diff --git a/lib/rb/spec/binaryprotocol_spec.rb b/lib/rb/spec/binaryprotocol_spec.rb
index b85f096..2d5b375 100644
--- a/lib/rb/spec/binaryprotocol_spec.rb
+++ b/lib/rb/spec/binaryprotocol_spec.rb
@@ -13,17 +13,28 @@
     end
 
     it "should read a message header" do
-      @prot.should_receive(:read_i32).and_return(protocol_class.const_get(:VERSION_1) | Thrift::MessageTypes::REPLY, 42)
+      @trans.should_receive(:read_all).exactly(2).times.and_return(
+        [protocol_class.const_get(:VERSION_1) | Thrift::MessageTypes::REPLY].pack('N'),
+        [42].pack('N')
+      )      
       @prot.should_receive(:read_string).and_return('testMessage')
       @prot.read_message_begin.should == ['testMessage', Thrift::MessageTypes::REPLY, 42]
     end
 
     it "should raise an exception if the message header has the wrong version" do
-      @prot.should_receive(:read_i32).and_return(42)
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i32).and_return(-1)
       lambda { @prot.read_message_begin }.should raise_error(Thrift::ProtocolException, 'Missing version identifier') do |e|
         e.type == Thrift::ProtocolException::BAD_VERSION
       end
     end
+
+    it "should raise an exception if the message header does not exist and strict_read is enabled" do
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i32).and_return(42)
+      @prot.should_receive(:strict_read).and_return(true)
+      lambda { @prot.read_message_begin }.should raise_error(Thrift::ProtocolException, 'No version identifier, old protocol client?') do |e|        
+        e.type == Thrift::ProtocolException::BAD_VERSION
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe BinaryProtocolFactory do
diff --git a/lib/rb/spec/binaryprotocol_spec_shared.rb b/lib/rb/spec/binaryprotocol_spec_shared.rb
index 78e2ccb..1d685b6 100644
--- a/lib/rb/spec/binaryprotocol_spec_shared.rb
+++ b/lib/rb/spec/binaryprotocol_spec_shared.rb
@@ -6,15 +6,37 @@
     @prot = protocol_class.new(@trans)
   end
 
-  it "should define the proper VERSION_1 and VERSION_MASK" do
+  it "should define the proper VERSION_1, VERSION_MASK AND TYPE_MASK" do
     protocol_class.const_get(:VERSION_MASK).should == 0xffff0000
     protocol_class.const_get(:VERSION_1).should == 0x80010000
+    protocol_class.const_get(:TYPE_MASK).should == 0x000000ff
   end
 
+  it "should make strict_read readable" do
+    @prot.strict_read.should eql(true)
+  end
+
+  it "should make strict_write readable" do
+    @prot.strict_write.should eql(true)
+  end    
+
   it "should write the message header" do
     @prot.write_message_begin('testMessage', Thrift::MessageTypes::CALL, 17)
     @trans.read(1000).should == [protocol_class.const_get(:VERSION_1) | Thrift::MessageTypes::CALL, "testMessage".size, "testMessage", 17].pack("NNa11N")
   end
+  
+  it "should write the message header without version when writes are not strict" do
+    @prot = protocol_class.new(@trans, true, false) # no strict write
+    @prot.write_message_begin('testMessage', Thrift::MessageTypes::CALL, 17)
+    @trans.read(1000).should == "\000\000\000\vtestMessage\001\000\000\000\021"
+  end
+  
+  it "should write the message header with a version when writes are strict" do
+    @prot = protocol_class.new(@trans) # strict write
+    @prot.write_message_begin('testMessage', Thrift::MessageTypes::CALL, 17)
+    @trans.read(1000).should == "\200\001\000\001\000\000\000\vtestMessage\000\000\000\021"
+  end
+  
 
   # message footer is a noop