diff --git a/actix-rt/CHANGES.md b/actix-rt/CHANGES.md
index 483999ce..42879e12 100644
--- a/actix-rt/CHANGES.md
+++ b/actix-rt/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 # Changes
 
 ## Unreleased - 2021-xx-xx
+* The `spawn` method can now resolve with non-unit outputs. [#369]
+
+[#369]: https://github.com/actix/actix-net/pull/369
 
 
 ## 2.2.0 - 2021-03-29
diff --git a/actix-rt/src/lib.rs b/actix-rt/src/lib.rs
index 4454b3c4..95afcac9 100644
--- a/actix-rt/src/lib.rs
+++ b/actix-rt/src/lib.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@ use tokio::task::JoinHandle;
 // Cannot define a main macro when compiled into test harness.
 // Workaround for https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/62127.
 #[cfg(all(feature = "macros", not(test)))]
-pub use actix_macros::{main, test};
+pub use actix_macros::main;
+
+#[cfg(feature = "macros")]
+pub use actix_macros::test;
 
 mod arbiter;
 mod runtime;
@@ -155,14 +158,41 @@ pub mod task {
     pub use tokio::task::{spawn_blocking, yield_now, JoinError, JoinHandle};
 }
 
-/// Spawns a future on the current thread.
+/// Spawns a future on the current thread as a new task.
+///
+/// If not immediately awaited, the task can be cancelled using [`JoinHandle::abort`].
+///
+/// The provided future is spawned as a new task; therefore, panics are caught.
 ///
 /// # Panics
 /// Panics if Actix system is not running.
+///
+/// # Examples
+/// ```
+/// # use std::time::Duration;
+/// # actix_rt::Runtime::new().unwrap().block_on(async {
+/// // task resolves successfully
+/// assert_eq!(actix_rt::spawn(async { 1 }).await.unwrap(), 1);
+///
+/// // task panics
+/// assert!(actix_rt::spawn(async {
+///     panic!("panic is caught at task boundary");
+/// })
+/// .await
+/// .unwrap_err()
+/// .is_panic());
+///
+/// // task is cancelled before completion
+/// let handle = actix_rt::spawn(actix_rt::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(100)));
+/// handle.abort();
+/// assert!(handle.await.unwrap_err().is_cancelled());
+/// # });
+/// ```
 #[inline]
-pub fn spawn<Fut>(f: Fut) -> JoinHandle<()>
+pub fn spawn<Fut>(f: Fut) -> JoinHandle<Fut::Output>
 where
-    Fut: Future<Output = ()> + 'static,
+    Fut: Future + 'static,
+    Fut::Output: 'static,
 {
     tokio::task::spawn_local(f)
 }
diff --git a/actix-rt/tests/tests.rs b/actix-rt/tests/tests.rs
index 839b1fbc..e66696bf 100644
--- a/actix-rt/tests/tests.rs
+++ b/actix-rt/tests/tests.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use std::{
+    future::Future,
     sync::{
         atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering},
         mpsc::channel,
@@ -8,7 +9,7 @@ use std::{
     time::{Duration, Instant},
 };
 
-use actix_rt::{Arbiter, System};
+use actix_rt::{task::JoinError, Arbiter, System};
 use tokio::sync::oneshot;
 
 #[test]
@@ -298,3 +299,27 @@ fn try_current_no_system() {
 fn try_current_with_system() {
     System::new().block_on(async { assert!(System::try_current().is_some()) });
 }
+
+#[allow(clippy::unit_cmp)]
+#[test]
+fn spawn_local() {
+    System::new().block_on(async {
+        // demonstrate that spawn -> R is strictly more capable than spawn -> ()
+
+        assert_eq!(actix_rt::spawn(async {}).await.unwrap(), ());
+        assert_eq!(actix_rt::spawn(async { 1 }).await.unwrap(), 1);
+        assert!(actix_rt::spawn(async { panic!("") }).await.is_err());
+
+        actix_rt::spawn(async { tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(50)).await })
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+
+        fn g<F: Future<Output = Result<(), JoinError>>>(_f: F) {}
+        g(actix_rt::spawn(async {}));
+        // g(actix_rt::spawn(async { 1 })); // compile err
+
+        fn h<F: Future<Output = Result<R, JoinError>>, R>(_f: F) {}
+        h(actix_rt::spawn(async {}));
+        h(actix_rt::spawn(async { 1 }));
+    })
+}