diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f979985..bab9d46 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ tmtags
 .\#*
 
 ## VIM
+*.swo
 *.swp
 
 ## PROJECT::GENERAL
diff --git a/lib/bullhorn.rb b/lib/bullhorn.rb
index 04d0478..56f5603 100644
--- a/lib/bullhorn.rb
+++ b/lib/bullhorn.rb
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ class Bullhorn
 
   def initialize(app, options = {})
     @app               = app
-    @api_key           = options[:api_key] || raise(ArgumentError, ":api_key is required")
-    @filters           = Array(options[:filters])
+    @api_key           = options[:api_key] || @@api_key || raise(ArgumentError, ":api_key is required")
+    @filters           = Array(options[:filters] || @@filters)
     @url               = options[:url] || URL
     @ignore_exceptions = Array(options[:ignore_exceptions] || default_ignore_exceptions)
-    @show_code_context = (options[:show_code_context].nil? ? true : options[:show_code_context])
+    @show_code_context = (options[:show_code_context].nil? ? (@@show_code_context || true) : options[:show_code_context])
   end
 
   def call(env)
@@ -50,6 +50,58 @@ def call(env)
     [status, headers, body]
   end
 
+  class << self
+
+    def api_key=(key)
+      @@api_key = key
+    end
+
+    def api_key
+      @@api_key
+    end
+
+    def filters=(val)
+      @@filters = val
+    end
+
+    def filters
+      @@filters
+    end
+
+    def show_code_context=(val)
+      @@show_code_context
+    end
+
+    def show_code_context
+      @@show_code_context
+    end
+
+
+    def notify_exception(exception)
+
+      bt = Bullhorn::Backtrace.new(exception, :context => @show_code_context)
+
+      post_options = {
+        :api_key      => api_key,
+        :message      => exception.message[0..100],
+        :backtrace    => Bullhorn::Sender.serialize(bt.to_a),
+        :env          => Bullhorn::Sender.serialize({}),
+        :request_body => Bullhorn::Sender.serialize(""),
+        :sha1         => Bullhorn::Sender.sha1(exception),
+        # APIv2
+        :language       => Bullhorn::LANGUAGE,
+        :client_name    => Bullhorn::CLIENT_NAME,
+        :client_version => Bullhorn::VERSION,
+        :url            => "",
+        :class          => exception.class.to_s
+      }
+
+      Net::HTTP.post_form(URI(Bullhorn::URL), post_options)
+      
+    end
+  end
+  
+
 protected
   def default_ignore_exceptions
     [].tap do |exceptions|
diff --git a/lib/bullhorn/backtrace.rb b/lib/bullhorn/backtrace.rb
index 850b0c9..4e5134c 100644
--- a/lib/bullhorn/backtrace.rb
+++ b/lib/bullhorn/backtrace.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ class Bullhorn
   class Backtrace
     def initialize(exception, options = {})
       @exception = exception
-      @raw       = exception.backtrace # Array
+      @raw       = exception.backtrace || [] # Array
       @options   = { :context => true }
 
       @options.merge!(options)
@@ -29,12 +29,14 @@ def get_context(fname, line, size = 2)
 
     def to_a
       @raw.inject([]) do |arr, line|
-        m = line.match(/^(?<file>.+):(?<line>[0-9]+):in `(?<function>.*)'$/)
-        arr << { :function => m[:function],
-          :file     => m[:file],
-          :line     => m[:line],
-          :context  => (@options[:context] ? get_context(m[:file], m[:line]) : nil)
-        }
+        m = line.match(/^(.+):([0-9]+):in `(.*)'$/)
+
+        arr << { :function => m[3],
+          :file     => m[1],
+          :line     => m[2],
+          :context  => (@options[:context] ? get_context(m[2], m[2]) : nil)
+        } if m
+
         arr
       end
     end
diff --git a/lib/bullhorn/sender.rb b/lib/bullhorn/sender.rb
index f17d01d..8cca471 100644
--- a/lib/bullhorn/sender.rb
+++ b/lib/bullhorn/sender.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ def serialize(str)
     end
 
     def notify(exception, env = {})
-      bt = Backtrace.new(exception, :context => @show_code_context)
+      bt = Bullhorn::Backtrace.new(exception, :context => @show_code_context)
 
       Net::HTTP.post_form(URI(url), {
         :api_key      => api_key,
@@ -25,15 +25,16 @@ def notify(exception, env = {})
       })
     end
 
-  protected
     def sha1(exception)
       # Treat 2 exceptions as the same if they match the same exception class
       # and same origin.
       salt = '#bh#' + Bullhorn::CLIENT_NAME
-      str  = [ salt, exception.class.to_s, exception.backtrace.first ].join('|')
+      str  = [ salt, exception.class.to_s, (exception.backtrace ? exception.backtrace.first : nil) ].join('|')
       Digest::SHA1.hexdigest(str)
     end
 
+  protected
+
     def request_body(env)
       if io = env['rack.input']
         io.rewind if io.respond_to?(:rewind)
diff --git a/test/test_bullhorn.rb b/test/test_bullhorn.rb
index ef59962..2d9a02a 100644
--- a/test/test_bullhorn.rb
+++ b/test/test_bullhorn.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ class TestBullhorn < Test::Unit::TestCase
     end
   end
 
+  test "accept the api key from class level" do
+    Bullhorn.api_key = "key"
+    Bullhorn.new(@app)
+    assert_equal Bullhorn.api_key, "key"
+  end
+
   test "accepts a filter of string arrays" do
     bullhorn = Bullhorn.new(@app, :api_key => "key", :filters => ['a', 'b'])
     assert_equal ['a', 'b'], bullhorn.filters
@@ -182,4 +188,4 @@ module ::ActionController
       assert bh.ignore_exceptions.include?(ActionController::RoutingError)
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end