diff --git a/lib/hydra/master.rb b/lib/hydra/master.rb
index 173aac2..aa6d221 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/master.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/master.rb
@@ -49,24 +49,23 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
     def boot_workers(workers)
       $stdout.write "MASTER| Booting workers\n" if @verbose
       workers.select{|worker| worker[:type] == :local}.each do |worker|
-        $stdout.write "MASTER| Booting local worker\n" if @verbose 
         boot_local_worker(worker)
       end
       workers.select{|worker| worker[:type] == :ssh}.each do |worker|
-        $stdout.write "MASTER| Booting ssh worker\n" if @verbose 
-        boot_ssh_worker(worker)
+        @workers << worker # will boot later, during the listening phase
       end
     end
 
     def boot_local_worker(worker)
       runners = worker.fetch(:runners) { raise "You must specify the number of runners" }
+      $stdout.write "MASTER| Booting local worker\n" if @verbose 
       pipe = Hydra::Pipe.new
       child = Process.fork do
         pipe.identify_as_child
         Hydra::Worker.new(:io => pipe, :runners => runners)
       end
       pipe.identify_as_parent
-      @workers << { :pid => child, :io => pipe, :idle => false }
+      @workers << { :pid => child, :io => pipe, :idle => false, :type => :local }
     end
 
     def boot_ssh_worker(worker)
@@ -74,24 +73,28 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
       connect = worker.fetch(:connect) { raise "You must specify SSH connection options" }
       directory = worker.fetch(:directory) { raise "You must specify a remote directory" }
       command = worker.fetch(:command) { 
-        "ruby -e \"require 'rubygems'; require 'hydra'; Hydra::Worker.new(:io => Hydra::Stdio.new, :runners => #{runners});\""
+        "ruby -e \"require 'rubygems'; require 'hydra'; Hydra::Worker.new(:io => Hydra::Stdio.new, :runners => #{runners}, :verbose => #{@verbose});\""
       }
 
-      ssh = nil
-      child = Process.fork do
-        ssh = Hydra::SSH.new(connect, directory, command)
-      end
-      @workers << { :pid => child, :io => ssh, :idle => false }
+      $stdout.write "MASTER| Booting SSH worker\n" if @verbose 
+      ssh = Hydra::SSH.new(connect, directory, command)
+      return { :io => ssh, :idle => false, :type => :ssh }
     end
 
     def process_messages
       Thread.abort_on_exception = true
 
+      $stdout.write "MASTER| Processing Messages\n" if @verbose
+      $stdout.write "MASTER| Workers: #{@workers}\n" if @verbose
       @workers.each do |worker|
         @listeners << Thread.new do
+          $stdout.write "MASTER| Listening to #{worker.inspect}\n" if @verbose
+          worker = boot_ssh_worker(worker) if worker.fetch(:type){ :local } == :ssh
           while true
             begin
+              $stdout.write "MASTER| listen....\n" if @verbose
               message = worker[:io].gets
+              $stdout.write "MASTER| got message: #{message}\n" if @verbose
               message.handle(self, worker) if message
             rescue IOError => ex
               $stderr.write "Master lost Worker [#{worker.inspect}]\n"
diff --git a/lib/hydra/messaging_io.rb b/lib/hydra/messaging_io.rb
index 9d34dc6..4b5a468 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/messaging_io.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/messaging_io.rb
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
       message = @reader.gets
       return nil unless message
       return Message.build(eval(message.chomp))
-    rescue SyntaxError => ex
+    rescue SyntaxError, NameError
       $stderr.write "Not a message: [#{message.inspect}]\n"
-      return nil
+      return gets
     end
 
     # Write a Message to the output IO object. It will automatically
diff --git a/lib/hydra/runner.rb b/lib/hydra/runner.rb
index 62d57c1..5670eb9 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/runner.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/runner.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 require 'test/unit'
+require 'test/unit/testresult'
 module Hydra #:nodoc:
   # Hydra class responsible for running test files.
   #
@@ -16,13 +17,21 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
       @verbose = opts.fetch(:verbose) { false }
 
