diff --git a/test/fixtures/scripts/log-string-exception.js b/test/fixtures/scripts/log-string-exception.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1015a9802
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/scripts/log-string-exception.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+ * log-string-exceptions.js: A test fixture for logging string exceptions in winston.
+ *
+ * (C) 2011 Charlie Robbins
+ * MIT LICENCE
+ *
+ */
+
+var path = require('path'),
+    winston = require('../../../lib/winston');
+
+var logger = new (winston.Logger)({
+  transports: [
+    new (winston.transports.File)({
+      filename: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'logs', 'string-exception.log'),
+      handleExceptions: true
+    })
+  ]
+});
+
+logger.handleExceptions();
+
+setTimeout(function () {
+  throw 'OMG NEVER DO THIS STRING EXCEPTIONS ARE AWFUL';
+}, 1000);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/helpers.js b/test/helpers.js
index 9747ac26a..079d08dbe 100644
--- a/test/helpers.js
+++ b/test/helpers.js
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ var assert = require('assert'),
     spawn = require('child_process').spawn,
     util = require('util'),
     vows = require('vows'),
-    winston = require('../lib/winston');    
-    
+    winston = require('../lib/winston');
+
 var helpers = exports;
 
 helpers.size = function (obj) {
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ helpers.size = function (obj) {
       size++;
     }
   }
-  
+
   return size;
 };
 
@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ helpers.assertHandleExceptions = function (options) {
       helpers.assertProcessInfo(data.process);
       helpers.assertOsInfo(data.os);
       helpers.assertTrace(data.trace);
+      if (options.message) {
+        assert.equal('uncaughtException: ' + options.message, data.message);
+      }
     }
   }
 }
@@ -137,24 +140,24 @@ helpers.testSyslogLevels = function (transport, assertMsg, assertFn) {
 
 helpers.testLevels = function (levels, transport, assertMsg, assertFn) {
   var tests = {};
-  
+
   Object.keys(levels).forEach(function (level) {
     var test = {
       topic: function () {
         transport.log(level, 'test message', {}, this.callback.bind(this, null));
       }
     };
-   
+
     test[assertMsg] = assertFn;
     tests['with the ' + level + ' level'] = test;
   });
-  
+
   var metadatatest = {
     topic: function () {
       transport.log('info', 'test message', { metadata: true }, this.callback.bind(this, null));
     }
   };
-  
+
   metadatatest[assertMsg] = assertFn;
   tests['when passed metadata'] = metadatatest;
 
@@ -167,7 +170,7 @@ helpers.testLevels = function (levels, transport, assertMsg, assertFn) {
   primmetadatatest[assertMsg] = assertFn;
   tests['when passed primitive metadata'] = primmetadatatest;
 
-  var circmetadata = { }; 
+  var circmetadata = { };
   circmetadata['metadata'] = circmetadata;
 
   var circmetadatatest = {
diff --git a/test/log-exception-test.js b/test/log-exception-test.js
index 164dcdfdf..eafdf4091 100644
--- a/test/log-exception-test.js
+++ b/test/log-exception-test.js
@@ -26,11 +26,16 @@ vows.describe('winston/logger/exceptions').addBatch({
         script: path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'scripts', 'default-exceptions.js'),
         logfile: path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'logs', 'default-exception.log')
       }),
+      "when strings are thrown as errors": helpers.assertHandleExceptions({
+        script: path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'scripts', 'log-string-exception.js'),
+        logfile: path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'logs', 'string-exception.log'),
+        message: 'OMG NEVER DO THIS STRING EXCEPTIONS ARE AWFUL'
+      }),
       "when a custom exitOnError function is set": {
         topic: function () {
           var that = this,
               scriptDir = path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'scripts');
-          
+
           that.child = spawn('node', [path.join(scriptDir, 'exit-on-error.js')]);
           setTimeout(this.callback.bind(this), 1500);
         },
@@ -45,7 +50,7 @@ vows.describe('winston/logger/exceptions').addBatch({
         var that = this,
             child = spawn('node', [path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'scripts', 'unhandle-exceptions.js')]),
             exception = path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'logs', 'unhandle-exception.log');
-        
+
         helpers.tryUnlink(exception);
         child.on('exit', function () {
           exists(exception, that.callback.bind(this, null));