diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index c87ea9bd..a6949fe1 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 * improve compatibility with state_machine (Alexander Lang)
 * allow false as default value for properties (Matthias Jakel)
 * support for Erlang views (Alexander Lang)
+* don't crash, only warn if couchdb.yml is missing (Alexander Lang)
+* use the therubyracer gem to run view specs instead of relying on a `js` executable (Alexander Lang)
 
 ### 0.6.0
 
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 1001c1c4..c7a9cf9c 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 PATH
   remote: .
   specs:
-    couch_potato (0.6.0)
+    couch_potato (0.7.0.pre.1)
       activemodel
       couchrest (>= 1.0.1)
       json (~> 1.6.0)
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ PATH
 GEM
   remote: http://rubygems.org/
   specs:
-    activemodel (3.1.1)
-      activesupport (= 3.1.1)
+    activemodel (3.2.1)
+      activesupport (= 3.2.1)
       builder (~> 3.0.0)
+    activesupport (3.2.1)
       i18n (~> 0.6)
-    activesupport (3.1.1)
       multi_json (~> 1.0)
     builder (3.0.0)
     couchrest (1.1.2)
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ GEM
       rest-client (~> 1.6.1)
     diff-lcs (1.1.3)
     i18n (0.6.0)
-    json (1.6.1)
+    json (1.6.5)
     libv8 (3.3.10.4)
-    mime-types (1.16)
-    multi_json (1.0.3)
+    mime-types (1.17.2)
+    multi_json (1.0.4)
     rake (0.9.2)
     rest-client (1.6.7)
       mime-types (>= 1.16)
diff --git a/active_support_3_0.lock b/active_support_3_0.lock
index 91d87cf9..dcca7aa1 100644
--- a/active_support_3_0.lock
+++ b/active_support_3_0.lock
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 PATH
   remote: .
   specs:
-    couch_potato (0.6.0)
+    couch_potato (0.7.0.pre.1)
       activemodel
       couchrest (>= 1.0.1)
       json (~> 1.6.0)
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ GEM
       rest-client (~> 1.6.1)
     diff-lcs (1.1.2)
     i18n (0.5.0)
-    json (1.6.1)
+    json (1.6.5)
     libv8 (3.3.10.4)
-    mime-types (1.16)
-    multi_json (1.0.3)
+    mime-types (1.17.2)
+    multi_json (1.0.4)
     rake (0.8.7)
     rest-client (1.6.7)
       mime-types (>= 1.16)
diff --git a/active_support_3_1.lock b/active_support_3_1.lock
index 4a9e58ef..27f05711 100644
--- a/active_support_3_1.lock
+++ b/active_support_3_1.lock
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 PATH
   remote: .
   specs:
-    couch_potato (0.6.0)
+    couch_potato (0.7.0.pre.1)
       activemodel
       couchrest (>= 1.0.1)
       json (~> 1.6.0)
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ GEM
       rest-client (~> 1.6.1)
     diff-lcs (1.1.2)
     i18n (0.6.0)
-    json (1.6.1)
+    json (1.6.5)
     libv8 (3.3.10.4)
-    mime-types (1.16)
+    mime-types (1.17.2)
     multi_json (1.0.3)
     rake (0.9.2)
     rest-client (1.6.7)
diff --git a/active_support_3_2.lock b/active_support_3_2.lock
index 98e7db7c..e51fdca3 100644
--- a/active_support_3_2.lock
+++ b/active_support_3_2.lock
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 PATH
   remote: .
   specs:
-    couch_potato (0.6.0)
+    couch_potato (0.7.0.pre.1)
       activemodel
       couchrest (>= 1.0.1)
       json (~> 1.6.0)
diff --git a/lib/couch_potato/railtie.rb b/lib/couch_potato/railtie.rb
index 1280b894..58f1e5e3 100644
--- a/lib/couch_potato/railtie.rb
+++ b/lib/couch_potato/railtie.rb
@@ -3,13 +3,18 @@
 
 module CouchPotato
   def self.rails_init
-    config = YAML::load(ERB.new(File.read(Rails.root.join('config/couchdb.yml'))).result)[Rails.env]
-    if config.is_a?(String)
-      CouchPotato::Config.database_name = config
+    path = Rails.root.join('config/couchdb.yml')
+    if File.exist?(path)
+      config = YAML::load(ERB.new(File.read(path)).result)[Rails.env]
+      if config.is_a?(String)
+        CouchPotato::Config.database_name = config
+      else
+        CouchPotato::Config.database_name = config['database']
+        CouchPotato::Config.split_design_documents_per_view = config['split_design_documents_per_view'] if config['split_design_documents_per_view']
+        CouchPotato::Config.default_language = config['default_language'] if config['default_language']
+      end
     else
-      CouchPotato::Config.database_name = config['database']
-      CouchPotato::Config.split_design_documents_per_view = config['split_design_documents_per_view'] if config['split_design_documents_per_view']
-      CouchPotato::Config.default_language = config['default_language'] if config['default_language']
+      Rails.logger.warn "Rails.root/config/couchdb.yml does not exist. Not configuring a database."
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/railtie_spec.rb b/spec/railtie_spec.rb
index 92fde5e8..fbae44ff 100644
--- a/spec/railtie_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/railtie_spec.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ module Rails
   def self.env
     'test'
   end
+
   class Railtie
     def self.initializer(*args)
     end
@@ -14,6 +15,10 @@ def self.initializer(*args)
   def self.root
     RSpec::Mocks::Mock.new :join => ''
   end
+
+  def self.logger
+    RSpec::Mocks::Mock.new :warn => nil
+  end
 end
 
 require 'couch_potato/railtie'
@@ -29,6 +34,22 @@ def self.root
     CouchPotato::Config.default_language = @default_language
   end
 
+  before(:each) do
+    File.stub(exist?: true)
+  end
+
+  context 'when the yml file does not exist' do
+    before(:each) do
+      File.stub(exist?: false)
+    end
+
+    it 'does not configure the database' do
+      CouchPotato::Config.should_not_receive(:database_name=)
+
+      CouchPotato.rails_init
+    end
+  end
+
   context 'yaml file contains only database names' do
     it "should set the database name from the yaml file" do
       File.stub(:read => "test: test_db")