diff --git a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/output_delegator.rb b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/output_delegator.rb
index 6c2b83cab..751523d0d 100644
--- a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/output_delegator.rb
+++ b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/output_delegator.rb
@@ -17,25 +17,35 @@ module LogStash; class OutputDelegator
     @threadsafe = klass.threadsafe?
     @config = args.reduce({}, :merge)
     @klass = klass
-    @worker_count = calculate_worker_count(default_worker_count)
-
-    warn_on_worker_override!
-
-    @worker_queue = SizedQueue.new(@worker_count)
 
     # We define this as an array regardless of threadsafety
-    # to make reporting simpler
-    @workers = @worker_count.times.map do
-      w = @klass.new(*args)
-      w.register
-      @worker_queue << w
-      w
+    # to make reporting simpler, even though a threadsafe plugin will just have
+    # a single instance
+    #
+    # Older plugins invoke the instance method Outputs::Base#workers_not_supported
+    # To detect these we need an instance to be created first :()
+    # TODO: In the next major version after 2.x remove support for this
+    @workers = [@klass.new(*args)]
+    @workers.first.register # Needed in case register calls `workers_not_supported`
+
+    # DO NOT move this statement before the instantiation of the first single instance
+    # Read the note above to understand why
+    @worker_count = calculate_worker_count(default_worker_count)
+    warn_on_worker_override!
+    # This queue is used to manage sharing across threads
+    @worker_queue = SizedQueue.new(@worker_count)
+
+    @workers += (@worker_count - 1).times.map do
+      inst = @klass.new(*args)
+      inst.register
+      inst
     end
 
+    @workers.each { |w| @worker_queue << w }
 
     @events_received = Concurrent::AtomicFixnum.new(0)
 
-    if threadsafe
+    if threadsafe?
       @threadsafe_worker = @workers.first
       self.define_singleton_method(:multi_receive, method(:threadsafe_multi_receive))
     else
@@ -43,18 +53,26 @@ module LogStash; class OutputDelegator
     end
   end
 
+  def threadsafe?
+    !!@threadsafe
+  end
+
   def warn_on_worker_override!
     # The user has configured extra workers, but this plugin doesn't support it :(
-    if @config["workers"] && @config["workers"] > 1 && @klass.workers_not_supported?
-      message = @workers_not_supported_message
+    if worker_limits_overriden?
+      message = @klass.workers_not_supported_message
       if message
-        @logger.warn(I18n.t("logstash.pipeline.output-worker-unsupported-with-message", :plugin => self.class.config_name, :worker_count => @workers, :message => message))
+        @logger.warn(I18n.t("logstash.pipeline.output-worker-unsupported-with-message", :plugin => @klass.config_name, :worker_count => @config["workers"], :message => message))
       else
-        @logger.warn(I18n.t("logstash.pipeline.output-worker-unsupported", :plugin => self.class.config_name, :worker_count => @workers))
+        @logger.warn(I18n.t("logstash.pipeline.output-worker-unsupported", :plugin => @klass.config_name, :worker_count => @config["workers"], :message => message))
       end
     end
   end
 
+  def worker_limits_overriden?
+    @config["workers"] && @config["workers"] > 1 && @klass.workers_not_supported?
+  end
+
   def calculate_worker_count(default_worker_count)
     if @threadsafe || @klass.workers_not_supported?
       1
@@ -71,7 +89,6 @@ module LogStash; class OutputDelegator
     @workers.each {|w| w.register}
   end
 
-  # Threadsafe outputs have a much simpler
   def threadsafe_multi_receive(events)
     @events_received.increment(events.length)
 
@@ -81,6 +98,7 @@ module LogStash; class OutputDelegator
   def worker_multi_receive(events)
     @events_received.increment(events.length)
 
+    @logger.debug("worker queue pop")
     worker = @worker_queue.pop
     begin
       worker.multi_receive(events)
@@ -110,4 +128,16 @@ module LogStash; class OutputDelegator
       @workers.size - @worker_queue.size
     end
   end
+
+  private
+
+  # Needed for tests
+  def threadsafe_worker
+    @threadsafe_worker
+  end
+
+  # Needed for tests
+  def worker_queue
+    @worker_queue
+  end
 end end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/outputs/base.rb b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/outputs/base.rb
index 2be042d66..bc72367e3 100644
--- a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/outputs/base.rb
+++ b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/outputs/base.rb
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class LogStash::Outputs::Base < LogStash::Plugin
   # Note that this setting may not be useful for all outputs.
   config :workers, :validate => :number, :default => 1
 
