diff --git a/lib/log4js.js b/lib/log4js.js
index 9efd0a8..1cbac33 100644
--- a/lib/log4js.js
+++ b/lib/log4js.js
@@ -286,61 +286,106 @@ function consoleAppender (layout) {
  */
 function fileAppender (file, layout, logSize, numBackups, filePollInterval) {
     layout = layout || layouts.basicLayout;
-    var logFile = fs.createWriteStream(file, { flags: 'a', mode: 0644, encoding: 'utf8' });
+    numBackups = numBackups || 5;
+    filePollInterval = filePollInterval * 1000 || 30000;
+
+    function setupLogRolling () {
+        fs.watchFile(
+            file,
+            {
+                persistent: false,
+                interval: filePollInterval
+            },
+            function (curr, prev) {
+                if (curr.size >= logSize) {
+                    rollThatLog();
+                }
+            }
+        );
+    }
+
+    function rollThatLog () {
+        //roll the backups (rename file.n-1 to file.n, where n <= numBackups)
+        for (var i=numBackups; i > 0; i--) {
+            if (i > 1) {
+                if (fileExists(file + '.' + (i-1))) {
+                    console.debug("Renaming " + file + '.' + (i-1) + ' -> ' + file + '.' + i);
+                    fs.renameSync(file+'.'+(i-1), file+'.'+i);
+                }
+            } else {
+                console.debug("Renaming " + file + " -> " + file + ".1");
+                fs.renameSync(file, file+'.1');
+            }
+        }
+        //let's make a new file
+        var newLogFileFD = fs.openSync(file, 'a', 0644)
+      , oldLogFileFD = logFile.fd;
+        console.debug("made a new logFile ", newLogFileFD);
+        logFile.fd = newLogFileFD;
+        console.debug("closing old log file fd ", oldLogFileFD);
+        fs.close(oldLogFileFD);
+    }
+
+    function fileExists (filename) {
+        try {
+            fs.statSync(filename);
+            return true;
+        } catch (e) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    function openTheStream() {
+        console.debug("Creating the write Stream with file ", file);
+        var stream = fs.createWriteStream(file, { flags: 'a', mode: 0644, encoding: 'utf8' });
+        stream.on("open", function() {
+            canWrite = true;
+            console.debug("Stream is open, writing %d buffered events", logEventBuffer.length);
+            while (logEventBuffer.length > 0 && canWrite) {
+                canWrite = writeToLog(logEventBuffer.shift());
+            }
+        });
+        stream.on("error", function (err) {
+            console.error("Error happened ", err);
+        });
+        stream.on("drain", function() {
+            canWrite = true;
+            while (logEventBuffer.length > 0 && canWrite) {
+                canWrite = writeToLog(logEventBuffer.shift());
+            }
+        });
+        return stream;
+    }
+
+
+    var logEventBuffer = []
+  , canWrite = false
+  , logFile = openTheStream();
 
     if (logSize > 0) {
-        setupLogRolling(logFile, file, logSize, numBackups || 5, (filePollInterval * 1000) || 30000);
+        setupLogRolling();
     }
 
     //close the file on process exit.
     process.on('exit', function() {
+        console.debug("Buffer contains %d events", logEventBuffer.length);
         logFile.end();
+        logFile.destroy();
     });
 
+    function writeToLog(loggingEvent) {
+	return logFile.write(layout(loggingEvent)+'\n', "utf8");
+    }
+
     return function(loggingEvent) {
-	logFile.write(layout(loggingEvent)+'\n');
-    };
-}
-
-function setupLogRolling (logFile, filename, logSize, numBackups, filePollInterval) {
-    fs.watchFile(
-        filename,
-        {
-            persistent: false,
-            interval: filePollInterval
-        },
-        function (curr, prev) {
-            if (curr.size >= logSize) {
-                rollThatLog(logFile, filename, numBackups);
-            }
-        }
-    );
-}
-
-function rollThatLog (logFile, filename, numBackups) {
-    //first close the current one.
-    logFile.end();
-    //roll the backups (rename file.n-1 to file.n, where n <= numBackups)
-    for (var i=numBackups; i > 0; i--) {
-        if (i > 1) {
-            if (fileExists(filename + '.' + (i-1))) {
-                fs.renameSync(filename+'.'+(i-1), filename+'.'+i);
-            }
+        //because the log stream is opened asynchronously, we don't want to write
+        //until it is ready.
+        if (canWrite) {
+            canWrite = writeToLog(loggingEvent);
         } else {
-            fs.renameSync(filename, filename+'.1');
+            logEventBuffer.push(loggingEvent);
         }
-    }
-    //open it up again
-    logFile = fs.createWriteStream(filename, { flags: 'a', mode: 0644, encoding: "utf8" });
-}
-
-function fileExists (filename) {
-    try {
-        fs.statSync(filename);
-        return true;
-    } catch (e) {
-        return false;
-    }
+    };
 }
 
 function configure (configurationFileOrObject) {