diff --git a/middleware.js b/middleware.js
index f5e1d87..420e5ba 100644
--- a/middleware.js
+++ b/middleware.js
@@ -61,18 +61,6 @@ module.exports = function(options) {
     options = { src: options };
   }
 
-  var sassMiddlewareError = null;
-  var cachedErrorCb = options.error;
-
-  // This function will be called if something goes wrong
-  var error = function(err) {
-    if (cachedErrorCb) {
-      cachedErrorCb(err);
-    }
-
-    sassMiddlewareError = err;
-  };
-
   // Source directory (required)
   var src = options.src || function() {
     throw new Error('sass.middleware() requires "src" directory.');
@@ -109,6 +97,21 @@ module.exports = function(options) {
 
   // Middleware
   return function sass(req, res, next) {
+    var sassMiddlewareError = null;
+
+    // This function will be called if something goes wrong
+    var error = function(err, errorMessage) {
+      if (debug) {
+        log('error', 'error', errorMessage || err);
+      }
+
+      if (options.error) {
+        options.error(err);
+      }
+
+      sassMiddlewareError = err;
+    };
+
     if (req.method != 'GET' && req.method != 'HEAD') {
       return next();
     }
@@ -141,8 +144,6 @@ module.exports = function(options) {
 
     // When render is done, respond to the request accordingly
     var done = function(err, result) {
-      var data;
-
       if (err) {
         var file = sassPath;
         if (err.file && err.file != 'stdin') {
@@ -150,15 +151,13 @@ module.exports = function(options) {
         }
 
         var fileLineColumn = file + ':' + err.line + ':' + err.column;
-        data = err.message.replace(/^ +/, '') + '\n\nin ' + fileLineColumn;
-        if (debug) log('error', 'error', '\x07\x1B[31m' + data + '\x1B[91m');
-
-        error(err);
+        var errorMessage = '\x07\x1B[31m' + err.message.replace(/^ +/, '') + '\n\nin ' + fileLineColumn + '\x1B[91m';
 
+        error(err, errorMessage);
         return next(err);
       }
 
-      data = result.css;
+      var data = result.css;
 
       if (debug) {
         log('debug', 'render', options.response ? '<response>' : sassPath);
@@ -188,7 +187,7 @@ module.exports = function(options) {
         res.end(data);
       }
 
-      // If response is falsey, also write to file
+      // If response is true, do not write to file
       if (options.response) {
         return doneWriting();
       }
@@ -198,12 +197,14 @@ module.exports = function(options) {
 
       mkdirp(dirname(cssPath), '0700', function(err) {
         if (err) {
-          return error(err);
+          error(err);
+          cssDone = true;
+          return doneWriting();
         }
 
         fs.writeFile(cssPath, data, 'utf8', function(err) {
           if (err) {
-            return error(err);
+            error(err);
           }
 
           cssDone = true;
@@ -215,13 +216,16 @@ module.exports = function(options) {
         var sourceMapPath = this.options.sourceMap;
         mkdirp(dirname(sourceMapPath), '0700', function(err) {
           if (err) {
-            return error(err);
+            error(err);
+            sourceMapDone = true;
+            return doneWriting();
           }
 
           fs.writeFile(sourceMapPath, result.map, 'utf8', function(err) {
             if (err) {
-              return error(err);
+              error(err);
             }
+
             sourceMapDone = true;
             doneWriting();
           });
@@ -265,18 +269,18 @@ module.exports = function(options) {
 
     // Compare mtimes
     fs.stat(sassPath, function(err, sassStats) {
-      if (err) {
-        error(err);
+      if (err) { // sassPath can't be accessed, nothing to compile
         return next();
       }
 
       fs.stat(cssPath, function(err, cssStats) {
-        if (err) { // CSS has not been compiled, compile it!
-          if ('ENOENT' === err.code) {
-            if (debug) { log('error', 'not found', cssPath); }
+        if (err) {
+          if ('ENOENT' === err.code) { // CSS has not been compiled, compile it!
+            if (debug) { log('debug', 'not found', cssPath); }
             return compile();
           }
 
+          error(err);
           return next(err);
         }
 
diff --git a/test/middleware.js b/test/middleware.js
index 85cdba6..bd610ce 100644
--- a/test/middleware.js
+++ b/test/middleware.js
@@ -33,22 +33,34 @@ describe('Creating middleware', function() {
 
 });
 
-describe('Log messages', function() {
-  it('should use the default logger when none provided', function(done) {
+
+var spawnedServer;
+
+describe('Spawning example server', function() {
+  it('starts the server', function(done) {
     var serverStartupTimeout = 950;
-    var expected = '  \u001b[90msource:\u001b[0m \u001b[36m' + index_scssFile + '\u001b[0m';
-    var bin = spawn('node', [fixture('example-server.js')]);
+    spawnedServer = spawn('node', [fixture('example-server.js')]);
 
     // exclude serverStartupTimeout from timeout and slow counters of test runs
     this.timeout(this.timeout() + serverStartupTimeout);
     this.slow(this.slow() + serverStartupTimeout);
 
     setTimeout(function() {
-      http.request({ method: 'GET', host: 'localhost', port: '8000', path: '/index.css' })
-          .end();
+      (spawnedServer.killed).should.be.false();
+      (spawnedServer.exitCode === null).should.be.true();
+      done();
     }, serverStartupTimeout);
+  });
+});
 
-    bin.stderr.once('data', function(data) {
+describe('Log messages', function() {
+  it('should use the default logger when none provided', function(done) {
+    var expected = '  \u001b[90msource:\u001b[0m \u001b[36m' + index_scssFile + '\u001b[0m';
+
+    http.request({ method: 'GET', host: 'localhost', port: process.env.PORT || '8000', path: '/index.css' })
+        .end();
+
+    spawnedServer.stderr.once('data', function(data) {
       data.toString().should.startWith(expected);
       done();
     });
@@ -578,3 +590,19 @@ describe('Checking for http headers', function() {
   });
 
 });
+
+describe('Killing example server', function() {
+  it('stops the server', function(done) {
+    spawnedServer.kill();
+    var serverShutdownTimeout = 500;
+
+    // exclude serverStartupTimeout from timeout and slow counters of test runs
+    this.timeout(this.timeout() + serverShutdownTimeout);
+    this.slow(this.slow() + serverShutdownTimeout);
+
+    setTimeout(function() {
+      (spawnedServer.killed).should.be.true();
+      done();
+    }, serverShutdownTimeout);
+  });
+});