diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/pattern/PatternSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/pattern/PatternSpec.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ce1b9db201
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/pattern/PatternSpec.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2009-2012 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+
+package akka.pattern
+
+import akka.testkit.AkkaSpec
+import akka.actor.Props
+import akka.actor.Actor
+import akka.actor.ActorTimeoutException
+import akka.dispatch.Await
+import akka.util.Duration
+import akka.util.duration._
+
+object PatternSpec {
+  case class Work(duration: Duration)
+  class TargetActor extends Actor {
+    def receive = {
+      case Work(duration) ⇒ duration.sleep()
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+@org.junit.runner.RunWith(classOf[org.scalatest.junit.JUnitRunner])
+class PatternSpec extends AkkaSpec {
+
+  import PatternSpec._
+
+  "pattern.gracefulStop" must {
+
+    "provide Future for stopping an actor" in {
+      val target = system.actorOf(Props[TargetActor])
+      val result = gracefulStop(target, 5 seconds)
+      Await.result(result, 6 seconds) must be(true)
+    }
+
+    "complete Future when actor already terminated" in {
+      val target = system.actorOf(Props[TargetActor])
+      Await.ready(gracefulStop(target, 5 seconds), 6 seconds)
+      Await.ready(gracefulStop(target, 1 millis), 1 second)
+    }
+
+    "complete Future with ActorTimeoutException when actor not terminated within timeout" in {
+      val target = system.actorOf(Props[TargetActor])
+      target ! Work(250 millis)
+      val result = gracefulStop(target, 10 millis)
+      intercept[ActorTimeoutException] {
+        Await.result(result, 200 millis)
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/Patterns.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/Patterns.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..abf435edc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/Patterns.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2009-2012 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+package akka.pattern
+
+import akka.actor.ActorRef
+import akka.actor.ActorSystem
+import akka.dispatch.Future
+import akka.util.Duration
+
+/**
+ * Patterns is the Java API for the Akka patterns that provide solutions
+ * to commonly occurring problems.
+ */
+object Patterns {
+
+  /**
+   * Returns a [[akka.dispatch.Future]] that will be completed with success (value `true`) when
+   * existing messages of the target actor has been processed and the actor has been
+   * terminated.
+   *
+   * Useful when you need to wait for termination or compose ordered termination of several actors.
+   *
+   * If the target actor isn't terminated within the timeout the [[akka.dispatch.Future]]
+   * is completed with failure [[akka.actor.ActorTimeoutException]].
+   */
+  def gracefulStop(target: ActorRef, timeout: Duration, system: ActorSystem): Future[java.lang.Boolean] = {
+    akka.pattern.gracefulStop(target, timeout)(system).asInstanceOf[Future[java.lang.Boolean]]
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/package.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/package.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b09ee56897
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/pattern/package.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2009-2012 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+package akka
+
+import akka.actor.Actor
+import akka.actor.ActorRef
+import akka.actor.ActorSystem
+import akka.actor.ActorTimeoutException
+import akka.actor.PoisonPill
+import akka.actor.Props
+import akka.actor.ReceiveTimeout
+import akka.actor.Terminated
+import akka.dispatch.Future
+import akka.dispatch.Promise
+import akka.util.Duration
+
+/**
+ * Akka patterns that provide solutions to commonly occurring problems.
+ */
+package object pattern {
+
+  /**
+   * Returns a [[akka.dispatch.Future]] that will be completed with success (value `true`) when
+   * existing messages of the target actor has been processed and the actor has been
+   * terminated.
+   *
+   * Useful when you need to wait for termination or compose ordered termination of several actors.
+   *
+   * If the target actor isn't terminated within the timeout the [[akka.dispatch.Future]]
+   * is completed with failure [[akka.actor.ActorTimeoutException]].
+   */
+  def gracefulStop(target: ActorRef, timeout: Duration)(implicit system: ActorSystem): Future[Boolean] = {
+    if (target.isTerminated) {
+      Promise.successful(true)
+    } else {
+      val result = Promise[Boolean]()
+      system.actorOf(Props(new Actor {
+        // Terminated will be received when target has been stopped
+        context watch target
+        target ! PoisonPill
+        // ReceiveTimeout will be received if nothing else is received within the timeout
+        context setReceiveTimeout timeout
+
+        def receive = {
+          case Terminated(a) if a == target ⇒
+            result success true
+            context stop self
+          case ReceiveTimeout ⇒
+            result failure new ActorTimeoutException(
+              "Failed to stop [%s] within [%s]".format(target.path, context.receiveTimeout))
+            context stop self
+        }
+      }))
+      result
+    }
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/akka-docs/java/code/akka/docs/actor/UntypedActorDocTestBase.java b/akka-docs/java/code/akka/docs/actor/UntypedActorDocTestBase.java
index d442ae6461..b1d84a5841 100644
--- a/akka-docs/java/code/akka/docs/actor/UntypedActorDocTestBase.java
+++ b/akka-docs/java/code/akka/docs/actor/UntypedActorDocTestBase.java
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@ import akka.japi.Procedure;
 import akka.actor.Terminated;
 //#import-watch
 
