diff --git a/spec/fixtures/log4js.json b/spec/fixtures/log4js.json
index 40a06ad..3a4e54a 100644
--- a/spec/fixtures/log4js.json
+++ b/spec/fixtures/log4js.json
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 {
-  appenders: [
+  "appenders": [
     { 
-      category: "tests", 
-      type: "file", 
-      filename: "tmp-tests.log", 
-      layout: { 
-        type: "messagePassThrough" 
+      "category": "tests", 
+      "type": "file", 
+      "filename": "tmp-tests.log", 
+      "layout": { 
+        "type": "messagePassThrough" 
       } 
     }
   ],
   
-  levels: {
+  "levels": {
     "tests":  "WARN"
   }
 }
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/with-logLevelFilter.json b/spec/fixtures/with-logLevelFilter.json
index 1c36614..c1ac2cd 100644
--- a/spec/fixtures/with-logLevelFilter.json
+++ b/spec/fixtures/with-logLevelFilter.json
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
 {
-  appenders: [
+  "appenders": [
     { 
-      category: "tests", 
-      type: "logLevelFilter",
-      level: "WARN",
-      appender: {
-        type: "file",
-        filename: "tmp-tests-warnings.log", 
-        layout: { 
-          type: "messagePassThrough" 
+      "category": "tests", 
+      "type": "logLevelFilter",
+      "level": "WARN",
+      "appender": {
+        "type": "file",
+        "filename": "tmp-tests-warnings.log", 
+        "layout": { 
+          "type": "messagePassThrough" 
         } 
       }
     },
     { 
-      category: "tests", 
-      type: "file",
-      filename: "tmp-tests.log", 
-      layout: { 
-        type: "messagePassThrough" 
+      "category": "tests", 
+      "type": "file",
+      "filename": "tmp-tests.log", 
+      "layout": { 
+        "type": "messagePassThrough" 
       } 
     }
   ],
   
-  levels: {
+  "levels": {
     "tests":  "DEBUG"
   }
 }
diff --git a/spec/spec.logging.js b/spec/spec.logging.js
index 269f3fd..87ef185 100644
--- a/spec/spec.logging.js
+++ b/spec/spec.logging.js
@@ -1,20 +1,9 @@
 fs = require('fs'), events = require('events');
 
-waitForWriteAndThenRead = function (filename) {
-  //here's the tricky part - writes are asynchronous
-  //so I'm going to make a promise, wait a bit and then
-  //try to read the file.
-  var content, promise = new events.Promise();
-  promise.addCallback(function() {
-    content = posix.readFileSync(filename);    
-  });
-  setTimeout(function() {
-    promise.emitSuccess();
-  }, 0);
-  
-  promise.wait();
-  return content;
-}
+waitForWriteAndThenReadFile = function (filename) {
+  process.loop();
+  return fs.readFileSync(filename);
+};
 
 describe 'log4js'
   before_each 
@@ -145,7 +134,7 @@ describe 'log4js'
     before
       log4js.clearAppenders();
       try {
-        posix.unlink('./tmp-tests.log').wait();
+        fs.unlinkSync('./tmp-tests.log');
       } catch(e) {
         print('Could not delete tmp-tests.log: '+e.message);
       }
@@ -155,8 +144,7 @@ describe 'log4js'
       log4js.addAppender(log4js.fileAppender('./tmp-tests.log', log4js.messagePassThroughLayout), 'tests');
       logger.debug('this is a test');
       
-      var content = waitForWriteAndThenRead('./tmp-tests.log');      
-      content.should.be 'this is a test\n'
+      waitForWriteAndThenReadFile('./tmp-tests.log').should.be 'this is a test\n'
     end
   end
   
@@ -185,12 +173,12 @@ describe 'log4js'
     before_each
       log4js.clearAppenders();
       try {
-        posix.unlinkSync('./tmp-tests.log');
+        fs.unlinkSync('./tmp-tests.log');
       } catch(e) {
         print('Could not delete tmp-tests.log: '+e.message);
       }
       try {
-        posix.unlinkSync('./tmp-tests-warnings.log');
+        fs.unlinkSync('./tmp-tests-warnings.log');
       } catch (e) {
         print('Could not delete tmp-tests-warnings.log: '+e.message);
       }
@@ -207,7 +195,7 @@ describe 'log4js'
       
       logger.warn('this should fire an event');
       event.message.should.be 'this should fire an event'
-      waitForWriteAndThenRead('./tmp-tests.log').should.be 'this should fire an event\n'
+      waitForWriteAndThenReadFile('./tmp-tests.log').should.be 'this should fire an event\n'
     end
     
     it 'should handle logLevelFilter configuration'
@@ -219,8 +207,8 @@ describe 'log4js'
       logger.warn('both');
       logger.debug('main');
 
-      waitForWriteAndThenRead('./tmp-tests.log').should.be 'main\nboth\nboth\nmain\n'
-      waitForWriteAndThenRead('./tmp-tests-warnings.log').should.be 'both\nboth\n'
+      waitForWriteAndThenReadFile('./tmp-tests.log').should.be 'main\nboth\nboth\nmain\n'
+      waitForWriteAndThenReadFile('./tmp-tests-warnings.log').should.be 'both\nboth\n'
     end
   end
 end