diff --git a/lib/hydra/io.rb b/lib/hydra/io.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e02e211
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/hydra/io.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+module Hydra #:nodoc:
+  module MessagingIO
+    # Read a line from the input IO object.
+    def gets
+      raise IOError unless @reader
+      message = @reader.gets
+      return nil unless message
+      return Message.build(eval(message.chomp))
+    end
+
+    # Write a line to the output IO object
+    def write(message)
+      raise IOError unless @writer
+      raise UnprocessableMessage unless message.is_a?(Hydra::Message)
+      begin
+        @writer.write(message.serialize+"\n")
+      rescue Errno::EPIPE
+        raise IOError
+      end
+    end
+
+    class UnprocessableMessage < RuntimeError
+      attr_accessor :message
+      def initialize(message = "Message expected")
+        @message = message    
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/hydra/message.rb b/lib/hydra/message.rb
index d0f38ae..a1c0d6d 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/message.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/message.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 module Hydra #:nodoc:
   class Message #:nodoc:
-    def self.build(str)
-      eval(str).new
+    def self.build(hash)
+      hash.delete(:class).new(hash)
+    end
+
+    def serialize(opts = {})
+      opts[:class] = self.class
+      opts.inspect
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/hydra/message/runner_requests_file.rb b/lib/hydra/message/runner_requests_file.rb
index e6100cb..4692ead 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/message/runner_requests_file.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/message/runner_requests_file.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 module Hydra #:nodoc:
   module Messages #:nodoc:
+    # Message indicating that a Runner needs a file to run
     class RunnerRequestsFile < Hydra::Message
-      def serialize
-        "Hydra::Messages::RunnerRequestsFile"
-      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/hydra/pipe.rb b/lib/hydra/pipe.rb
index 491949d..6bb9ff7 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/pipe.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/pipe.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+require 'hydra/io'
 module Hydra #:nodoc:
   # Read and write between two processes via pipes. For example:
   #   @pipe = Hydra::Pipe.new
@@ -24,32 +25,13 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
   # One tube is for sending from parent to child, and the other
   # tube is for sending from child to parent.
   class Pipe
+    include Hydra::MessagingIO
     # Creates a new uninitialized pipe pair.
     def initialize
       @child_read, @parent_write = IO.pipe
       @parent_read, @child_write = IO.pipe
     end
 
-    # Read a line from a pipe. It will have a trailing newline.
-    def gets
-      force_identification
-      @reader.gets.chomp
-    end
-
-    # Write a line to a pipe. It must have a trailing newline.
-    def write(str)
-      force_identification
-      unless str =~ /\n$/
-        str += "\n"
-      end
-      begin
-        @writer.write(str)
-        return str
-      rescue Errno::EPIPE
-        raise Hydra::PipeError::Broken
-      end
-    end
-
     # Identify this side of the pipe as the child.
     def identify_as_child
       @parent_write.close
@@ -65,43 +47,5 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
       @reader = @parent_read
       @writer = @parent_write
     end
-
-    # closes the pipes. Once a pipe is closed on one end, the other
-    # end will get a PipeError::Broken if it tries to write.
-    def close
-      done_reading
-      done_writing
-    end
-
-    private
-    def done_writing #:nodoc:
-      @writer.close unless @writer.closed?
-    end
-
-    def done_reading #:nodoc:
-      @reader.close unless @reader.closed?
-    end
-
-    def force_identification #:nodoc:
-      raise PipeError::Unidentified if @reader.nil? or @writer.nil?
-    end
-  end
-
-  module PipeError #:nodoc:
-    # Raised if you try to read or write to a pipe when it is unidentified.
-    # Use identify_as_parent and identify_as_child to identify a pipe.
-    class Unidentified < RuntimeError
-      def message #:nodoc:
-        "Must identify as child or parent"
-      end
-    end
-    # Raised when a pipe has been broken between two processes.
-    # This happens when a process exits, and is a signal that
-    # there is no more data to communicate.
-    class Broken < RuntimeError
-      def message #:nodoc:
-        "Other side closed the connection"
-      end
-    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/hydra/ssh.rb b/lib/hydra/ssh.rb
index 4cc9ec3..cb4acfe 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/ssh.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/ssh.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 require 'open3'
+require 'hydra/io'
 module Hydra #:nodoc:
   # Read and write with an ssh connection. For example:
   #  @ssh = Hydra::SSH.new('nick@nite')
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
   #    => "8"           # the output from irb
   class SSH
     include Open3
+    include Hydra::MessagingIO
 
