diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala
index 42caa4fca8..625c7417cf 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/MessageHandling.scala
@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@ trait MessageDispatcher {
    */
   private[akka] def createMailbox(actorRef: ActorRef): AnyRef
 
+  /**
+   * Name of this dispatcher.
+   */
+  def name: String
+
   /**
    * Attaches the specified actorRef to this dispatcher
    */
diff --git a/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/CallingThreadDispatcher.scala b/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/CallingThreadDispatcher.scala
index 9128afab7f..0f0344cc49 100644
--- a/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/CallingThreadDispatcher.scala
+++ b/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/CallingThreadDispatcher.scala
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import scala.annotation.tailrec
 
 object CallingThreadDispatcher {
 
-  lazy val global = new CallingThreadDispatcher
+  lazy val global = new CallingThreadDispatcher("global-calling-thread")
 
   // PRIVATE DATA
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ object CallingThreadDispatcher {
  * @author Roland Kuhn
  * @since 1.1
  */
-class CallingThreadDispatcher(val warnings: Boolean = true) extends MessageDispatcher {
+class CallingThreadDispatcher(val name: String = "calling-thread", val warnings: Boolean = true) extends MessageDispatcher {
   import CallingThreadDispatcher._
 
   private[akka] override def createMailbox(actor: ActorRef) = new CallingThreadMailbox