diff --git a/lib/logstash/inputs/file.rb b/lib/logstash/inputs/file.rb
index 44baf53..5881e84 100644
--- a/lib/logstash/inputs/file.rb
+++ b/lib/logstash/inputs/file.rb
@@ -147,7 +147,10 @@ def run(queue)
 
   public
   def teardown
-    @tail.sincedb_write
-    @tail.quit
+    if @tail
+      @tail.sincedb_write
+      @tail.quit
+      @tail = nil
+    end
   end # def teardown
 end # class LogStash::Inputs::File
diff --git a/logstash-input-file.gemspec b/logstash-input-file.gemspec
index cdb62a6..00d4c39 100644
--- a/logstash-input-file.gemspec
+++ b/logstash-input-file.gemspec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Gem::Specification.new do |s|
 
   s.name            = 'logstash-input-file'
-  s.version         = '0.1.6'
+  s.version         = '0.1.7'
   s.licenses        = ['Apache License (2.0)']
   s.summary         = "Stream events from files."
   s.description     = "This gem is a logstash plugin required to be installed on top of the Logstash core pipeline using $LS_HOME/bin/plugin install gemname. This gem is not a stand-alone program"
diff --git a/spec/inputs/file_spec.rb b/spec/inputs/file_spec.rb
index 7c42dde..962d5d4 100644
--- a/spec/inputs/file_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/inputs/file_spec.rb
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
 
   delimiter = (LogStash::Environment.windows? ? "\r\n" : "\n")
 
-  describe "starts at the end of an existing file" do
+  it "should starts at the end of an existing file" do
     tmpfile_path = Stud::Temporary.pathname
     sincedb_path = Stud::Temporary.pathname
 
-    config <<-CONFIG
+    conf = <<-CONFIG
       input {
         file {
           type => "blah"
@@ -23,25 +23,23 @@
       }
     CONFIG
 
-    input do |pipeline, queue|
-      File.open(tmpfile_path, "w") do |fd|
-        fd.puts("ignore me 1")
-        fd.puts("ignore me 2")
-      end
+    File.open(tmpfile_path, "w") do |fd|
+      fd.puts("ignore me 1")
+      fd.puts("ignore me 2")
+    end
 
-      Thread.new { pipeline.run }
-      sleep 0.1 while !pipeline.ready?
+    events = input(conf) do |pipeline, queue|
 
-      # at this point even if pipeline.ready? == true the plugins
+      # at this point the plugins
       # threads might still be initializing so we cannot know when the
       # file plugin will have seen the original file, it could see it
       # after the first(s) hello world appends below, hence the
       # retry logic.
 
-      retries = 0
-      loop do
-        insist { retries } < 20 # 2 secs should be plenty?
+      events = []
 
+      retries = 0
+      while retries < 20
         File.open(tmpfile_path, "a") do |fd|
           fd.puts("hello")
           fd.puts("world")
@@ -49,22 +47,25 @@
 
         if queue.size >= 2
           events = 2.times.collect { queue.pop }
-          insist { events[0]["message"] } == "hello"
-          insist { events[1]["message"] } == "world"
           break
         end
 
         sleep(0.1)
         retries += 1
       end
+
+      events
     end
+
+    insist { events[0]["message"] } == "hello"
+    insist { events[1]["message"] } == "world"
   end
 
-  describe "can start at the beginning of an existing file" do
+  it "should start at the beginning of an existing file" do
     tmpfile_path = Stud::Temporary.pathname
     sincedb_path = Stud::Temporary.pathname
 
-    config <<-CONFIG
+    conf = <<-CONFIG
       input {
         file {
           type => "blah"
@@ -76,64 +77,59 @@
       }
     CONFIG
 
-    input do |pipeline, queue|
-      File.open(tmpfile_path, "a") do |fd|
-        fd.puts("hello")
-        fd.puts("world")
-      end
-
-      Thread.new { pipeline.run }
-      sleep 0.1 while !pipeline.ready?
+    File.open(tmpfile_path, "a") do |fd|
+      fd.puts("hello")
+      fd.puts("world")
+    end
 
-      events = 2.times.collect { queue.pop }
-      insist { events[0]["message"] } == "hello"
-      insist { events[1]["message"] } == "world"
+    events = input(conf) do |pipeline, queue|
+      2.times.collect { queue.pop }
     end
+
+    insist { events[0]["message"] } == "hello"
+    insist { events[1]["message"] } == "world"
   end
 
-  describe "restarts at the sincedb value" do
+  it "should restarts at the sincedb value" do
     tmpfile_path = Stud::Temporary.pathname
     sincedb_path = Stud::Temporary.pathname
 
-    config <<-CONFIG
+    conf = <<-CONFIG
       input {
         file {
           type => "blah"
           path => "#{tmpfile_path}"
-	  start_position => "beginning"
+          start_position => "beginning"
           sincedb_path => "#{sincedb_path}"
           delimiter => "#{delimiter}"
         }
       }
     CONFIG
 
-    input do |pipeline, queue|
-      File.open(tmpfile_path, "w") do |fd|
-        fd.puts("hello")
-        fd.puts("world")
-      end
-
-      t = Thread.new { pipeline.run }
-      sleep 0.1 while !pipeline.ready?
-
-      events = 2.times.collect { queue.pop }
-      pipeline.shutdown
-      t.join
+    File.open(tmpfile_path, "w") do |fd|
+      fd.puts("hello3")
+      fd.puts("world3")
+    end
 
-      File.open(tmpfile_path, "a") do |fd|
-        fd.puts("foo")
-        fd.puts("bar")
-        fd.puts("baz")
-      end
+    events = input(conf) do |pipeline, queue|
+      2.times.collect { queue.pop }
+    end
 
-      Thread.new { pipeline.run }
-      sleep 0.1 while !pipeline.ready?
+    insist { events[0]["message"] } == "hello3"
+    insist { events[1]["message"] } == "world3"
 
-      events = 3.times.collect { queue.pop }
+    File.open(tmpfile_path, "a") do |fd|
+      fd.puts("foo")
+      fd.puts("bar")
+      fd.puts("baz")
+    end
 
-      insist { events[0]["message"] } == "foo"
-      insist { events[1]["message"] } == "bar"
-      insist { events[2]["message"] } == "baz"
+    events = input(conf) do |pipeline, queue|
+      3.times.collect { queue.pop }
     end
+
+    insist { events[0]["message"] } == "foo"
+    insist { events[1]["message"] } == "bar"
+    insist { events[2]["message"] } == "baz"
   end
 end