diff --git a/plugins/wordriver/popcorn.wordriver.js b/plugins/wordriver/popcorn.wordriver.js
index 640f8cf2e..e69a973cd 100755
--- a/plugins/wordriver/popcorn.wordriver.js
+++ b/plugins/wordriver/popcorn.wordriver.js
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@
       _teardown: function( options ) {
 
         // removes word span from generated container
-        options._container.removeChild( options.word );
+        options.word.parentNode && options._container.removeChild( options.word );
 
         // if no more word spans exist in container, remove container
         container[ options.target ] &&
diff --git a/plugins/wordriver/popcorn.wordriver.unit.js b/plugins/wordriver/popcorn.wordriver.unit.js
index 6dcc4b285..1cc8e90f9 100755
--- a/plugins/wordriver/popcorn.wordriver.unit.js
+++ b/plugins/wordriver/popcorn.wordriver.unit.js
@@ -40,11 +40,19 @@ test( "Popcorn wordriver Plugin", function () {
 		text: "world",
 		target: "wordriverdiv",
 		color: "blue"
-  })
-  .volume(0);
+  });
 
   secondTrack = popped.getLastTrackEventId();
 
+  popped.wordriver({
+		start: 20, // seconds
+		end: 24, // seconds
+		text: "nothing here",
+		target: "wordriverdiv",
+		color: "green"
+  })
+  .volume(0);
+
   popped.exec( 0, function() {
     equals( wordriverdiv.children[0].childElementCount, 1, "wordriverdiv now has one inner element" );
     plus();
@@ -82,7 +90,7 @@ test( "Popcorn wordriver Plugin", function () {
     plus();
 
     popped.pause().removeTrackEvent( secondTrack );
-    equals( wordriverdiv.childElementCount, 0, "wordriverdiv now has no inner element" );
+    equals( wordriverdiv.childElementCount, 0, "wordriverdiv now has no inner element, even though one still exists, but was never called" );
     plus();
   });