diff --git a/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/actor/LightArrayRevolverScheduler.scala b/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/actor/LightArrayRevolverScheduler.scala
index b012cf979d2..0162b7c055a 100644
--- a/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/actor/LightArrayRevolverScheduler.scala
+++ b/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/actor/LightArrayRevolverScheduler.scala
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.{ AtomicLong, AtomicReference }
 
 import scala.annotation.{ nowarn, tailrec }
 import scala.collection.immutable
-import scala.concurrent.{ Await, ExecutionContext, Future, Promise }
+import scala.concurrent.{ ExecutionContext, Future, Promise }
 import scala.concurrent.duration._
 import scala.util.control.NonFatal
 
@@ -178,7 +178,8 @@ class LightArrayRevolverScheduler(config: Config, log: LoggingAdapter, threadFac
       }
     }
 
-    Await.result(stop(), getShutdownTimeout).foreach {
+    import pekko.util.Helpers._
+    stop().await(getShutdownTimeout).foreach {
       case task: Scheduler.TaskRunOnClose =>
         runTask(task)
       case holder: TaskHolder => // don't run
diff --git a/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/pattern/CircuitBreaker.scala b/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/pattern/CircuitBreaker.scala
index 38bf58f2739..f6c8dc25ecb 100644
--- a/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/pattern/CircuitBreaker.scala
+++ b/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/pattern/CircuitBreaker.scala
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.{ AtomicBoolean, AtomicInteger, AtomicLong }
 import java.util.function.BiFunction
 import java.util.function.Consumer
 import scala.annotation.nowarn
-import scala.concurrent.{ Await, ExecutionContext, Future, Promise }
+import scala.concurrent.{ ExecutionContext, Future, Promise }
 import scala.concurrent.TimeoutException
 import scala.concurrent.duration._
 import scala.util.{ Failure, Success, Try }
@@ -446,13 +446,15 @@ class CircuitBreaker(
    * @param defineFailureFn function that define what should be consider failure and thus increase failure count
    * @return The result of the call
    */
-  def withSyncCircuitBreaker[T](body: => T, defineFailureFn: Try[T] => Boolean): T =
-    Await.result(
-      withCircuitBreaker(
-        try Future.successful(body)
-        catch { case NonFatal(t) => Future.failed(t) },
-        defineFailureFn),
-      callTimeout)
+  def withSyncCircuitBreaker[T](body: => T, defineFailureFn: Try[T] => Boolean): T = {
+    import pekko.util.Helpers._
+    withCircuitBreaker(
+      try Future.successful(body)
+      catch {
+        case NonFatal(t) => Future.failed(t)
+      },
+      defineFailureFn).await(callTimeout)
+  }
 
   /**
    * Java API for [[#withSyncCircuitBreaker]]. Throws [[java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException]] if the call timed out.
diff --git a/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/AsyncSerializer.scala b/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/AsyncSerializer.scala
index d0df72cca77..5d010ab2b85 100644
--- a/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/AsyncSerializer.scala
+++ b/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/AsyncSerializer.scala
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ package org.apache.pekko.serialization
 
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletionStage
 
-import scala.concurrent.{ Await, Future }
-import scala.concurrent.duration.Duration
+import scala.concurrent.Future
 
 import org.apache.pekko
 import pekko.actor.ExtendedActorSystem
@@ -59,14 +58,16 @@ abstract class AsyncSerializerWithStringManifest(system: ExtendedActorSystem)
     log.warning(
       "Async serializer called synchronously. This will block. Async serializers should only be used for pekko persistence plugins that support them. Class: {}",
       o.getClass)
-    Await.result(toBinaryAsync(o), Duration.Inf)
+    import pekko.util.Helpers._
+    toBinaryAsync(o).await()
   }
 
   final override def fromBinary(bytes: Array[Byte], manifest: String): AnyRef = {
     log.warning(
       "Async serializer called synchronously. This will block. Async serializers should only be used for Pekko persistence plugins that support them. Manifest: [{}]",
       manifest)
-    Await.result(fromBinaryAsync(bytes, manifest), Duration.Inf)
+    import pekko.util.Helpers._
+    fromBinaryAsync(bytes, manifest).await()
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/util/Helpers.scala b/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/util/Helpers.scala
index 8b93060302d..1ff701a62c9 100644
--- a/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/util/Helpers.scala
+++ b/actor/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/util/Helpers.scala
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ import scala.annotation.tailrec
 import scala.concurrent.duration.{ Duration, FiniteDuration }
 import com.typesafe.config.{ Config, ConfigRenderOptions }
 
+import scala.concurrent.{ Await, Future }
+
 object Helpers {
 
   def toRootLowerCase(s: String): String = s.toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT)
@@ -195,4 +197,19 @@ object Helpers {
       Duration(config.getDuration(path, unit), unit)
   }
 