     # Initialize new SSH connection. The single parameters is passed
     # directly to ssh for starting a connection. So you can do:
@@ -25,24 +27,7 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
     #  Hydra::SSH.new('-p 3022 user@server.com')
     # etc..
     def initialize(connection_options)
-      @stdin, @stdout, @stderr = popen3("ssh #{connection_options}")
-    end
-
-    # Write a string to ssh. This method returns the string passed to
-    # ssh. Note that if you do not add a newline at the end, it adds
-    # one for you, and the modified string is returned
-    def write(str)
-      unless str =~ /\n$/
-        str += "\n"
-      end
-      @stdin.write(str)
-      return str
-    end
-
-    # Read a line from ssh. This call blocks when there is nothing
-    # to read.
-    def gets
-      @stdout.gets.chomp
+      @writer, @reader, @error = popen3("ssh #{connection_options}")
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/helper.rb b/test/helper.rb
index 2699a12..ebc5d09 100644
--- a/test/helper.rb
+++ b/test/helper.rb
@@ -8,3 +8,18 @@ require 'hydra'
 
 class Test::Unit::TestCase
 end
+
+module Hydra #:nodoc:
+  module Messages #:nodoc:
+    class TestMessage < Hydra::Message
+      attr_accessor :text
+      def initialize(opts = {})
+        @text = opts.fetch(:text){ "test" }
+      end
+      def serialize
+        super(:text => @text)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
+
diff --git a/test/test_pipe.rb b/test/test_pipe.rb
index 6e91a41..6362e0e 100644
--- a/test/test_pipe.rb
+++ b/test/test_pipe.rb
@@ -6,39 +6,29 @@ class TestPipe < Test::Unit::TestCase
       @pipe = Hydra::Pipe.new
     end
     should "be able to write messages" do
-      Process.fork do
+      child = Process.fork do
         @pipe.identify_as_child
-        assert_equal "Test Message", @pipe.gets
-        @pipe.write "Message Received"
-        @pipe.write "Second Message"
-        @pipe.close
+        assert_equal "Test Message", @pipe.gets.text
+        @pipe.write Hydra::Messages::TestMessage.new(:text => "Message Received")
+        @pipe.write Hydra::Messages::TestMessage.new(:text => "Second Message")
       end
       @pipe.identify_as_parent
-      @pipe.write "Test Message"
-      assert_equal "Message Received", @pipe.gets
-      assert_equal "Second Message", @pipe.gets
-      assert_raise Hydra::PipeError::Broken do
-        @pipe.write "anybody home?"
+      @pipe.write Hydra::Messages::TestMessage.new(:text => "Test Message")
+      assert_equal "Message Received", @pipe.gets.text
+      assert_equal "Second Message", @pipe.gets.text
+      assert_raise IOError do
+        @pipe.write Hydra::Messages::TestMessage.new(:text => "anyone there?")
       end
-      @pipe.close
     end
     should "not allow writing if unidentified" do
-      assert_raise Hydra::PipeError::Unidentified do
-        @pipe.write "hey\n"
+      assert_raise IOError do
+        @pipe.write Hydra::Messages::TestMessage.new(:text => "Test Message")
       end
     end
     should "not allow reading if unidentified" do
-      assert_raise Hydra::PipeError::Unidentified do
+      assert_raise IOError do
         @pipe.gets
       end
     end
-    should "handle newlines" do
-      Process.fork do
-        @pipe.identify_as_child
-        @pipe.write "Message\n"
-      end
-      @pipe.identify_as_parent
-      assert_equal "Message", @pipe.gets
-    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/test_runner.rb b/test/test_runner.rb
index d89a41a..46c3c49 100644
--- a/test/test_runner.rb
+++ b/test/test_runner.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ class TestRunner < Test::Unit::TestCase
       @message = Hydra::Message.build(@pipe.gets)
       assert @message.is_a?(Hydra::Messages::RunnerRequestsFile)
     end
-    should "return a result message after processing a file"
+    should "return a result message after processing a file" do
+      
+    end
     should "terminate when sent a shutdown message"
   end
 end