diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 02e5b3d..d75e719 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 source :rubygems
 
+gemspec
+
 group :development, :test do
   gem 'rake'
 end
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 9b23505..5230a7c 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -1,10 +1,18 @@
+PATH
+  remote: .
+  specs:
+    diskcached (1.1.0)
+
 GEM
   remote: http://rubygems.org/
   specs:
     diff-lcs (1.1.3)
+    json (1.8.1)
     memcached (1.4.3)
     multi_json (1.3.6)
     rake (0.9.2.2)
+    rdoc (4.1.1)
+      json (~> 1.4)
     redcarpet (2.1.1)
     rspec (2.11.0)
       rspec-core (~> 2.11.0)
@@ -18,15 +26,19 @@ GEM
       multi_json (~> 1.0)
       simplecov-html (~> 0.5.3)
     simplecov-html (0.5.3)
+    timecop (0.7.1)
     yard (0.8.2.1)
 
 PLATFORMS
   ruby
 
 DEPENDENCIES
+  diskcached!
   memcached
   rake
+  rdoc
   redcarpet
   rspec
   simplecov
+  timecop
   yard
diff --git a/diskcached.gemspec b/diskcached.gemspec
index 18d0801..83810f9 100644
--- a/diskcached.gemspec
+++ b/diskcached.gemspec
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.add_development_dependency "rspec"
   s.add_development_dependency "simplecov"
   s.add_development_dependency "rdoc"
+  s.add_development_dependency "timecop"
  
   s.files        = Dir.glob("lib/**/*") + %w(README.md HISTORY.md Benchmark.md Gemfile Rakefile)
   s.require_path = 'lib'
diff --git a/lib/diskcached.rb b/lib/diskcached.rb
index 2d1281f..2249c60 100644
--- a/lib/diskcached.rb
+++ b/lib/diskcached.rb
@@ -114,22 +114,18 @@ def set key, value
   #   which exist and aren't expired, it raises
   #   Diskcache::NotFound if none are available
   def get key
-    begin
-      if key.is_a? Array
-        hash = {}
-        key.each do |k|
-          hash[k] = Marshal::load(read_cache_file(k)) unless expired?(k)
-        end
-        flush_expired if gc_auto
-        return hash unless hash.empty?
-      else
-        flush_expired if gc_auto
-        return Marshal::load(read_cache_file(key)) unless expired?(key)
+    if key.is_a? Array
+      hash = {}
+      key.each do |k|
+        hash[k] = Marshal::load(read_cache_file(k)) unless expired?(k)
       end
-      raise Diskcached::NotFound
-    rescue
-      raise Diskcached::NotFound
+      flush_expired if gc_auto
+      return hash unless hash.empty?
+    else
+      flush_expired if gc_auto
+      return Marshal::load(read_cache_file(key)) unless expired?(key)
     end
+    raise Diskcached::NotFound
   end
 
   # returns path to cache file with 'key'
diff --git a/spec/diskcached_spec.rb b/spec/diskcached_spec.rb
index 2c1fd2e..48eeec4 100644
--- a/spec/diskcached_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/diskcached_spec.rb
@@ -1,148 +1,187 @@
 require 'spec_helper.rb'
+require 'tmpdir'
+require 'timecop'
 
