diff --git a/railties/CHANGELOG b/railties/CHANGELOG
index 11fa6bdc37..1a64a26e8e 100644
--- a/railties/CHANGELOG
+++ b/railties/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 *SVN*
 
+* Thoroughly test the FCGI dispatcher.  #5970 [Kevin Clark]
+
 * Remove Dir.chdir in the Webrick DispatchServlet#initialize method.  Fix bad path errors when trying to load config/routes.rb.  [Rick Olson]
 
 * Tighten rescue clauses.  #5985 [james@grayproductions.net]
diff --git a/railties/lib/fcgi_handler.rb b/railties/lib/fcgi_handler.rb
index 7b5aafe122..80ce1a34f5 100644
--- a/railties/lib/fcgi_handler.rb
+++ b/railties/lib/fcgi_handler.rb
@@ -50,25 +50,7 @@ class RailsFCGIHandler
 
     run_gc! if gc_request_period
 
-    provider.each_cgi do |cgi| 
-      process_request(cgi)
-
-      case when_ready
-        when :reload
-          reload!
-        when :restart
-          close_connection(cgi)
-          restart!
-        when :exit
-          close_connection(cgi)
-          break
-        when :breakpoint
-          close_connection(cgi)
-          breakpoint!
-      end
-
-      gc_countdown
-    end
+    process_each_request!(provider)
 
     GC.enable
     dispatcher_log :info, "terminated gracefully"
@@ -87,9 +69,9 @@ class RailsFCGIHandler
       dispatcher_error(fcgi_error, "killed by this error")
     end
   end
-  
-  
-  private
+
+
+  protected
     def logger
       @logger ||= Logger.new(@log_file_path)
     end
@@ -145,6 +127,28 @@ class RailsFCGIHandler
       dispatcher_log :info, "asked to breakpoint ASAP"
       @when_ready = :breakpoint
     end
+    
+    def process_each_request!(provider)
+      provider.each_cgi do |cgi| 
+        process_request(cgi)
+
+        case when_ready
+          when :reload
+            reload!
+          when :restart
+            close_connection(cgi)
+            restart!
+          when :exit
+            close_connection(cgi)
+            break
+          when :breakpoint
+            close_connection(cgi)
+            breakpoint!
+        end
+
+        gc_countdown
+      end
+    end
 
     def process_request(cgi)
       Dispatcher.dispatch(cgi)
@@ -204,4 +208,4 @@ class RailsFCGIHandler
     def close_connection(cgi)
       cgi.instance_variable_get("@request").finish
     end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/railties/test/abstract_unit.rb b/railties/test/abstract_unit.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eac36d41b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/railties/test/abstract_unit.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+$:.unshift File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../../activesupport/lib"
+$:.unshift File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../../actionpack/lib"
+$:.unshift File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../lib"
+$:.unshift File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../builtin/rails_info"
+
+require 'test/unit'
+require 'rubygems'
+require 'mocha'
+require 'stubba'
+
+# Needed for the class mock delegation
+#require File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../../activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/class/attribute_accessors"
+
+if defined?(RAILS_ROOT)
+  RAILS_ROOT.replace File.dirname(__FILE__)
+else
+  RAILS_ROOT = File.dirname(__FILE__)
+end
+
+class Test::Unit::TestCase
+  # Add stuff here if you need it
+end
diff --git a/railties/test/fcgi_dispatcher_test.rb b/railties/test/fcgi_dispatcher_test.rb
index cc96c2934c..303a4fcaeb 100644
--- a/railties/test/fcgi_dispatcher_test.rb
+++ b/railties/test/fcgi_dispatcher_test.rb
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
-$:.unshift File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../lib"
+require File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/abstract_unit"
+
 $:.unshift File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/mocks"
 
-require 'test/unit'
 require 'stringio'
-require 'fcgi_handler'
 
-RAILS_ROOT = File.dirname(__FILE__) if !defined?(RAILS_ROOT)
+# Stubs
+require 'fcgi_handler'
+require 'routes'
+require 'stubbed_breakpoint'
+require 'stubbed_kernel'
 
 class RailsFCGIHandler
   attr_reader :exit_code
@@ -26,13 +29,8 @@ class RailsFCGIHandler
   def send_signal(which)
     @signal_handlers[which].call(which)
   end
-
-  def restore!
-    @reloaded = true
-  end
   
-  def reload!
-    @reloaded = true
+  def breakpoint
   end
 
   alias_method :old_run_gc!, :run_gc!
@@ -53,6 +51,102 @@ class RailsFCGIHandlerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     Dispatcher.raise_exception = nil
   end
 
