diff --git a/lib/mongrel.rb b/lib/mongrel.rb
index 6c935b3..9c6c551 100644
--- a/lib/mongrel.rb
+++ b/lib/mongrel.rb
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ class HttpParams < Hash
   # hold your breath until Ruby 1.9 is actually finally useful.
   class HttpServer
     attr_reader :acceptor
-    attr_reader :workers
     attr_reader :classifier
     attr_reader :host
     attr_reader :port
@@ -101,7 +100,7 @@ def initialize(host, port, num_processors=950, throttle=0, timeout=60)
       @classifier = URIClassifier.new
       @host = host
       @port = port
-      @workers = ThreadGroup.new
+      @workers = []
       @throttle = throttle / 100.0
       @num_processors = num_processors
       @timeout = timeout
@@ -215,11 +214,11 @@ def process_client(client)
     # currently servicing.  It returns the count of workers still active
     # after the reap is done.  It only runs if there are workers to reap.
     def reap_dead_workers(reason='unknown')
-      if @workers.list.length > 0
-        STDERR.puts "#{Time.now}: Reaping #{@workers.list.length} threads for slow workers because of '#{reason}'"
+      if workers.length > 0
+        STDERR.puts "#{Time.now}: Reaping #{workers.length} threads for slow workers because of '#{reason}'"
         error_msg = "Mongrel timed out this thread: #{reason}"
         mark = Time.now
-        @workers.list.each do |worker|
+        workers.each do |worker|
           worker[:started_on] = Time.now if not worker[:started_on]
 
           if mark - worker[:started_on] > @timeout + @throttle
@@ -229,7 +228,7 @@ def reap_dead_workers(reason='unknown')
         end
       end
 
-      return @workers.list.length
+      return workers.length
     end
 
     # Performs a wait on all the currently running threads and kills any that take
@@ -238,7 +237,7 @@ def reap_dead_workers(reason='unknown')
     # that much longer.
     def graceful_shutdown
       while reap_dead_workers("shutdown") > 0
-        STDERR.puts "Waiting for #{@workers.list.length} requests to finish, could take #{@timeout + @throttle} seconds."
+        STDERR.puts "Waiting for #{workers.length} requests to finish, could take #{@timeout + @throttle} seconds."
         sleep @timeout / 10
       end
     end
@@ -280,17 +279,15 @@ def run
               if defined?($tcp_cork_opts) and $tcp_cork_opts
                 client.setsockopt(*$tcp_cork_opts) rescue nil
               end
-  
-              worker_list = @workers.list
-  
-              if worker_list.length >= @num_processors
-                STDERR.puts "Server overloaded with #{worker_list.length} processors (#@num_processors max). Dropping connection."
+
+              if workers.length >= @num_processors
+                STDERR.puts "Server overloaded with #{workers.length} processors (#@num_processors max). Dropping connection."
                 client.close rescue nil
                 reap_dead_workers("max processors")
               else
                 thread = Thread.new(client) {|c| process_client(c) }
                 thread[:started_on] = Time.now
-                @workers.add(thread)
+                @workers << thread
   
                 sleep @throttle if @throttle > 0
               end
@@ -356,6 +353,11 @@ def stop(synchronous=false)
       end
     end
 
+    def workers
+      @workers.delete_if { |th| !th.alive? }
+      @workers
+    end
+
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/lib/mongrel/handlers.rb b/lib/mongrel/handlers.rb
index 8b8d5f6..331de8e 100644
--- a/lib/mongrel/handlers.rb
+++ b/lib/mongrel/handlers.rb
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ def initialize(ops={})
 
     def process(request, response)
       if rand(@sample_rate)+1 == @sample_rate
-        @processors.sample(listener.workers.list.length)
+        @processors.sample(listener.workers.length)
         @headcount.sample(request.params.length)
         @reqsize.sample(request.body.length / 1024.0)
         @respsize.sample((response.body.length + response.header.out.length) / 1024.0)
diff --git a/test/test_ws.rb b/test/test_ws.rb
index d239e18..f80e4ce 100644
--- a/test/test_ws.rb
+++ b/test/test_ws.rb
@@ -17,6 +17,16 @@ def process(request, response)
   end
 end
 
+class ThreadSpawnHandler < Mongrel::HttpHandler
+  attr_reader :ran_test
+
+  def process(request, response)
+    20.times { Thread.new{ sleep 5 } }
+    @ran_test = true
+    response.socket.write("HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\nContent-Type: text/plain\r\n\r\nhello!\n")
+  end
+end
+
 
 class WebServerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
@@ -29,7 +39,9 @@ def setup
     end
     
     @tester = TestHandler.new
+    @threads = ThreadSpawnHandler.new
     @server.register("/test", @tester)
+    @server.register("/threads", @threads)
     redirect_test_io do
       @server.run 
     end
@@ -105,6 +117,16 @@ def test_num_processors_overload
     end
   end
 
+  def test_thread_spawn
+    thread_spawn_request = "GET /threads HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: www.zedshaw.com\r\nContent-Type: text/plain\r\n\r\n"
+    redirect_test_io do
+      assert_nothing_raised do
+        do_test(thread_spawn_request, 1)
+        do_test(thread_spawn_request, 1)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_file_streamed_request
     body = "a" * (Mongrel::Const::MAX_BODY * 2)
     long = "GET /test HTTP/1.1\r\nContent-length: #{body.length}\r\n\r\n" + body