diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index cf7c4c0..0f26641 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -19,5 +19,6 @@ rdoc
 pkg
 tags
 .rvmrc
+hydra-runner.log
 
 ## PROJECT::SPECIFIC
diff --git a/lib/hydra/runner.rb b/lib/hydra/runner.rb
index f96cc08..52b1398 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/runner.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/runner.rb
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
   class Runner
     include Hydra::Messages::Runner
     traceable('RUNNER')
+
+    DEFAULT_LOG_FILE = 'hydra-runner.log'
+
     # Boot up a runner. It takes an IO object (generally a pipe from its
     # parent) to send it messages on which files to execute.
     def initialize(opts = {})
-      redirect_output( opts.fetch( :runner_log_file ) { nil } )
+      redirect_output( opts.fetch( :runner_log_file ) { DEFAULT_LOG_FILE } )
       reg_trap_sighup
 
       @io = opts.fetch(:io) { raise "No IO Object" }
@@ -38,7 +41,6 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
 
     def reg_trap_sighup
       trap :SIGHUP do
-        File.open("_log_output", 'a'){ |f| f << "SIGHUP trapped"}
         stop
       end
       @runner_began = true
@@ -290,8 +292,11 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
     end
 
     def redirect_output file_name
-      file_name = '/dev/null' unless file_name and !file_name.empty?
-      $stderr = $stdout =  File.open(file_name, 'a')
+      begin
+        $stderr = $stdout =  File.open(file_name, 'a')
+      rescue
+        $stderr = $stdout =  File.open(DEFAULT_LOG_FILE, 'a')
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/master_test.rb b/test/master_test.rb
index 2225e24..9458ef6 100644
--- a/test/master_test.rb
+++ b/test/master_test.rb
@@ -322,31 +322,37 @@ class MasterTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       assert_file_exists "#{remote_dir_path}/#{runner_log_file}"
     end
 
-    # should "NOT create a runner log file when passing a incorrect log file path, but it should run successfully" do
-    #   @pid = Process.fork do
-    #     Hydra::Master.new(
-    #           :files => [test_file],
-    #           :workers => [{
-    #             :type => :ssh,
-    #             :connect => 'localhost',
-    #             :directory => remote_dir_path,
-    #             :runners => 1
-    #           }],
-    #           :verbose => false,
-    #           :runner_log_file => 'invalid-dir/runner.log'
-    #         )
-    #   end
-    #   Process.waitpid @pid
+    should "create the default runner log file when passing an incorrect log file path" do
+      default_log_file = "#{remote_dir_path}/#{Hydra::Runner::DEFAULT_LOG_FILE}" # hydra-runner.log"
+      FileUtils.rm_f(default_log_file)
 
-    #   assert_file_exists target_file # ensure the test was successfully ran
-    #   assert_file_exists runner_log_file
-    # end
+      @pid = Process.fork do
+        Hydra::Master.new(
+              :files => [test_file],
+              :workers => [{
+                :type => :ssh,
+                :connect => 'localhost',
+                :directory => remote_dir_path,
+                :runners => 1
+              }],
+              :verbose => false,
+              :runner_log_file => 'invalid-dir/#{runner_log_file}'
+            )
+      end
+      Process.waitpid @pid
+
+      assert_file_exists target_file # ensure the test was successfully ran
+      assert_file_exists default_log_file #default log file
+      assert !File.exists?( "#{remote_dir_path}/#{runner_log_file}" )
+
+      FileUtils.rm_f(default_log_file)
+    end
   end
 
   private
 
   def runner_log_file
-    "hydra_runner.log"
+    "my-hydra-runner.log"
   end
 
   def add_infinite_worker_begin_to master_listener