+//#import-gracefulStop
+import static akka.pattern.Patterns.gracefulStop;
+import akka.dispatch.Future;
+import akka.dispatch.Await;
+import akka.util.Duration;
+import akka.actor.ActorTimeoutException;
+//#import-gracefulStop
+
 import akka.actor.Props;
 import akka.actor.UntypedActor;
 import akka.actor.UntypedActorFactory;
@@ -100,8 +108,7 @@ public class UntypedActorDocTestBase {
   public void propsActorOf() {
     ActorSystem system = ActorSystem.create("MySystem");
     //#creating-props
-    ActorRef myActor = system.actorOf(new Props(MyUntypedActor.class).withDispatcher("my-dispatcher"),
-        "myactor");
+    ActorRef myActor = system.actorOf(new Props(MyUntypedActor.class).withDispatcher("my-dispatcher"), "myactor");
     //#creating-props
     myActor.tell("test");
     system.shutdown();
@@ -174,6 +181,23 @@ public class UntypedActorDocTestBase {
     system.shutdown();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void usePatternsGracefulStop() {
+    ActorSystem system = ActorSystem.create("MySystem");
+    ActorRef actorRef = system.actorOf(new Props(MyUntypedActor.class));
+    //#gracefulStop
+
+    try {
+      Future<Boolean> stopped = gracefulStop(actorRef, Duration.create(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS), system);
+      Await.result(stopped, Duration.create(6, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
+      // the actor has been stopped
+    } catch (ActorTimeoutException e) {
+      // the actor wasn't stopped within 5 seconds
+    }
+    //#gracefulStop
+    system.shutdown();
+  }
+
   public static class MyActor extends UntypedActor {
 
     public MyActor(String s) {
@@ -264,6 +288,7 @@ public class UntypedActorDocTestBase {
       }
     }
   }
+
   //#hot-swap-actor
 
   //#watch
diff --git a/akka-docs/java/untyped-actors.rst b/akka-docs/java/untyped-actors.rst
index b24b1d6e6c..7e0d788590 100644
--- a/akka-docs/java/untyped-actors.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/java/untyped-actors.rst
@@ -485,6 +485,16 @@ Use it like this:
 .. includecode:: code/akka/docs/actor/UntypedActorDocTestBase.java
    :include: import-actors,poison-pill
 
+Graceful Stop
+-------------
+
+:meth:`gracefulStop` is useful if you need to wait for termination or compose ordered
+termination of several actors:
+
+.. includecode:: code/akka/docs/actor/UntypedActorDocTestBase.java
+   :include: import-gracefulStop,gracefulStop
+
+
 .. _UntypedActor.HotSwap:
 
 HotSwap
diff --git a/akka-docs/scala/actors.rst b/akka-docs/scala/actors.rst
index 204aa3ce56..558b50fac8 100644
--- a/akka-docs/scala/actors.rst
+++ b/akka-docs/scala/actors.rst
@@ -538,6 +538,15 @@ stop the actor when the message is processed. ``PoisonPill`` is enqueued as
 ordinary messages and will be handled after messages that were already queued
 in the mailbox.
 
+Graceful Stop
+-------------
+
+:meth:`gracefulStop` is useful if you need to wait for termination or compose ordered
+termination of several actors:
+
+.. includecode:: code/akka/docs/actor/ActorDocSpec.scala#gracefulStop
+
+
 .. _Actor.HotSwap:
 
 Become/Unbecome
diff --git a/akka-docs/scala/code/akka/docs/actor/ActorDocSpec.scala b/akka-docs/scala/code/akka/docs/actor/ActorDocSpec.scala
index cdba3d07f3..20ac33480b 100644
--- a/akka-docs/scala/code/akka/docs/actor/ActorDocSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-docs/scala/code/akka/docs/actor/ActorDocSpec.scala
@@ -8,13 +8,7 @@ import akka.actor.Actor
 import akka.actor.Props
 import akka.event.Logging
 import akka.dispatch.Future
-
-//#imports1
-
-//#imports2
 import akka.actor.ActorSystem
-//#imports2
-
 import org.scalatest.{ BeforeAndAfterAll, WordSpec }
 import org.scalatest.matchers.MustMatchers
 import akka.testkit._
@@ -114,7 +108,6 @@ object SwapperApp extends App {
 //#swapper
 
 //#receive-orElse
-import akka.actor.Actor.Receive
 
 abstract class GenericActor extends Actor {
   // to be defined in subclassing actor
@@ -317,4 +310,22 @@ class ActorDocSpec extends AkkaSpec(Map("akka.loglevel" -> "INFO")) {
     a ! "kill"
     expectMsg("finished")
   }
+
+  "using pattern gracefulStop" in {
+    val actorRef = system.actorOf(Props[MyActor])
+    //#gracefulStop
+    import akka.pattern.gracefulStop
+    import akka.dispatch.Await
+    import akka.actor.ActorTimeoutException
+
+    try {
+      val stopped: Future[Boolean] = gracefulStop(actorRef, 5 seconds)(system)
+      Await.result(stopped, 6 seconds)
+      // the actor has been stopped
+    } catch {
+      case e: ActorTimeoutException ⇒ // the actor wasn't stopped within 5 seconds
+    }
+    //#gracefulStop
+
+  }
 }