+Timecop.safe_mode = true
 
 describe Diskcached do
+  before(:each) do
+    # tests should be independent, so let's use a new cache for each one
+    @cache_dir = File.join(Dir.mktmpdir, "cache")          
+  end
+    
   describe '#new' do
     it "should init" do
       expect { @cache = Diskcached.new }.to_not raise_error
     end
+    
     it "should init with 'store'" do
-      expect { @cache = Diskcached.new('/tmp/rspec/cache') }.to_not raise_error
-      @cache.store.should eq '/tmp/rspec/cache'
+      expect { @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir) }.to_not raise_error
+      @cache.store.should eq @cache_dir
     end
+    
     it "should init with 'store' and 'timeout'" do
-      expect { @cache = Diskcached.new('/tmp/rspec/cache', 10) }.to_not raise_error
+      expect { @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, 10) }.to_not raise_error
       @cache.timeout.should eq 10
     end
+    
     it "should init with 'store', 'timeout' and 'gc_auto'" do
-      expect { @cache = Diskcached.new('/tmp/rspec/cache', 10, false) }.to_not raise_error
+      expect { @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, 10, false) }.to_not raise_error
       @cache.gc_auto.should be_false
     end
+    
     it "should set 'gc_time' to nil if 'timeout' is nil" do
-      expect { @cache = Diskcached.new('/tmp/rspec/cache', nil) }.to_not raise_error
+      expect { @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, nil) }.to_not raise_error
       @cache.gc_time.should be_nil
     end
+    
     it "should set 'gc_last' to nil if 'timeout' is nil" do
-      expect { @cache = Diskcached.new('/tmp/rspec/cache', nil) }.to_not raise_error
+      expect { @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, nil) }.to_not raise_error
       @cache.gc_last.should be_nil
     end
+    
     it "should set 'gc_auto' to false if 'timeout' is nil" do
-      expect { @cache = Diskcached.new('/tmp/rspec/cache', nil) }.to_not raise_error
+      expect { @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, nil) }.to_not raise_error
       @cache.gc_auto.should be_false
     end
+    
     it "should create cache dir if it doesn't exist" do
-      File.directory?('/tmp/rspec/cache').should be_true
+      File.directory?(@cache_dir).should_not be_true
+      Diskcached.new(@cache_dir)
+      File.directory?(@cache_dir).should be_true
     end
   end
 
   describe "#set", "(alias #add, #replace)" do
-    before(:all) do
-      @cache = Diskcached.new("/tmp/rspec/cache")
+    before(:each) do
+      @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir)
     end
+
     it "should create a new cache" do
       @cache.set('test1', "test string").should be_true
     end
+
     it "should create a file on disk" do
-      File.exists?("/tmp/rspec/cache/test1.cache").should be_true
+      @cache.set('test1', "test string")
+      File.exists?(File.join(@cache_dir, "test1.cache")).should be_true
     end
   end
 
   describe "#get", "single" do
-    before(:all) do
-      @cache = Diskcached.new("/tmp/rspec/cache", 0.5)
+    before(:each) do
+      @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, 10)       # 0.5 doesn't work here -- we don't have subsecond resolution...
+      @cache.set('test1', "test string")
     end
+
     it "should read cache before expiration" do
-      @cache.get('test1').should eq "test string"
-      @cache.get('test1').should be_a_kind_of String
+      Timecop.freeze(Time.now + 5) do
+        test1 = @cache.get('test1')
+        test1.should eq "test string"
+        test1.should be_a_kind_of String
+      end
     end
+
     it "should expire correctly" do
-      sleep 0.51
-      expect { @cache.get('test1') }.to raise_error /Diskcached::NotFound/
+      Timecop.freeze(Time.now + 15) do
+        expect { @cache.get('test1') }.to raise_error /Diskcached::NotFound/
+      end
     end
   end
 
   describe "#get", "multiple" do
-    before(:all) do
-      @cache = Diskcached.new("/tmp/rspec/cache", 0.5)
+    before(:each) do
+      @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, 10)        # 0.5 doesn't work here -- we don't have subsecond resolution...
       @cache.set('test1', "test string")
-      @cache.set('test2', "test string")
+      @cache.set('test2', "test string")      
     end
-    it "should read multiple caches into a Hash" do
+    
+    it "should read multiple caches into a Hash" do      
       @cache.get(['test1', 'test2']).should be_a_kind_of Hash
       @cache.get(['test1', 'test2']).keys.count.should eq 2
       @cache.get(['test1', 'test2'])['test1'].should eq "test string"
     end
+    
     it "should expire correctly" do
-      sleep 0.51
-      expect { @cache.get(['test1', 'test2']) }.to raise_error /Diskcached::NotFound/
+      Timecop.freeze(Time.now + 15) do
+        expect { @cache.get(['test1', 'test2']) }.to raise_error /Diskcached::NotFound/
+      end
     end
   end
 