-  attr_reader :worker_plugins, :available_workers, :workers, :worker_plugins
+  attr_reader :worker_plugins, :available_workers, :workers, :worker_plugins, :workers_not_supported
 
   def self.declare_threadsafe!
     declare_workers_not_supported!
@@ -41,14 +41,20 @@ class LogStash::Outputs::Base < LogStash::Plugin
     @workers_not_supported = true
   end
 
+  def self.workers_not_supported_message
+    @workers_not_supported_message
+  end
+
   def self.workers_not_supported?
-    @workers_not_supported == true
+    !!@workers_not_supported
   end
 
   public
   # TODO: Remove this in the next major version after Logstash 2.x
+  # Post 2.x it should raise an error and tell people to use the class level
+  # declaration
   def workers_not_supported(message=nil)
-    raise ArgumentError, "Outputs::Base#workers_not_supported is no longer a valid part of the logstash API, please use the class method Outputs::Base.declare_workers_not_supported!"
+    self.class.declare_workers_not_supported!(message)
   end
 
   public
diff --git a/logstash-core/spec/logstash/output_delegator_spec.rb b/logstash-core/spec/logstash/output_delegator_spec.rb
index 323ccc636..4c9a2241c 100644
--- a/logstash-core/spec/logstash/output_delegator_spec.rb
+++ b/logstash-core/spec/logstash/output_delegator_spec.rb
@@ -1,51 +1,122 @@
 # encoding: utf-8
 require 'spec_helper'
 
-
-
 describe LogStash::OutputDelegator do
   let(:logger) { double("logger") }
-  let(:out_klass) { double("output klass") }
-  let(:out_inst) { double("output instance") }
+  let(:events) { 7.times.map { LogStash::Event.new }}
+  let(:default_worker_count) { 1 }
 
-  subject { described_class.new(logger, out_klass, 1) }
+  subject { described_class.new(logger, out_klass, default_worker_count) }
 
-  before do
-    allow(out_klass).to receive(:new).with(any_args).and_return(out_inst)
-    allow(out_klass).to receive(:threadsafe?).and_return(false)
-    allow(out_klass).to receive(:workers_not_supported?).and_return(false)
-    allow(out_inst).to receive(:register)
-    allow(logger).to receive(:debug).with(any_args)
-  end
-
-  it "should initialize cleanly" do
-    expect { subject }.not_to raise_error
-  end
-
-  context "after having received a batch of events" do
-    let(:events) { 7.times.map { LogStash::Event.new }}
+  context "with a plain output plugin" do
+    let(:out_klass) { double("output klass") }
+    let(:out_inst) { double("output instance") }
 
     before do
+      allow(out_klass).to receive(:new).with(any_args).and_return(out_inst)
+      allow(out_klass).to receive(:threadsafe?).and_return(false)
+      allow(out_klass).to receive(:workers_not_supported?).and_return(false)
+      allow(out_inst).to receive(:register)
       allow(out_inst).to receive(:multi_receive)
-      subject.multi_receive(events)
+      allow(logger).to receive(:debug).with(any_args)
     end
 
-    it "should pass the events through" do
-      expect(out_inst).to have_received(:multi_receive).with(events)
+    it "should initialize cleanly" do
+      expect { subject }.not_to raise_error
     end
 
