diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index e9b483d..959e10d 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -87,10 +87,8 @@ class TaskKitTask {
     return results;
   }
 
+  // tasks should override process to do any work:
   process(input, output, options) {
-    if (!options) {
-      options = {};
-    }
     return;
   }
 
@@ -112,17 +110,14 @@ class TaskKitTask {
       const chunks = [];
       contents.on('error', (err) => {
         this.log(['error'], err);
-        this.emit('end');
+        reject(err);
       });
       contents.on('data', (data) => { chunks.push(data); });
       contents.on('close', () => resolve(Buffer.concat(chunks).toString()));
     });
     const output = path.join(this.options.dist || '', filename);
     const outputDir = path.dirname(output);
-
-    if (!outputDir) {
-      return;
-    }
+    // mkdirp will create any output directory if it doesn't exist:
     await mkdirp(outputDir);
     await this.writeFile(output, contents);
     let numericSize;
diff --git a/test/test.runkit-task.js b/test/test.runkit-task.js
index 3f15d30..e57483b 100644
--- a/test/test.runkit-task.js
+++ b/test/test.runkit-task.js
@@ -99,6 +99,24 @@ test('execute -- will not fire if no items / files passed', async(t) => {
   t.pass();
 });
 
+test('execute -- will warn if no items / files passed', async(t) => {
+  const task = new TaskKitTask('test', {
+  }, {});
+  task.process = () => {
+    t.fail();
+  };
+  task.log = (tags, input) => {
+    t.equal(tags[0], 'warning');
+    t.equal(input, 'No input files, skipping');
+    t.end();
+  };
+  try {
+    await task.execute();
+  } catch (e) {
+    // do nothing
+  }
+});
+
 test('execute -- can be disabled', async(t) => {
   class DisabledTask extends TaskKitTask {
     process() {
@@ -174,6 +192,24 @@ test('writes when contents is stream', async(t) => {
   t.end();
 });
 
+test('logs and throw error if there is a stream error', async(t) => {
+  const task = new TaskKitTask('test', {
+    dist: 'test/dist',
+    items: {
+    }
+  }, {});
+  task.log = (tags) => {
+    t.equal(tags[0], 'error');
+  };
+  try {
+    await task.write('stream.txt', fs.createReadStream(`${__dirname}/fixtures/doesNotExist.txt`));
+    t.fail();
+  } catch (e) {
+    t.notEqual(e.toString().indexOf('no such file or directory'), -1);
+    t.end();
+  }
+});
+
 test('will warn if sizeThreshold is specified and is exceeded  ', async(t) => {
   const oldLog = console.log;
   const results = [];
@@ -280,5 +316,32 @@ test('writeMany files to dist directory ', async(t) => {
   t.equal(data2.toString(), 'contents2');
 });
 
-test('can override logger');
+test('use the taskkit logger if provided', (t) => {
+  const task = new TaskKitTask('test', {
+    dist: 'test/dist',
+  }, {
+    logger: (input) => {
+      t.end();
+    }
+  });
+  task.log();
+});
+
+test('warns if write called with empty content', async(t) => {
+  // t.plan(2);
+  const task = new TaskKitTask('test', {
+    dist: 'test/dist',
+  }, {
+    logger: (tags, input) => {
+      t.equal(tags[0], 'warning');
+      t.equal(input.startsWith('attempting to write empty string to file'), true);
+    }
+  });
+  try {
+    await task.write('file', undefined);
+  } catch (e) {
+    t.end();
+  }
+});
+
 test('can pass in full config');