstractJavaTest {
   }
   //#test-actor-ref
 
+  //#timer
+  static class TestTimerActor extends AbstractActorWithTimers {
+    private static Object SCHED_KEY = "SchedKey";
+    static final class TriggerScheduling {
+    }
+    static final class ScheduledMessage {
+    }
+    @Override
+    public Receive createReceive() {
+      return receiveBuilder()
+        .match(TriggerScheduling.class, msg -> triggerScheduling())
+        .build();
+    }
+    void triggerScheduling() {
+      getTimers().startSingleTimer(
+        SCHED_KEY,
+        new ScheduledMessage(),
+        Duration.create(500, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
+      );
+    }
+  }
+  //#timer
+
   @Test
   public void demonstrateAsk() throws Exception {
     //#test-behavior
@@ -258,7 +284,7 @@ public class TestKitDocTest extends AbstractJavaTest {
             .build();
         }
       }
-      
+
       // create a test probe
       final TestKit probe = new TestKit(system);
 
@@ -349,6 +375,23 @@ public class TestKitDocTest extends AbstractJavaTest {
     //#test-probe-forward
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void demonstrateUsingInheritenceToTestTimers() {
+    //#timer-test
+    new TestKit(system) {{
+      final TestKit probe = new TestKit(system);
+      final ActorRef target = system.actorOf(Props.create(TestTimerActor.class, () -> new TestTimerActor() {
+        @Override
+        void triggerScheduling() {
+          probe.getRef().tell(new ScheduledMessage(), getSelf());
+        }
+      }));
+      target.tell(new TestTimerActor.TriggerScheduling(), ActorRef.noSender());
+      probe.expectMsgClass(TestTimerActor.ScheduledMessage.class);
+    }};
+    //#timer-test
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void demonstrateWithinProbe() {
     try {
diff --git a/akka-docs/src/test/scala/docs/testkit/TestkitDocSpec.scala b/akka-docs/src/test/scala/docs/testkit/TestkitDocSpec.scala
index d5f6e610d3..2a843a5bbc 100644
--- a/akka-docs/src/test/scala/docs/testkit/TestkitDocSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-docs/src/test/scala/docs/testkit/TestkitDocSpec.scala
@@ -69,6 +69,22 @@ object TestKitDocSpec {
 
   //#test-probe-forward-actors
 
+  //#timer
+  case class TriggerScheduling(foo: String)
+
+  object SchedKey
+  case class ScheduledMessage(foo: String)
+
+  class TestTimerActor extends Actor with Timers {
+    override def receive = {
+      case TriggerScheduling(foo) ⇒ triggerScheduling(ScheduledMessage(foo))
+    }
+
+    def triggerScheduling(msg: ScheduledMessage) =
+      timers.startSingleTimer(SchedKey, msg, 500.millis)
+  }
+  //#timer
+
   class LoggingActor extends Actor {
     //#logging-receive
     import akka.event.LoggingReceive
@@ -277,6 +293,22 @@ class TestKitDocSpec extends AkkaSpec with DefaultTimeout with ImplicitSender {
     //#test-probe-forward
   }
 
+  "demonstrate using inheritance to test timers" in {
+    //#timer-test
+    import akka.testkit.TestProbe
+    import akka.actor.Props
+
+    val probe = TestProbe()
+    val actor = system.actorOf(Props(new TestTimerActor() {
+      override def triggerScheduling(msg: ScheduledMessage) =
+        probe.ref ! msg
+    }))
+
+    actor ! TriggerScheduling("abc")
+    probe.expectMsg(ScheduledMessage("abc"))
+    //#timer-test
+  }
+
   "demonstrate calling thread dispatcher" in {
     //#calling-thread-dispatcher
     import akka.testkit.CallingThreadDispatcher