diff --git a/hydra.gemspec b/hydra.gemspec
index 4c7c7f7..135818c 100644
--- a/hydra.gemspec
+++ b/hydra.gemspec
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
 
   s.required_rubygems_version = Gem::Requirement.new(">= 0") if s.respond_to? :required_rubygems_version=
   s.authors = ["Nick Gauthier"]
-  s.date = %q{2010-03-31}
+  s.date = %q{2010-04-03}
   s.description = %q{Spread your tests over multiple machines to test your code faster.}
   s.email = %q{nick@smartlogicsolutions.com}
   s.extra_rdoc_files = [
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
      "lib/hydra/pipe.rb",
      "lib/hydra/runner.rb",
      "lib/hydra/safe_fork.rb",
+     "lib/hydra/spec/hydra_formatter.rb",
      "lib/hydra/ssh.rb",
      "lib/hydra/stdio.rb",
      "lib/hydra/tasks.rb",
@@ -60,6 +61,8 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
      "test/fixtures/slow.rb",
      "test/fixtures/sync_test.rb",
      "test/fixtures/write_file.rb",
+     "test/fixtures/write_file_alternate_spec.rb",
+     "test/fixtures/write_file_spec.rb",
      "test/master_test.rb",
      "test/message_test.rb",
      "test/pipe_test.rb",
@@ -71,22 +74,24 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.homepage = %q{http://github.com/ngauthier/hydra}
   s.rdoc_options = ["--charset=UTF-8"]
   s.require_paths = ["lib"]
-  s.rubygems_version = %q{1.3.5}
+  s.rubygems_version = %q{1.3.6}
   s.summary = %q{Distributed testing toolkit}
   s.test_files = [
-    "test/message_test.rb",
+    "test/pipe_test.rb",
      "test/test_helper.rb",
      "test/ssh_test.rb",
+     "test/message_test.rb",
+     "test/master_test.rb",
      "test/fixtures/write_file.rb",
      "test/fixtures/slow.rb",
+     "test/fixtures/write_file_spec.rb",
+     "test/fixtures/features/step_definitions.rb",
+     "test/fixtures/hello_world.rb",
+     "test/fixtures/write_file_alternate_spec.rb",
      "test/fixtures/sync_test.rb",
      "test/fixtures/assert_true.rb",
-     "test/fixtures/hello_world.rb",
-     "test/fixtures/features/step_definitions.rb",
-     "test/master_test.rb",
-     "test/worker_test.rb",
      "test/runner_test.rb",
-     "test/pipe_test.rb"
+     "test/worker_test.rb"
   ]
 
   if s.respond_to? :specification_version then
diff --git a/lib/hydra/message/runner_messages.rb b/lib/hydra/message/runner_messages.rb
index 4010ed1..119447c 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/message/runner_messages.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/message/runner_messages.rb
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
       class RSpecResult < Hydra::Message
         # the output of the spec
         attr_accessor :output
+        def serialize #:nodoc:
+          super(:output => @output)
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/hydra/runner.rb b/lib/hydra/runner.rb
index 187cf66..0ec2861 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/runner.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/runner.rb
@@ -103,9 +103,10 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
 
     # run all the Specs in an RSpec file (NOT IMPLEMENTED)
     def run_rspec_file(file)
+      puts "RUNNING: #{file}"
       # pull in rspec
       begin
-        require 'spec/autorun'
+        require 'spec'
         require 'hydra/spec/hydra_formatter'
       rescue LoadError => ex
         return ex.to_s
@@ -121,17 +122,18 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
         hydra_output = StringIO.new
         options.formatters = [Spec::Runner::Formatter::HydraFormatter.new(options.formatter_options, hydra_output)]
         require file
+        options.files = [file]
         options.run_examples
         hydra_output.rewind
         output = hydra_output.read.chomp
-        output = "" if output == "."
+        output = "" if output =~ /^\.*$/
         pipe.write RSpecResult.new(:output => output)
         pipe.close
       end
       pipe.identify_as_parent
-      output = pipe.gets
+      output_message = pipe.gets
       Process.wait pid
-      return output
+      return output_message.output
     end
 
     # run all the scenarios in a cucumber feature file
diff --git a/lib/hydra/safe_fork.rb b/lib/hydra/safe_fork.rb
index f98aecb..71cc83b 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/safe_fork.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/safe_fork.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@ class SafeFork
       child = Process.fork do
         begin
           # create a new connection and perform the action
+          begin
           ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection if defined?(ActiveRecord)
+          rescue ActiveRecord::AdapterNotSpecified
+            # AR was defined but we didn't have a connection
+          end
           yield
         ensure
           # make sure we remove the connection before we're done
@@ -16,7 +20,11 @@ class SafeFork
       end
     ensure
       # make sure we re-establish the connection before returning to the main instance
+      begin
       ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection if defined?(ActiveRecord)
+      rescue ActiveRecord::AdapterNotSpecified
+        # AR was defined but we didn't have a connection
+      end
     end
     return child
   end
diff --git a/lib/hydra/spec/hydra_formatter.rb b/lib/hydra/spec/hydra_formatter.rb
index a19a2e4..f9004fa 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/spec/hydra_formatter.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/spec/hydra_formatter.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ module Spec
   module Runner
     class Options
       attr_accessor :formatters
+      attr_accessor :files
     end
     module Formatter
       class HydraFormatter < ProgressBarFormatter
diff --git a/lib/hydra/tasks.rb b/lib/hydra/tasks.rb
index 295749b..276a2b5 100644
--- a/lib/hydra/tasks.rb
+++ b/lib/hydra/tasks.rb
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ module Hydra #:nodoc:
       desc "Hydra Tests" + (@name == :hydra ? "" : " for #{@name}")
       task @name do
         Hydra::Master.new(@opts)
+        puts "OK AND QUIT"
         exit(0) #bypass test on_exit output
       end
     end