diff --git a/lib/capsulecd/ruby/ruby_engine.rb b/lib/capsulecd/ruby/ruby_engine.rb
index 30a1ff9..eca2f00 100644
--- a/lib/capsulecd/ruby/ruby_engine.rb
+++ b/lib/capsulecd/ruby/ruby_engine.rb
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ def build_step
         super
         gemspec_path = CapsuleCD::Ruby::RubyHelper.get_gemspec_path(@source_git_local_path)
 
-        # check for/create required VERSION file
-        gemspec_data = CapsuleCD::Ruby::RubyHelper.load_gemspec_data(gemspec_path)
+        # check for required VERSION file
+        gemspec_data = CapsuleCD::Ruby::RubyHelper.get_gemspec_data(@source_git_local_path)
 
-        if !gemspec_data || !File.exist?(CapsuleCD::Ruby::RubyHelper.version_filepath(@source_git_local_path, gemspec_data.name))
+        if !File.exist?(CapsuleCD::Ruby::RubyHelper.version_filepath(@source_git_local_path, gemspec_data.name))
           fail CapsuleCD::Error::BuildPackageInvalid, 'version.rb file is required to process Ruby gem'
         end
 
diff --git a/lib/capsulecd/ruby/ruby_helper.rb b/lib/capsulecd/ruby/ruby_helper.rb
index d3a340e..f7ab35a 100644
--- a/lib/capsulecd/ruby/ruby_helper.rb
+++ b/lib/capsulecd/ruby/ruby_helper.rb
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ def self.get_gemspec_data(repo_path)
         self.load_gemspec_data(self.get_gemspec_path(repo_path))
       end
 
+      ##################################################################################################################
+      # protected/private methods.
+
       # since the Gem::Specification class is basically eval'ing the gemspec file, and the gemspec file is doing a require
       # to load the version.rb file, the version.rb file is cached in memory. We're going to try to get around that issue
       # by parsing the gemspec file in a forked process.
@@ -49,9 +52,13 @@ def self.execute_in_child
       end
 
       def self.load_gemspec_data(gemspec_path)
-        return self.execute_in_child do
+        gemspec_data = self.execute_in_child do
           Gem::Specification::load(gemspec_path)
         end
+        if !gemspec_data
+          fail CapsuleCD::Error::BuildPackageInvalid, '*.gemspec could not be parsed.'
+        end
+        return gemspec_data
       end
 
 
diff --git a/spec/lib/capsulecd/ruby/ruby_helper_spec.rb b/spec/lib/capsulecd/ruby/ruby_helper_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1eee3d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/lib/capsulecd/ruby/ruby_helper_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe 'CapsuleCD::Ruby::RubyHelper', :ruby do
+  subject{
+    CapsuleCD::Ruby::RubyHelper
+  }
+  describe '#version_filepath' do
+    it 'default should generate the correct path to version.rb' do
+      expect(subject.version_filepath('/tmp','capsulecd')).to eql('/tmp/lib/capsulecd/version.rb')
+    end
+    it 'with custom version filename should generate the correct path' do
+      expect(subject.version_filepath('/tmp','capsulecd', 'VERSION.rb')).to eql('/tmp/lib/capsulecd/VERSION.rb')
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#get_gemspec_path' do
+    describe 'without a gemspec file' do
+      it 'should raise an error' do
+        expect{subject.get_gemspec_path(test_directory)}.to raise_error(CapsuleCD::Error::BuildPackageInvalid)
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe 'with a valid gemspec file' do
+      it 'should generate correct gemspec path' do
+        FileUtils.copy_entry('spec/fixtures/ruby/gem_analogj_test', test_directory)
+
+        expect(subject.get_gemspec_path(test_directory)).to eql(test_directory + '/gem_analogj_test.gemspec')
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#get_gemspec_data' do
+    it 'should parse gemspec data' do
+      FileUtils.copy_entry('spec/fixtures/ruby/gem_analogj_test', test_directory)
+      gemspec_data = subject.get_gemspec_data(test_directory)
+      expect(gemspec_data.name).to eql('gem_analogj_test')
+      expect(gemspec_data.version.to_s).to eql('0.1.3')
+    end
+
+    describe 'with an invalid gemspec file' do
+      it 'should raise an error' do
+        FileUtils.copy_entry('spec/fixtures/ruby/gem_analogj_test', test_directory)
+        FileUtils.rm(test_directory + '/lib/gem_analogj_test/version.rb')
+
+        expect{subject.get_gemspec_data(test_directory)}.to raise_error(CapsuleCD::Error::BuildPackageInvalid)
+      end
+    end
+
+  end
+
+end