diff --git a/lib/guard.rb b/lib/guard.rb
index 5d7fe9a..592f506 100644
--- a/lib/guard.rb
+++ b/lib/guard.rb
@@ -86,13 +86,13 @@ module Guard
       listener.start
     end
 
-    def add_guard(name, watchers = [], callbacks = [], options = {}, group = nil)
+    def add_guard(name, watchers = [], callbacks = [], options = {})
       if name.to_sym == :ego
         UI.deprecation("Guard::Ego is now part of Guard. You can remove it from your Guardfile.")
       else
         guard_class = get_guard_class(name)
         callbacks.each { |callback| ::Guard::Hook.add_callback(callback[:listener], guard_class, callback[:events]) }
-        @guards << guard_class.new(watchers, options, group)
+        @guards << guard_class.new(watchers, options)
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/guard/dsl.rb b/lib/guard/dsl.rb
index 1211917..8e2abdd 100644
--- a/lib/guard/dsl.rb
+++ b/lib/guard/dsl.rb
@@ -119,11 +119,12 @@ module Guard
       @watchers  = []
       @callbacks = []
       watch_and_callback_definition.call if watch_and_callback_definition
-      ::Guard.add_guard(name.to_s.downcase.to_sym, @watchers, @callbacks, options, @current_group || :default)
+      options.update(:group => (@current_group || :default))
+      ::Guard.add_guard(name.to_s.downcase.to_sym, @watchers, @callbacks, options)
     end
 
     def watch(pattern, &action)
-      @watchers << { :pattern => pattern, :action => action }
+      @watchers << ::Guard::Watcher.new(pattern, action)
     end
 
     def callback(*args, &listener)
diff --git a/lib/guard/guard.rb b/lib/guard/guard.rb
index 4c17bb4..acd4ddd 100644
--- a/lib/guard/guard.rb
+++ b/lib/guard/guard.rb
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ module Guard
 
     attr_accessor :watchers, :options, :group
 
-    def initialize(watchers = [], options = {}, group = nil)
+    def initialize(watchers = [], options = {})
+      @group = options.delete(:group) || :default
       @watchers, @options = watchers, options
-      @group ||= :default
     end
 
     # Guardfile template needed inside guard gem
diff --git a/spec/guard/dsl_spec.rb b/spec/guard/dsl_spec.rb
index 09ed540..3af3d69 100644
--- a/spec/guard/dsl_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/guard/dsl_spec.rb
@@ -204,41 +204,41 @@ describe Guard::Dsl do
 
   describe "#group" do
     it "evaluates only the specified string group" do
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:pow, [], [], {}, :default)
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], {}, :w)
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:pow, [], [], { :group => :default })
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], { :group => :w })
 
       subject.evaluate_guardfile(:guardfile_contents => valid_guardfile_string, :group => ['w'])
     end
 
     it "evaluates only the specified symbol group" do
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:pow, [], [], {}, :default)
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], {}, :w)
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:pow, [], [], { :group => :default })
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], { :group => :w })
 
       subject.evaluate_guardfile(:guardfile_contents => valid_guardfile_string, :group => [:w])
     end
 
     it "evaluates only the specified groups" do
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:pow, [], [], {}, :default)
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:rspec, [], [], {}, :x)
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:ronn, [], [], {}, :x)
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:less, [], [], {}, :y)
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:pow, [], [], { :group => :default })
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:rspec, [], [], { :group => :x })
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:ronn, [], [], { :group => :x })
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:less, [], [], { :group => :y })
 
       subject.evaluate_guardfile(:guardfile_contents => valid_guardfile_string, :group => [:x, :y])
     end
 
     it "evaluates always guard outside any group (even when a group is given)" do
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:pow, [], [], {}, :default)
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], {}, :w)
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:pow, [], [], { :group => :default })
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], { :group => :w })
 
       subject.evaluate_guardfile(:guardfile_contents => valid_guardfile_string, :group => [:w])
     end
 
     it "evaluates all groups when no group option is specified" do
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:pow, [], [], {}, :default)
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], {}, :w)
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:rspec, [], [], {}, :x)
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:ronn, [], [], {}, :x)
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:less, [], [], {}, :y)
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:pow, [], [], { :group => :default })
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], { :group => :w })
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:rspec, [], [], { :group => :x })
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:ronn, [], [], { :group => :x })
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:less, [], [], { :group => :y })
 
       subject.evaluate_guardfile(:guardfile_contents => valid_guardfile_string)
     end
@@ -246,31 +246,31 @@ describe Guard::Dsl do
 
   describe "#guard" do
     it "loads a guard specified as a quoted string from the DSL" do
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], {}, :default)
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], { :group => :default })
 
