diff --git a/test_whisper.py b/test_whisper.py
index 49a92376..56a29054 100755
--- a/test_whisper.py
+++ b/test_whisper.py
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ def test_aggregate(self):
         with AssertRaisesException(whisper.InvalidAggregationMethod('Unrecognized aggregation method derp')):
             whisper.aggregate('derp', [12, 2, 3123, 1])
 
-    def _test_create_IOError(self, ioerror_method='write', e=errno.ENOSPC):
+    def _test_create_exception(self, exception_method='write', e=None):
         """
         Behaviour when creating a whisper file on a full filesystem
         """
@@ -195,12 +195,15 @@ def _test_create_IOError(self, ioerror_method='write', e=errno.ENOSPC):
         # Get the mocked file object and override interresting attributes
         m_file = m_open.return_value
         m_file.name = self.filename
-        method = getattr(m_file, ioerror_method)
-        method.side_effect = IOError(e, "Mocked IOError - ENOSPC")
+        method = getattr(m_file, exception_method)
+
+        if not e:
+          e = IOError(errno.ENOSPC, "Mocked IOError")
+        method.side_effect = e
 
         with patch('whisper.open', m_open, create=True):
           with patch('os.unlink') as m_unlink:
-            self.assertRaises(IOError, whisper.create, self.filename, self.retention)
+            self.assertRaises(e.__class__, whisper.create, self.filename, self.retention)
 
         return (m_file, m_unlink)
 
@@ -208,24 +211,31 @@ def test_create_write_ENOSPC(self):
         """
         Behaviour when creating a whisper file on a full filesystem (write)
         """
-        (m_file, m_unlink) = self._test_create_IOError('write')
+        (m_file, m_unlink) = self._test_create_exception('write')
         m_unlink.assert_called_with(self.filename)
 
     def test_create_close_ENOSPC(self):
         """
         Behaviour when creating a whisper file on a full filesystem (close)
         """
-        (m_file, m_unlink) = self._test_create_IOError('close')
+        (m_file, m_unlink) = self._test_create_exception('close')
         m_unlink.assert_called_with(self.filename)
 
     def test_create_close_EIO(self):
         """
-        Behaviour when creating a whisper file and getting an I/O error
+        Behaviour when creating a whisper file and getting an I/O error (EIO)
+        """
+        (m_file, m_unlink) = self._test_create_exception('close', e=IOError(errno.EIO))
+        self.assertTrue(m_unlink.called)
+
+    def test_create_close_exception(self):
+        """
+        Behaviour when creating a whisper file and getting a generic exception
         """
-        (m_file, m_unlink) = self._test_create_IOError('close', e=errno.EIO)
+        (m_file, m_unlink) = self._test_create_exception('close', e=Exception("boom!"))
+        # Must not call os.unlink on exception other than IOError
         self.assertFalse(m_unlink.called)
 
-	    
     def test_create_and_info(self):
         """
         Create a db and use info() to validate
diff --git a/whisper.py b/whisper.py
index a38ac00a..0d53c004 100644
--- a/whisper.py
+++ b/whisper.py
@@ -420,9 +420,9 @@ def create(path,archiveList,xFilesFactor=None,aggregationMethod=None,sparse=Fals
       # Explicitly close the file to catch IOError on close()
       fh.close()
     except IOError, e:
-      # Cleanup after ourself if there's no space left on device
-      if e.errno == ENOSPC:
-        os.unlink(fh.name)
+      # if we got an IOError above, the file is either empty or half created.
+      # Better off deleting it to avoid surprises later
+      os.unlink(fh.name)
       raise