       Test::Unit.run = true
+      $stdout.sync = true
+      $stdout.write "RUNNER| Booted. Sending Request for file\n" if @verbose
 
       @io.write RequestFile.new
-      process_messages
+      begin
+        process_messages
+      rescue => ex
+        $stdout.write "#{ex.to_s}\n" if @verbose
+        raise ex
+      end
     end
 
     # Run a test file and report the results
     def run_file(file)
+      $stdout.write "RUNNER| Running file: #{file}\n" if @verbose
       require file
       output = []
       @result = Test::Unit::TestResult.new
diff --git a/lib/hydra/stdio.rb b/lib/hydra/stdio.rb
index e2bd789..394fb05 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/stdio.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/stdio.rb
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
     def initialize()
       @reader = $stdin
       @writer = $stdout
+      @reader.sync = true
+      @writer.sync = true
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/master_test.rb b/test/master_test.rb
index f7a2504..cacb11c 100644
--- a/test/master_test.rb
+++ b/test/master_test.rb
@@ -66,10 +66,9 @@ class MasterTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
         :workers => [{
           :type => :ssh,
           :connect => 'localhost',
-          :directory => File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..')),
+          :directory => File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', 'lib')),
           :runners => 1 
-        }],
-        :verbose => true
+        }]
       )
       assert File.exists?(target_file)
       assert_equal "HYDRA", File.read(target_file)
diff --git a/test/runner_test.rb b/test/runner_test.rb
index a31244d..a8bbec3 100644
--- a/test/runner_test.rb
+++ b/test/runner_test.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class RunnerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
 
 
-    should "run a test" do
+    should "run a test in the foreground" do
       # flip it around to the parent is in the fork, this gives
       # us more direct control over the runner and proper test
       # coverage output
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class RunnerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
     # this flips the above test, so that the main process runs a bit of the parent
     # code, but only with minimal assertion
-    should "be able to tell a runner to run a test" do
+    should "run a test in the background" do
       pipe = Hydra::Pipe.new
       child = Process.fork do
         run_the_runner(pipe)
@@ -33,6 +33,26 @@ class RunnerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       request_a_file_and_verify_completion(pipe)
       Process.wait(child)
     end
+
+    should "be able to run a runner over ssh" do
+      ssh = Hydra::SSH.new(
+        'localhost', 
+        File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', 'lib')),
+        "ruby -e \"require 'rubygems'; require 'hydra'; Hydra::Runner.new(:io => Hydra::Stdio.new);\""
+      )
+      assert ssh.gets.is_a?(Hydra::Messages::Runner::RequestFile)
+      ssh.write(Hydra::Messages::Worker::RunFile.new(:file => test_file))
+      
+      # grab its response. This makes us wait for it to finish
+      response = ssh.gets
+      
+      # tell it to shut down
+      ssh.write(Hydra::Messages::Worker::Shutdown.new)
+      
+      # ensure it ran
+      assert File.exists?(target_file)
+      assert_equal "HYDRA", File.read(target_file)
+    end
   end
 
   module RunnerTestHelper
@@ -56,7 +76,7 @@ class RunnerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
     def run_the_runner(pipe)
       pipe.identify_as_child
-      Hydra::Runner.new({:io => pipe})
+      Hydra::Runner.new(:io => pipe)
     end
   end
   include RunnerTestHelper
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
index 82080a2..4fe607a 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.rb
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ require 'hydra'
 
 class Test::Unit::TestCase
   def target_file
-    File.join(Dir.tmpdir, 'hydra_test.txt')
+    File.expand_path(File.join(Dir.tmpdir, 'hydra_test.txt'))
   end
 
   def test_file
-    File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'fixtures', 'write_file.rb')
+    File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'fixtures', 'write_file.rb'))
   end
 end