   describe "#cache" do
-    before(:all) do
-      @cache = Diskcached.new("/tmp/rspec/cache", 0.5)
-    end
-    it "should create a new cache" do
+    before(:each) do
+      @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, 10)
+      
       @cache.cache('test1') do
         "test string"
       end.should eq "test string"
-      File.exists?("/tmp/rspec/cache/test1.cache").should be_true
     end
-    it "should create a file on disk" do
-      File.exists?("/tmp/rspec/cache/test1.cache").should be_true
+    
+    it "should create a new cache" do
+      File.exist?(File.join(@cache_dir, "test1.cache")).should be_true
     end
+    
     it "should read cache before expiration" do
       @cache.cache('test1').should eq "test string"
       @cache.cache('test1').should be_a_kind_of String
     end
+    
     it "should expire correctly" do
-      sleep 0.51
-      @cache.cache('test1') do
-        "new test string"
-      end.should eq "new test string"
+      Timecop.freeze(Time.now + 15) do
+        expect { @cache.get('test1') }.to raise_error /Diskcached::NotFound/
+      end      
     end
+    
     it "should return nil if no block is passed and cache is expired" do
-      sleep 0.51 
-      @cache.cache('test1').should be_nil
+      Timecop.freeze(Time.now + 15) do
+        @cache.cache('test1').should be_nil
+      end
     end
   end
 
   describe "#expired?" do
-    before(:all) do
-      @cache = Diskcached.new("/tmp/rspec/cache", 0.1)
+    before(:each) do
+      @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, 10)
       @cache.cache('test2') { "cache test2" }
     end
+    
     it "should be false" do
       @cache.expired?('test2').should be_false
     end
+    
     it "should be true" do
-      sleep 0.11
-      @cache.expired?('test2').should be_true
+      Timecop.freeze(Time.now + 15) do
+        @cache.expired?('test2').should be_true
+      end
     end
   end
   
   describe "#delete" do
-    before(:all) do
-      @cache = Diskcached.new("/tmp/rspec/cache")
+    before(:each) do
+      @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir)
       @cache.cache('test3') { "cache test3" }
     end
+    
     it "should expire cache" do
       @cache.expired?('test3').should be_false
       expect { @cache.delete('test3') }.to_not raise_error
       @cache.expired?('test3').should be_true
     end
+    
     it "should remove cache file" do
-      File.exists?("/tmp/rspec/cache/test3.cache").should be_false
+      expect { @cache.delete('test3') }.to_not raise_error      
+      File.exists?(File.join(@cache_dir, "test3.cache")).should be_false
     end
   end
 
   describe "#flush" do
-    before(:all) do
-      @cache = Diskcached.new("/tmp/rspec/cache")
+    before(:each) do
+      @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir)
       @cache.cache('test4') { "cache test4" }
       @cache.cache('test5') { "cache test5" }
       @cache.cache('test6') { "cache test6" }
     end
+    
     it "should expire all caches" do
       @cache.expired?('test4').should be_false
       @cache.expired?('test5').should be_false
@@ -152,75 +191,87 @@
       @cache.expired?('test5').should be_true
       @cache.expired?('test6').should be_true
     end
+    
     it "should remove all cache files" do
-      Dir['/tmp/rspec/cache/*.cache'].should be_empty
+      expect { @cache.flush }.to_not raise_error      
+      Dir[File.join(@cache_dir, '*.cache')].should be_empty
     end
   end
 
   describe "#flush_expired" do
-    before(:all) do
-      @cache = Diskcached.new("/tmp/rspec/cache", 0.5)
+    before(:each) do
+      @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, 10)
       @cache.cache('flush1') { "cache flush" }
     end
+    
     it "should not flush caches that aren't expired" do
       @cache.expired?('flush1').should be_false
       expect { @cache.flush_expired }.to_not raise_error
       @cache.expired?('flush1').should be_false
     end
+    
     it "should not flush caches if caches recently flushed" do
-      sleep 0.5
-      @cache.expired?('flush1').should be_true
-      @cache.instance_variable_set(:@gc_last, Time.now)
-      expect { @cache.flush_expired }.to_not raise_error
-      File.exists?('/tmp/rspec/cache/flush1.cache').should be_true
-    end
+      Timecop.freeze(Time.now + 15) do
+        @cache.expired?('flush1').should be_true
+        @cache.instance_variable_set(:@gc_last, Time.now)
+        expect { @cache.flush_expired }.to_not raise_error
+        File.exists?(File.join(@cache_dir, 'flush1.cache')).should be_true
+      end
+    end
+    
     it "should flush caches are are expired" do
-      sleep 0.5
-      expect { @cache.flush_expired }.to_not raise_error
-      @cache.expired?('flush1').should be_true
-      File.exists?('/tmp/rspec/cache/flush1.cache').should be_false
+      Timecop.freeze(Time.now + 15) do
+        expect { @cache.flush_expired }.to_not raise_error
+        @cache.expired?('flush1').should be_true
+        File.exists?(File.join(@cache_dir, 'flush1.cache')).should be_false
+      end
     end
   end
 
