diff --git a/bin/agent.rb b/bin/agent.rb
index d7cd26860..75f3a9c89 100755
--- a/bin/agent.rb
+++ b/bin/agent.rb
@@ -21,18 +21,19 @@ class Agent < LogStash::Net::MessageClient
   end # def initialize
 
   def start_log_watcher
-    Thread.new do
+    @t1 = Thread.new do
       File::Tail::Since.new("/var/log/messages").tail do |line|
         line.chomp!
         index("linux-syslog", line)
       end
     end
 
-    Thread.new do
+    @t2 = Thread.new do
       File::Tail::Since.new("/b/access").tail do |line|
         line.chomp!
         index("httpd-access", line)
       end
+        exit
     end
   end # def start_log_watcher
 
diff --git a/lib/net/common.rb b/lib/net/common.rb
index 3b4ccf2c0..b9a9fb23f 100644
--- a/lib/net/common.rb
+++ b/lib/net/common.rb
@@ -25,3 +25,11 @@ class String
 
   alias_method :checksum, :adler32
 end # class String
+
+# EventMachine uses ruby1.8 (not in 1.9) function Thread#kill!,
+# so let's fake it.
+class Thread
+  def kill!(*args)
+    kill
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/net/message.rb b/lib/net/message.rb
index 8ab812bf0..a271aef17 100644
--- a/lib/net/message.rb
+++ b/lib/net/message.rb
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@ module BindToHash
     if value.is_a?(String)
       (0 .. value.length - 1).each do |i|
         break if !value[i]
-        if value[i] >= 128
+        # ruby 1.9 String#[] returns a string, 1.8 returns an int
+        # force an int.
+        if value[i].to_i >= 128
           value[i] = ""
         end
       end
diff --git a/lib/net/socket.rb b/lib/net/socket.rb
index 8e53c953b..9f0c5c0bc 100644
--- a/lib/net/socket.rb
+++ b/lib/net/socket.rb
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ module LogStash; module Net
 
         name = msg.class.name.split(":")[-1]
         func = "#{name}Handler"
-        if @handler.respond_to?(func):
+        if @handler.respond_to?(func)
           #operation = lambda do 
             #@handler.send(func, msg) do |response|
               #sendmsg(response)