+  def test_process_restart
+    @handler.stubs(:when_ready).returns(:restart)
+    
+    @handler.expects(:close_connection)
+    @handler.expects(:restart!)
+    @handler.process!
+  end
+  
+  def test_process_exit
+    @handler.stubs(:when_ready).returns(:exit)
+    
+    @handler.expects(:close_connection)
+    @handler.process!
+  end
+  
+  def test_process_breakpoint
+    @handler.stubs(:when_ready).returns(:breakpoint)
+    
+    @handler.expects(:close_connection)
+    @handler.expects(:breakpoint!)
+    @handler.process!
+  end
+  
+  def test_process_with_system_exit_exception
+    @handler.stubs(:process_request).raises(SystemExit)
+    
+    @handler.expects(:dispatcher_log).with(:info, "terminated by explicit exit")
+    @handler.process!
+  end
+  
+  def test_restart_handler
+    @handler.expects(:dispatcher_log).with(:info, "asked to restart ASAP")
+    
+    @handler.send(:restart_handler, nil)
+    assert_equal :restart, @handler.when_ready
+  end
+  
+  def test_breakpoint_handler
+    @handler.expects(:dispatcher_log).with(:info, "asked to breakpoint ASAP")
+
+    @handler.send(:breakpoint_handler, nil)
+    assert_equal :breakpoint, @handler.when_ready
+  end
+  
+  def test_install_signal_handler_should_log_on_bad_signal
+    @handler.stubs(:trap).raises(ArgumentError)
+
+    @handler.expects(:dispatcher_log).with(:warn, "Ignoring unsupported signal CHEESECAKE.")
+    @handler.send(:install_signal_handler, "CHEESECAKE", nil)
+  end
+  
+  def test_reload
+    @handler.expects(:restore!)
+    @handler.expects(:dispatcher_log).with(:info, "reloaded")
+
+    @handler.send(:reload!)
+    assert_nil @handler.when_ready
+  end
+  
+  
+  def test_reload_runs_gc_when_gc_request_period_set
+    @handler.expects(:run_gc!)
+    @handler.expects(:restore!)
+    @handler.expects(:dispatcher_log).with(:info, "reloaded")
+    @handler.gc_request_period = 10
+    @handler.send(:reload!)
+  end
+  
+  def test_reload_doesnt_run_gc_if_gc_request_period_isnt_set
+    @handler.expects(:run_gc!).never
+    @handler.expects(:restore!)
+    @handler.expects(:dispatcher_log).with(:info, "reloaded")
+    @handler.send(:reload!)
+  end
+  
+  def test_restart!
+    @handler.expects(:dispatcher_log).with(:info, "restarted")
+    assert_equal true, @handler.send(:restart!), "Exec wasn't run"
+  end
+  
+  def test_restore!
+    $".expects(:replace)
+    Dispatcher.expects(:reset_application!)
+    ActionController::Routing::Routes.expects(:reload)
+    @handler.send(:restore!)
+  end
+
+  def test_breakpoint!
+    @handler.expects(:require).with('breakpoint')
+    Breakpoint.expects(:activate_drb)
+    @handler.expects(:breakpoint)
+    @handler.expects(:dispatcher_log).with(:info, "breakpointing")
+    @handler.send(:breakpoint!)
+    assert_nil @handler.when_ready
+  end
+  
   def test_uninterrupted_processing
     @handler.process!
     assert_nil @handler.exit_code
@@ -60,6 +154,7 @@ class RailsFCGIHandlerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
   def test_interrupted_via_HUP_when_not_in_request
+    @handler.expects(:reload!)
     FCGI.time_to_sleep = 1
     @handler.thread = Thread.new { @handler.process! }
     sleep 0.1 # let the thread get started
@@ -67,10 +162,11 @@ class RailsFCGIHandlerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     @handler.thread.join
     assert_nil @handler.exit_code
     assert_equal :reload, @handler.when_ready
-    assert @handler.reloaded
   end
 
   def test_interrupted_via_HUP_when_in_request
+    @handler.expects(:reload!)
+    
     Dispatcher.time_to_sleep = 1
     @handler.thread = Thread.new { @handler.process! }
     sleep 0.1 # let the thread get started
@@ -78,7 +174,6 @@ class RailsFCGIHandlerTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     @handler.thread.join
     assert_nil @handler.exit_code
     assert_equal :reload, @handler.when_ready
-    assert @handler.reloaded
   end
 
   def test_interrupted_via_USR1_when_not_in_request
diff --git a/railties/test/mocks/routes.rb b/railties/test/mocks/routes.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ea12863683
--- /dev/null
+++ b/railties/test/mocks/routes.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+module ActionController
+  module Routing
+    class Routes
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/railties/test/mocks/stubbed_breakpoint.rb b/railties/test/mocks/stubbed_breakpoint.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..15558282b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/railties/test/mocks/stubbed_breakpoint.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+module Breakpoint
+end
diff --git a/railties/test/mocks/stubbed_kernel.rb b/railties/test/mocks/stubbed_kernel.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ef9864867c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/railties/test/mocks/stubbed_kernel.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+module Kernel
+  def exec(*args)
+    true
+  end
+end