diff --git a/spec/test_utils.rb b/spec/test_utils.rb
index bc5ec1289..8161f11c8 100644
--- a/spec/test_utils.rb
+++ b/spec/test_utils.rb
@@ -25,33 +25,33 @@ end
 module LogStash
   module RSpec
     def config(configstr)
-      @config_str = configstr
+      let(:config) { configstr }
     end # def config
 
     def type(default_type)
-      @default_type = default_type
+      let(:default_type) { default_type }
     end
     
     def tags(*tags)
-      @default_tags = tags
+      let(:default_tags) { tags }
       puts "Setting default tags: #{@default_tags}"
     end
 
-    def sample(event, &block)
-      pipeline = LogStash::Pipeline.new(@config_str)
-
-      name = event.is_a?(String) ? event : event.to_json
+    def sample(sample_event, &block)
+      name = sample_event.is_a?(String) ? sample_event : sample_event.to_json
       name = name[0..50] + "..." if name.length > 50
 
       describe "\"#{name}\"" do
-        before :each do
-          # Coerce to an array of LogStash::Event
-          event = [event] unless event.is_a?(Array)
-          event = event.collect do |e| 
+        let(:pipeline) { LogStash::Pipeline.new(config) }
+        let(:event) do
+          sample_event = [sample_event] unless sample_event.is_a?(Array)
+          next sample_event.collect do |e|
             e = { "message" => e } if e.is_a?(String)
             next LogStash::Event.new(e)
           end
+        end
 
+        let(:results) do
           results = []
           count = 0
           pipeline.instance_eval { @filters.each(&:register) }
@@ -66,19 +66,19 @@ module LogStash
 
           # TODO(sissel): pipeline flush needs to be implemented.
           #results += pipeline.flush
-          @results = results
-        end # before :all
+          next results
+        end
+
+        subject { results.length > 1 ? results: results.first }
 
-        subject { @results.length > 1 ? @results: @results.first }
         it("when processed", &block)
       end
     end # def sample
 
     def input(&block)
-      config_str = @config_str
       it "inputs" do
         queue = Queue.new
-        pipeline = LogStash::Pipeline.new(config_str)
+        pipeline = LogStash::Pipeline.new(config)
         #(class << pipeline; self; end).send(:define_method, :output) do |event|
           #p :event => event
           #queue << event
@@ -94,11 +94,10 @@ module LogStash
       require "logstash/pipeline"
 
       # scoping is hard, let's go shopping!
-      config_str = @config_str
       describe "agent(#{@agent_count}) #{caller[1]}" do
         before :each do
           start = ::Time.now
-          pipeline = LogStash::Pipeline.new(config_str)
+          pipeline = LogStash::Pipeline.new(config)
           pipeline.run
           @duration = ::Time.now - start
         end