diff --git a/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestKit.scala b/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestKit.scala
index 1cbc3c9e041c..3b5b98f414b5 100644
--- a/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestKit.scala
+++ b/akka-testkit/src/main/scala/akka/testkit/TestKit.scala
@@ -679,10 +679,18 @@ trait TestKitBase {
         elem = queue.peekFirst()
       }
     }
-    val diff = (max.toNanos - left.toNanos).nanos
-    val m = s"received unexpected message $elem after ${diff.toMillis} millis"
-    assert(elem eq null, m)
-    lastWasNoMsg = true
+
+    if (elem ne null) {
+      // we pop the message, such that subsequent expectNoMessage calls can
+      // assert on the next period without a message
+      queue.pop()
+
+      val diff = (max.toNanos - left.toNanos).nanos
+      val m = s"assertion failed: received unexpected message $elem after ${diff.toMillis} millis"
+      throw new java.lang.AssertionError(m)
+    } else {
+      lastWasNoMsg = true
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/akka-testkit/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/TestProbeSpec.scala b/akka-testkit/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/TestProbeSpec.scala
index 84a2d4547b67..6cfb75ca15ce 100644
--- a/akka-testkit/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/TestProbeSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-testkit/src/test/scala/akka/testkit/TestProbeSpec.scala
@@ -1,15 +1,18 @@
 package akka.testkit
 
 import language.postfixOps
-
 import akka.actor._
-import scala.concurrent.{ Await }
+
+import scala.concurrent.Await
 import scala.concurrent.duration._
 import akka.pattern.ask
+
 import scala.util.Try
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger
 
-class TestProbeSpec extends AkkaSpec with DefaultTimeout {
+import org.scalatest.concurrent.Eventually
+
+class TestProbeSpec extends AkkaSpec with DefaultTimeout with Eventually {
 
   "A TestProbe" must {
 
@@ -201,6 +204,18 @@ class TestProbeSpec extends AkkaSpec with DefaultTimeout {
       val probe = new TestProbe(system)
       probe.ref.path.name should startWith("testProbe")
     }
+
+    "expectNoMessage should pull the thingy" in {
+      val p = new TestProbe(system)
+
+      p.ref ! "nein" // no
+      p.ref ! "nie" // no
+
+      eventually(p.expectNoMessage(100.millis))
+
+      p.ref ! "tak" // yes
+      p.expectMsg("tak")
+    }
   }
 
 }