   describe "#flush_expired!" do
-    before(:all) do
-      @cache = Diskcached.new("/tmp/rspec/cache", 0.5)
+    before(:each) do
+      @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, 10)
       @cache.cache('flush1') { "cache flush" }
     end
+    
     it "should not flush caches that aren't expired" do
       @cache.expired?('flush1').should be_false
       expect { @cache.flush_expired! }.to_not raise_error
       @cache.expired?('flush1').should be_false
     end
+    
     it "should flush caches even when recently flushed" do
-      sleep 0.5
-      @cache.expired?('flush1').should be_true
-      @cache.instance_variable_set(:@gc_last, Time.now)
-      expect { @cache.flush_expired! }.to_not raise_error
-      File.exists?('/tmp/rspec/cache/flush1.cache').should be_false
+      Timecop.freeze(Time.now + 15) do
+        @cache.expired?('flush1').should be_true
+        @cache.instance_variable_set(:@gc_last, Time.now)
+        expect { @cache.flush_expired! }.to_not raise_error
+        File.exists?(File.join(@cache_dir, "flush1.cache")).should be_false
+      end
     end
   end
 
   describe "#cache_file" do
-    before(:all) do
-      @cache = Diskcached.new("/tmp/rspec/cache")
+    before(:each) do
+      @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir)
     end
+    
     it "should build cache path" do
-      @cache.cache_file("test7").should eq "/tmp/rspec/cache/test7.cache"
+      @cache.cache_file("test7").should eq File.join(@cache_dir, "test7.cache")
     end
   end
 
   describe "automatic garbage collection ON" do
-    before(:all) do
-      @cache = Diskcached.new("/tmp/rspec/cache", 0.5)
+    before(:each) do
+      @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, 1)
       @cache.cache('test8') { "cache test8" }
       @cache.cache('test9') { "cache test9" }
       @cache.cache('test10') { "cache test10" }
     end
+    
     it "should clean up expired caches" do
-      sleep 0.51
+      sleep 1
       expect { @cache.cache('test10') { "cache test10" } }.to_not raise_error
-      sleep 0.1
+      sleep 1
       File.exists?(@cache.cache_file('test8')).should be_false
       File.exists?(@cache.cache_file('test9')).should be_false
       File.exists?(@cache.cache_file('test10')).should be_true
@@ -228,16 +279,17 @@
   end
 
   describe "automatic garbage collection OFF" do
-    before(:all) do
-      @cache = Diskcached.new("/tmp/rspec/cache", 0.5, false)
+    before(:each) do
+      @cache = Diskcached.new(@cache_dir, 1, false)
       @cache.cache('test8') { "cache test8" }
       @cache.cache('test9') { "cache test9" }
       @cache.cache('test10') { "cache test10" }
     end
+    
     it "should not clean up expired caches" do
-      sleep 0.51
+      sleep 1
       expect { @cache.cache('test10') { "cache test10" } }.to_not raise_error
-      sleep 0.1
+      sleep 1
       File.exists?(@cache.cache_file('test8')).should be_true
       File.exists?(@cache.cache_file('test9')).should be_true
       File.exists?(@cache.cache_file('test10')).should be_true
@@ -247,8 +299,9 @@
 end
 
 describe Diskcached, "advanced test cases" do
-  before(:all) do
-    @cache = Diskcached.new('/tmp/rspec/cache')
+  before(:each) do
+    # tests should be independent, so let's use a new cache for each one    
+    @cache = Diskcached.new(File.join(Dir.mktmpdir, "cache"))
     @testo = TestObject.new
   end
 
@@ -301,6 +354,7 @@
     @cache.get('object1').should be_a_kind_of TestSubObject
     @cache.get('object1').sub_foo.should eq "foo"
   end
+  
   it "should cache modified objects" do
     @cache.delete('object')
     @cache.cache('object') do 
@@ -311,6 +365,7 @@
     @cache.cache('object').should be_a_kind_of TestSubObject
     @cache.cache('object').sub_bar.should eq 'bar'
   end 
+  
   it "should cache complex objects" do
     # might be redundant, but tests more complexity
     @cache.delete('object')
@@ -320,5 +375,4 @@
     @cache.cache('object').hash.should be_a_kind_of Hash
     @cache.cache('object').obj.should be_a_kind_of TestSubObject
   end
-
 end