diff --git a/lib/v8/conversion.rb b/lib/v8/conversion.rb
index fc15e71..9751738 100644
--- a/lib/v8/conversion.rb
+++ b/lib/v8/conversion.rb
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ end
 
 class Hash
   def to_v8
-    object = V8::Object.new(V8::C::Object::New())
+    object = V8::Object.new
     each do |key, value|
       object[key] = value
     end
diff --git a/lib/v8/object.rb b/lib/v8/object.rb
index fdbe628..9f72aed 100644
--- a/lib/v8/object.rb
+++ b/lib/v8/object.rb
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ class V8::Object
   include Enumerable
   attr_reader :native
 
-  def initialize(native)
-    @native = native
-    @context = V8::Context.current
+  def initialize(native = nil)
+    @context = V8::Context.current or fail "tried to initialize a #{self.class} without being in an entered V8::Context"
+    @native = native || V8::C::Object::New()
   end
 
   def [](key)