diff --git a/lib/hydra/message/runner_messages.rb b/lib/hydra/message/runner_messages.rb
index ee91a0d..389d459 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/message/runner_messages.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/message/runner_messages.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
           super(:output => @output, :file => @file)
         end
         def handle(worker, runner) #:nodoc:
-          worker.relay_results(self)
+          worker.relay_results(self, runner)
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/hydra/message/worker_messages.rb b/lib/hydra/message/worker_messages.rb
index 580f9ca..1ebafc5 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/message/worker_messages.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/message/worker_messages.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-module Hydra #:nodoc:
+module Hydra #:nodoc: 
   module Messages #:nodoc:
     module Worker #:nodoc:
       # Message indicating that a work needs a file to delegate to a runner
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
       class Results < Hydra::Messages::Runner::Results
       end
 
+      # Message telling the worker to shut down.
       class Shutdown < Hydra::Messages::Runner::Shutdown
         def handle(worker)
           worker.shutdown
diff --git a/lib/hydra/worker.rb b/lib/hydra/worker.rb
index 850360a..f9abea8 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/worker.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/worker.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 module Hydra #:nodoc:
+  # Hydra class responsible to dispatching runners and communicating with the master.
   class Worker
+    # Create a new worker.
+    # * io: The IO object to use to communicate with the master
+    # * num_runners: The number of runners to launch
     def initialize(io, num_runners)
       @io = io
       @runners = []
@@ -9,7 +13,47 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
       @runners.each{|r| Process.wait r[:pid] }
     end
 
-    def boot_runners(num_runners)
+
+    # message handling methods
+    
+    # When a runner wants a file, it hits this method with a message.
+    # Then the worker bubbles the file request up to the master.
+    def request_file(message, runner)
+      @io.write(Hydra::Messages::Worker::RequestFile.new)
+      runner[:idle] = true
+    end
+
+    # When the master sends a file down to the worker, it hits this
+    # method. Then the worker delegates the file down to a runner.
+    def delegate_file(message)
+      r = idle_runner
+      r[:idle] = false
+      r[:io].write(Hydra::Messages::Runner::RunFile.new(eval(message.serialize)))
+    end
+
+    # When a runner finishes, it sends the results up to the worker. Then the
+    # worker sends the results up to the master.
+    # TODO: when we relay results, it should trigger a RunFile or Shutdown from
+    # the master implicitly
+    def relay_results(message, runner)
+      runner[:idle] = true
+      @io.write(Hydra::Messages::Worker::Results.new(eval(message.serialize)))
+    end
+
+    # When a master issues a shutdown order, it hits this method, which causes
+    # the worker to send shutdown messages to its runners.
+    # TODO: implement a ShutdownComplete message, so that we can kill the
+    # processes if necessary.
+    def shutdown
+      @running = false
+      @runners.each do |r|
+        r[:io].write(Hydra::Messages::Runner::Shutdown.new)
+      end
+    end
+
+    private
+
+    def boot_runners(num_runners) #:nodoc:
       num_runners.times do
         pipe = Hydra::Pipe.new
         child = Process.fork do
@@ -21,9 +65,13 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
       end
     end
 
-    def process_messages
+    # Continuously process messages
+    def process_messages #:nodoc:
       @running = true
 
+      # Abort the worker if one of the runners has an exception
+      # TODO: catch this exception, return a dying message to the master
+      # then shutdown
       Thread.abort_on_exception = true
 
       # Worker listens and handles messages
@@ -39,15 +87,22 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
       @runners.each do |r|
         @listeners << Thread.new do
           while @running
-            message = r[:io].gets
-            message.handle(self, r) if message
+            begin
+              message = r[:io].gets
+              message.handle(self, r) if message
+            rescue IOError => ex
+              # If the other end of the pipe closes
+              # we will continue, because we're probably
+              # not @running anymore
+            end
           end
         end
       end
       @listeners.each{|l| l.join }
     end
 
-    def idle_runner
+    # Get the next idle runner
+    def idle_runner #:nodoc:
       idle_r = nil
       while idle_r.nil?
         idle_r = @runners.detect{|r| r[:idle]}
@@ -55,29 +110,5 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
       end
       return idle_r
     end
-
-    # message handling methods
-    
-    def request_file(message, runner)
-      @io.write(Hydra::Messages::Worker::RequestFile.new)
-      runner[:idle] = true
-    end
-
-    def delegate_file(message)
-      r = idle_runner
-      r[:idle] = false
-      r[:io].write(Hydra::Messages::Runner::RunFile.new(eval(message.serialize)))
-    end
-
-    def relay_results(message)
-      @io.write(Hydra::Messages::Worker::Results.new(eval(message.serialize)))
-    end
-
-    def shutdown
-      @running = false
-      @runners.each do |r|
-        r[:io].write(Hydra::Messages::Runner::Shutdown.new)
-      end
-    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/worker_test.rb b/test/worker_test.rb
index 80e2dcd..242c30c 100644
--- a/test/worker_test.rb
+++ b/test/worker_test.rb
@@ -14,14 +14,17 @@ class WorkerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
 
     should "run a test" do
+      num_runners = 4
       @pipe = Hydra::Pipe.new
       @child = Process.fork do
         @pipe.identify_as_child
-        Hydra::Worker.new(@pipe, 1)
+        Hydra::Worker.new(@pipe, num_runners)
         @pipe.close
       end
       @pipe.identify_as_parent
-      assert @pipe.gets.is_a?(Hydra::Messages::Worker::RequestFile)
+      num_runners.times do
+        assert @pipe.gets.is_a?(Hydra::Messages::Worker::RequestFile)
+      end
       @pipe.write(Hydra::Messages::Worker::RunFile.new(:file => TESTFILE))
 
       response = @pipe.gets
@@ -32,8 +35,8 @@ class WorkerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       assert File.exists?(TARGET)
       assert_equal "HYDRA", File.read(TARGET)
 
-      @pipe.close
       Process.wait(@child)
+      @pipe.close
     end
   end
 end