-    it "should increment the number of events received" do
-      expect(subject.events_received).to eql(events.length)
+    context "after having received a batch of events" do
+      before do
+        subject.multi_receive(events)
+      end
+
+      it "should pass the events through" do
+        expect(out_inst).to have_received(:multi_receive).with(events)
+      end
+
+      it "should increment the number of events received" do
+        expect(subject.events_received).to eql(events.length)
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "should register all workers on register" do
+      expect(out_inst).to receive(:register)
+      subject.register
+    end
+
+    it "should close all workers when closing" do
+      expect(out_inst).to receive(:do_close)
+      subject.do_close
+    end
+
+    describe "concurrency and worker support" do
+      describe "non-threadsafe outputs that allow workers" do
+        let(:default_worker_count) { 3 }
+
+        before do
+          allow(out_klass).to receive(:threadsafe?).and_return(false)
+          allow(out_klass).to receive(:workers_not_supported?).and_return(false)
+        end
+
+        it "should instantiate multiple workers" do
+          expect(subject.workers.length).to eql(default_worker_count)
+        end
+
+        it "should send received events to the worker" do
+          expect(out_inst).to receive(:multi_receive).with(events)
+          subject.multi_receive(events)
+        end
+      end
+
+      describe "threadsafe outputs" do
+        before do
+          allow(out_klass).to receive(:threadsafe?).and_return(true)
+          allow(out_klass).to receive(:workers_not_supported?).and_return(false)
+        end
+
+        it "should return true when threadsafe? is invoked" do
+          expect(subject.threadsafe?).to eql(true)
+        end
+
+        it "should define a threadsafe_worker" do
+          expect(subject.send(:threadsafe_worker)).to eql(out_inst)
+        end
+
+        it "should utilize threadsafe_multi_receive" do
+          expect(subject.send(:threadsafe_worker)).to receive(:multi_receive).with(events)
+          subject.multi_receive(events)
+        end
+
+        it "should not utilize the worker queue" do
+          expect(subject.send(:worker_queue)).not_to receive(:pop)
+          subject.multi_receive(events)
+        end
+
+        it "should send received events to the worker" do
+          expect(out_inst).to receive(:multi_receive).with(events)
+          subject.multi_receive(events)
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 
-  it "should register all workers on register" do
-    expect(out_inst).to receive(:register)
-    subject.register
+  # This may seem suspiciously similar to the class in outputs/base_spec
+  # but, in fact, we need a whole new class because using this even once
+  # will immutably modify the base class
+  class LogStash::Outputs::NOOPDelLegacyNoWorkers < ::LogStash::Outputs::Base
+    LEGACY_WORKERS_NOT_SUPPORTED_REASON = "legacy reason"
+
+    def register
+      workers_not_supported(LEGACY_WORKERS_NOT_SUPPORTED_REASON)
+    end
   end
 
-  it "should close all workers when closing" do
-    expect(out_inst).to receive(:do_close)
-    subject.do_close
+  describe "legacy output workers_not_supported" do
+    let(:default_worker_count) { 2 }
+    let(:out_klass) { LogStash::Outputs::NOOPDelLegacyNoWorkers }
+
+    it "should only setup one worker" do
+      expect(subject.worker_count).to eql(1)
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/logstash-core/spec/logstash/outputs/base_spec.rb b/logstash-core/spec/logstash/outputs/base_spec.rb
index 59c5a8919..44d49a60b 100644
--- a/logstash-core/spec/logstash/outputs/base_spec.rb
+++ b/logstash-core/spec/logstash/outputs/base_spec.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@ class LogStash::Outputs::NOOP < LogStash::Outputs::Base
   end
 end
 
+class LogStash::Outputs::NOOPLegacyNoWorkers < ::LogStash::Outputs::Base
+  LEGACY_WORKERS_NOT_SUPPORTED_REASON = "legacy reason"
+
+  def register
+    workers_not_supported(LEGACY_WORKERS_NOT_SUPPORTED_REASON)
+  end
+end
+
 describe "LogStash::Outputs::Base#new" do
   it "should instantiate cleanly" do
     params = { "dummy_option" => "potatoes", "codec" => "json", "workers" => 2 }
@@ -24,4 +32,9 @@ describe "LogStash::Outputs::Base#new" do
       LogStash::Outputs::NOOP.new(params.dup)
     end.not_to raise_error
   end
+
+  it "should move workers_not_supported declarations up to the class level" do
+    LogStash::Outputs::NOOPLegacyNoWorkers.new.register
+    expect(LogStash::Outputs::NOOPLegacyNoWorkers.workers_not_supported?).to eql(true)
+  end
 end