diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/util/ByteStringSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/util/ByteStringSpec.scala
index 1514635c8a..a6a614475c 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/util/ByteStringSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/util/ByteStringSpec.scala
@@ -308,6 +308,19 @@ class ByteStringSpec extends WordSpec with Matchers with Checkers {
       ByteString1.fromString("ab").drop(2) should ===(ByteString(""))
       ByteString1.fromString("ab").drop(3) should ===(ByteString(""))
     }
+    "take" in {
+      ByteString1.empty.take(-1) should ===(ByteString(""))
+      ByteString1.empty.take(0) should ===(ByteString(""))
+      ByteString1.empty.take(1) should ===(ByteString(""))
+      ByteString1.fromString("a").take(1) should ===(ByteString("a"))
+      ByteString1.fromString("ab").take(-1) should ===(ByteString(""))
+      ByteString1.fromString("ab").take(0) should ===(ByteString(""))
+      ByteString1.fromString("ab").take(1) should ===(ByteString("a"))
+      ByteString1.fromString("ab").take(2) should ===(ByteString("ab"))
+      ByteString1.fromString("ab").take(3) should ===(ByteString("ab"))
+      ByteString1.fromString("0123456789").take(3).drop(1) should ===(ByteString("12"))
+      ByteString1.fromString("0123456789").take(10).take(8).drop(3).take(5) should ===(ByteString("34567"))
+    }
   }
   "ByteString1C" must {
     "drop(0)" in {
@@ -415,6 +428,9 @@ class ByteStringSpec extends WordSpec with Matchers with Checkers {
       ByteStrings(ByteString1.fromString("a"), ByteString1.fromString("bc")).dropRight(3) should ===(ByteString(""))
     }
     "take" in {
+      ByteString.empty.take(-1) should ===(ByteString(""))
+      ByteString.empty.take(0) should ===(ByteString(""))
+      ByteString.empty.take(1) should ===(ByteString(""))
       ByteStrings(ByteString1.fromString("a"), ByteString1.fromString("bc")).drop(1).take(0) should ===(ByteString(""))
       ByteStrings(ByteString1.fromString("a"), ByteString1.fromString("bc")).drop(1).take(-1) should ===(ByteString(""))
       ByteStrings(ByteString1.fromString("a"), ByteString1.fromString("bc")).drop(1).take(-2) should ===(ByteString(""))
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/ByteString.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/ByteString.scala
index d2600320d8..8196495d7c 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/ByteString.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/util/ByteString.scala
@@ -249,8 +249,11 @@ object ByteString {
     }
 
     override def take(n: Int): ByteString =
-      if (n <= 0) ByteString.empty
-      else ByteString1(bytes, startIndex, Math.min(n, length))
+      if (n <= 0) ByteString.empty else take1(n)
+
+    private[akka] def take1(n: Int): ByteString1 =
+      if (n >= length) this
+      else ByteString1(bytes, startIndex, n)
 
     override def slice(from: Int, until: Int): ByteString =
       drop(from).take(until - Math.max(0, from))
@@ -432,18 +435,23 @@ object ByteString {
       bytestrings.foreach(_.writeToOutputStream(os))
     }
 
-    override def take(n: Int): ByteString = {
-      @tailrec def take0(n: Int, b: ByteStringBuilder, bs: Vector[ByteString1]): ByteString =
-        if (bs.isEmpty || n <= 0) b.result
-        else {
-          val head = bs.head
-          if (n <= head.length) b.append(head.take(n)).result
-          else take0(n - head.length, b.append(head), bs.tail)
-        }
-
+    override def take(n: Int): ByteString =
       if (n <= 0) ByteString.empty
       else if (n >= length) this
-      else take0(n, ByteString.newBuilder, bytestrings)
+      else take0(n)
+
+    private[akka] def take0(n: Int): ByteString = {
+      @tailrec def go(last: Int, restToTake: Int): (Int, Int) = {
+        val bs = bytestrings(last)
+        if (bs.length > restToTake) (last, restToTake)
+        else go(last + 1, restToTake - bs.length)
+      }
+
+      val (last, restToTake) = go(0, n)
+
+      if (last == 0) bytestrings(last).take(restToTake)
+      else if (restToTake == 0) new ByteStrings(bytestrings.take(last), n)
+      else new ByteStrings(bytestrings.take(last) :+ bytestrings(last).take1(restToTake), n)
     }
 
     override def dropRight(n: Int): ByteString =
@@ -469,7 +477,7 @@ object ByteString {
 
     override def drop(n: Int): ByteString =
       if (n <= 0) this
-      else if (n > length) ByteString.empty
+      else if (n >= length) ByteString.empty
       else drop0(n)
 
     private def drop0(n: Int): ByteString = {