diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7e9207da033e8..2a7bc1e2b5143 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ make web
 
 ## Change Log
 
+* v0.1.16: Minor restructuring and refactoring (create separate kinesis_util.py)
 * v0.1.14: Fix AWS tokens when creating Elasticsearch client
 * v0.1.11: Add startup/initialization notification for KCL process
 * v0.1.10: Bump version of amazon_kclpy to 1.4.1
diff --git a/localstack/utils/common.py b/localstack/utils/common.py
index 2c58792f78fe6..80f224e58f153 100644
--- a/localstack/utils/common.py
+++ b/localstack/utils/common.py
@@ -49,16 +49,17 @@ def stop(self, quiet=False):
 
 
 class ShellCommandThread (FuncThread):
-    def __init__(self, cmd, params={}, outfile=None, env_vars={}, quiet=True):
+    def __init__(self, cmd, params={}, outfile=None, env_vars={}, stdin=False, quiet=True):
         self.cmd = cmd
         self.process = None
         self.outfile = outfile
+        self.stdin = stdin
         self.env_vars = env_vars
         FuncThread.__init__(self, self.run_cmd, params, quiet=quiet)
 
     def run_cmd(self, params):
         try:
-            self.process = run(self.cmd, async=True, outfile=self.outfile, env_vars=self.env_vars)
+            self.process = run(self.cmd, async=True, stdin=self.stdin, outfile=self.outfile, env_vars=self.env_vars)
             if self.outfile:
                 self.process.wait()
             else:
diff --git a/localstack/utils/kinesis/kinesis_connector.py b/localstack/utils/kinesis/kinesis_connector.py
index cfe2175e8f141..d82a938dfdd84 100755
--- a/localstack/utils/kinesis/kinesis_connector.py
+++ b/localstack/utils/kinesis/kinesis_connector.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 from sh import tail
 from localstack.utils.common import *
 from localstack.utils.kinesis import kclipy_helper
+from localstack.utils.kinesis.kinesis_util import EventFileReaderThread
 from localstack.constants import *
 from localstack.utils.common import ShellCommandThread, FuncThread
 from localstack.utils.aws import aws_stack
@@ -176,49 +177,6 @@ def stop(self, quiet=True):
         self.running = False
 
 
-class EventFileReaderThread(FuncThread):
-    def __init__(self, events_file, callback, ready_mutex=None):
-        FuncThread.__init__(self, self.retrieve_loop, None)
-        self.running = True
-        self.events_file = events_file
-        self.callback = callback
-        self.ready_mutex = ready_mutex
-
-    def retrieve_loop(self, params):
-        sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
-        sock.bind(self.events_file)
-        sock.listen(1)
-        if self.ready_mutex:
-            self.ready_mutex.release()
-        while self.running:
-            try:
-                conn, client_addr = sock.accept()
-                thread = FuncThread(self.handle_connection, conn)
-                thread.start()
-            except Exception, e:
-                LOGGER.error('Error dispatching client request: %s %s' % (e, traceback.format_exc()))
-        sock.close()
-
-    def handle_connection(self, conn):
-        socket_file = conn.makefile()
-        while self.running:
-            line = socket_file.readline()[:-1]
-            if line == '':
-                # end of socket input stream
-                break
-            else:
-                try:
-                    records = json.loads(line)
-                    self.callback(records)
-                except Exception, e:
-                    LOGGER.warning("Unable to process JSON line: '%s': %s. Callback: %s" %
-                        (truncate(line), traceback.format_exc(), self.callback))
-        conn.close()
-
-    def stop(self, quiet=True):
-        self.running = False
-
-
 class KclLogListener(object):
     def __init__(self, regex='.*'):
         self.regex = regex
diff --git a/localstack/utils/kinesis/kinesis_util.py b/localstack/utils/kinesis/kinesis_util.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f30766039e1cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/localstack/utils/kinesis/kinesis_util.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import json
+import socket
+import traceback
+import logging
+from localstack.utils.common import FuncThread
+
+# set up local logger
+LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class EventFileReaderThread(FuncThread):
+    def __init__(self, events_file, callback, ready_mutex=None):
+        FuncThread.__init__(self, self.retrieve_loop, None)
+        self.running = True
+        self.events_file = events_file
+        self.callback = callback
+        self.ready_mutex = ready_mutex
+
+    def retrieve_loop(self, params):
+        sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+        sock.bind(self.events_file)
+        sock.listen(1)
+        if self.ready_mutex:
+            self.ready_mutex.release()
+        while self.running:
+            try:
+                conn, client_addr = sock.accept()
+                thread = FuncThread(self.handle_connection, conn)
+                thread.start()
+            except Exception, e:
+                LOGGER.error('Error dispatching client request: %s %s' % (e, traceback.format_exc()))
+        sock.close()
+
+    def handle_connection(self, conn):
+        socket_file = conn.makefile()
+        while self.running:
+            line = socket_file.readline()[:-1]
+            if line == '':
+                # end of socket input stream
+                break
+            else:
+                try:
+                    records = json.loads(line)
+                    self.callback(records)
+                except Exception, e:
+                    LOGGER.warning("Unable to process JSON line: '%s': %s. Callback: %s" %
+                        (truncate(line), traceback.format_exc(), self.callback))
+        conn.close()
+
+    def stop(self, quiet=True):
+        self.running = False
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 024bc173ebec6..2f615d2bb29a8 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def run(self):
 
     setup(
         name='localstack',
-        version='0.1.15',
+        version='0.1.16',
         description='Provides an easy-to-use test/mocking framework for developing Cloud applications',
         author='Waldemar Hummer (Atlassian)',
         author_email='waldemar.hummer@gmail.com',