diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
index 8c837d2e84..f11750bb7b 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ private[akka] abstract class Mailbox(val messageQueue: MessageQueue)
       Unsafe.instance.getObjectVolatile(this, AbstractMailbox.systemMessageOffset).asInstanceOf[SystemMessage])
 
   protected final def systemQueuePut(_old: LatestFirstSystemMessageList, _new: LatestFirstSystemMessageList): Boolean =
+    (_old.head eq _new.head) ||
     // Note: calling .head is not actually existing on the bytecode level as the parameters _old and _new
     // are SystemMessage instances hidden during compile time behind the SystemMessageList value class.
     // Without calling .head the parameters would be boxed in SystemMessageList wrapper.