+  /**
+   * INTERNAL API
+   */
+  private[pekko] final implicit class FutureOps[T](val future: Future[T]) extends AnyVal {
+
+    /**
+     * Wait for the future to complete and return the result, or throw an exception if the future failed.
+     * Optimize for the case when the future is already completed.
+     * @since 1.2.0
+     */
+    def await(atMost: Duration = Duration.Inf): T = future.value match {
+      case Some(value) => value.get
+      case None        => Await.result(future, atMost)
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/stream/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/stream/SystemMaterializer.scala b/stream/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/stream/SystemMaterializer.scala
index efd829d47d8..5868cf98ef1 100644
--- a/stream/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/stream/SystemMaterializer.scala
+++ b/stream/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/stream/SystemMaterializer.scala
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 package org.apache.pekko.stream
 
 import scala.annotation.nowarn
-import scala.concurrent.Await
 import scala.concurrent.Promise
 
 import org.apache.pekko
@@ -77,7 +76,8 @@ final class SystemMaterializer(system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends Extension {
   private[pekko] def createAdditionalSystemMaterializer(): Materializer = {
     val started =
       (materializerGuardian ? MaterializerGuardian.StartMaterializer).mapTo[MaterializerGuardian.MaterializerStarted]
-    Await.result(started, materializerTimeout.duration).materializer
+    import pekko.util.Helpers._
+    started.await(materializerTimeout.duration).materializer
   }
 
   /**
@@ -91,12 +91,14 @@ final class SystemMaterializer(system: ExtendedActorSystem) extends Extension {
     val started =
       (materializerGuardian ? MaterializerGuardian.LegacyStartMaterializer(namePrefix, settings))
         .mapTo[MaterializerGuardian.MaterializerStarted]
-    Await.result(started, materializerTimeout.duration).materializer
+    import pekko.util.Helpers._
+    started.await(materializerTimeout.duration).materializer
   }
 
   val materializer: Materializer = {
     // block on async creation to make it effectively final
-    Await.result(systemMaterializerPromise.future, materializerTimeout.duration)
+    import pekko.util.Helpers._
+    systemMaterializerPromise.future.await(materializerTimeout.duration)
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/stream/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/stream/impl/io/OutputStreamSourceStage.scala b/stream/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/stream/impl/io/OutputStreamSourceStage.scala
index d0dbb81c27e..29be6d2eae6 100644
--- a/stream/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/stream/impl/io/OutputStreamSourceStage.scala
+++ b/stream/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/stream/impl/io/OutputStreamSourceStage.scala
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ package org.apache.pekko.stream.impl.io
 import java.io.{ IOException, OutputStream }
 import java.util.concurrent.{ Semaphore, TimeUnit }
 
-import scala.concurrent.Await
 import scala.concurrent.duration.FiniteDuration
 import scala.util.control.NonFatal
 
@@ -87,7 +86,8 @@ private[pekko] class OutputStreamAdapter(
     }
 
     try {
-      Await.result(sendToStage.invokeWithFeedback(Send(data)), writeTimeout)
+      import pekko.util.Helpers._
+      sendToStage.invokeWithFeedback(Send(data)).await(writeTimeout)
     } catch {
       case NonFatal(e) => throw new IOException(e)
     }
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@ private[pekko] class OutputStreamAdapter(
   @scala.throws(classOf[IOException])
   override def close(): Unit = {
     try {
-      Await.result(sendToStage.invokeWithFeedback(Close), writeTimeout)
+      import pekko.util.Helpers._
+      sendToStage.invokeWithFeedback(Close).await(writeTimeout)
     } catch {
       case NonFatal(e) => throw new IOException(e)
     }
diff --git a/stream/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/stream/scaladsl/StreamConverters.scala b/stream/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/stream/scaladsl/StreamConverters.scala
index 7b1a743889a..32b1eabe2f9 100644
--- a/stream/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/stream/scaladsl/StreamConverters.scala
+++ b/stream/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/stream/scaladsl/StreamConverters.scala
@@ -17,9 +17,8 @@ import java.io.{ InputStream, OutputStream }
 import java.util.Spliterators
 import java.util.stream.{ Collector, StreamSupport }
 
-import scala.concurrent.{ Await, Future }
+import scala.concurrent.Future
 import scala.concurrent.duration._
-import scala.concurrent.duration.Duration._
 
 import org.apache.pekko
 import pekko.NotUsed
@@ -197,7 +196,8 @@ object StreamConverters {
                 var nextElement: Option[T] = _
 
                 override def hasNext: Boolean = {
-                  nextElement = Await.result(nextElementFuture, Inf)
+                  import pekko.util.Helpers._
+                  nextElement = nextElementFuture.await()
                   nextElement.isDefined
                 }