       subject.evaluate_guardfile(:guardfile_contents => "guard 'test'")
     end
 
     it "loads a guard specified as a double quoted string from the DSL" do
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], {}, :default)
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], { :group => :default })
 
       subject.evaluate_guardfile(:guardfile_contents => 'guard "test"')
     end
 
     it "loads a guard specified as a symbol from the DSL" do
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], {}, :default)
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], { :group => :default })
 
       subject.evaluate_guardfile(:guardfile_contents => "guard :test")
     end
 
     it "loads a guard specified as a symbol and called with parens from the DSL" do
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], {}, :default)
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], { :group => :default })
 
       subject.evaluate_guardfile(:guardfile_contents => "guard(:test)")
     end
 
     it "receives options when specified, from normal arg" do
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], { :opt_a => 1, :opt_b => 'fancy' }, :default)
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:test, [], [], { :opt_a => 1, :opt_b => 'fancy', :group => :default })
 
       subject.evaluate_guardfile(:guardfile_contents => "guard 'test', :opt_a => 1, :opt_b => 'fancy'")
     end
@@ -278,12 +278,12 @@ describe Guard::Dsl do
 
   describe "#watch" do
     it "should receive watchers when specified" do
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:dummy, anything, anything, {}, :default) do |name, watchers, callbacks, options, group|
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:dummy, anything, anything, { :group => :default }) do |name, watchers, callbacks, options|
         watchers.size.should == 2
-        watchers[0][:pattern].should     == 'a'
-        watchers[0][:action].call.should == proc { 'b' }.call
-        watchers[1][:pattern].should     == 'c'
-        watchers[1][:action].should == nil
+        watchers[0].pattern.should     == 'a'
+        watchers[0].action.call.should == proc { 'b' }.call
+        watchers[1].pattern.should     == 'c'
+        watchers[1].action.should == nil
       end
       subject.evaluate_guardfile(:guardfile_contents => "
       guard :dummy do
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ describe Guard::Dsl do
         end
       end
 
-      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:dummy, anything, anything, {}, :default) do |name, watchers, callbacks, options, group|
+      ::Guard.should_receive(:add_guard).with(:dummy, anything, anything, { :group => :default }) do |name, watchers, callbacks, options|
         callbacks.should have(2).items
         callbacks[0][:events].should   == :start_end
         callbacks[0][:listener].call(Guard::Dummy, :start_end, 'foo').should == "Guard::Dummy executed 'start_end' hook with foo!"
diff --git a/spec/guard_spec.rb b/spec/guard_spec.rb
index 4f3579e..1a556b4 100644
--- a/spec/guard_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/guard_spec.rb
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ describe Guard do
 
     context "with no watchers given" do
       it "gives an empty array of watchers" do
-        @guard_rspec_class.should_receive(:new).with([], {}, nil).and_return(@guard_rspec)
+        @guard_rspec_class.should_receive(:new).with([], {}).and_return(@guard_rspec)
 
         Guard.add_guard(:rspec, [])
       end
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ describe Guard do
 
     context "with watchers given" do
       it "give the watchers array" do
-        @guard_rspec_class.should_receive(:new).with([:foo], {}, nil).and_return(@guard_rspec)
+        @guard_rspec_class.should_receive(:new).with([:foo], {}).and_return(@guard_rspec)
 
         Guard.add_guard(:rspec, [:foo])
       end
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ describe Guard do
 
     context "with no options given" do
       it "gives an empty hash of options" do
-        @guard_rspec_class.should_receive(:new).with([], {}, nil).and_return(@guard_rspec)
+        @guard_rspec_class.should_receive(:new).with([], {}).and_return(@guard_rspec)
 
         Guard.add_guard(:rspec, [], [], {})
       end
@@ -122,17 +122,9 @@ describe Guard do
 
     context "with options given" do
       it "give the options hash" do
-        @guard_rspec_class.should_receive(:new).with([], { :foo => true }, nil).and_return(@guard_rspec)
+        @guard_rspec_class.should_receive(:new).with([], { :foo => true, :group => :backend }).and_return(@guard_rspec)
 
-        Guard.add_guard(:rspec, [], [], { :foo => true })
-      end
-    end
-
-    context "with the group :backend given" do
-      it "initialize the guard and pass it its group" do
-        @guard_rspec_class.should_receive(:new).with([], {}, :backend).and_return(@guard_rspec)
-
-        Guard.add_guard(:rspec, [], [], {}, :backend)
+        Guard.add_guard(:rspec, [], [], { :foo => true, :group => :backend })
       end
     end
   end