diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar
index b761216..e8c6bf7 100644
Binary files a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar and b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar differ
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
index 6d6ba1f..1b5b778 100644
--- a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
+++ b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-#Tue Sep 16 15:17:56 PDT 2014
+#Mon Sep 21 11:21:40 PDT 2015
 distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 zipStorePath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-2.6-bin.zip
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-2.7-bin.zip
diff --git a/gradlew b/gradlew
index 91a7e26..97fac78 100755
--- a/gradlew
+++ b/gradlew
@@ -42,11 +42,6 @@ case "`uname`" in
     ;;
 esac
 
-# For Cygwin, ensure paths are in UNIX format before anything is touched.
-if $cygwin ; then
-    [ -n "$JAVA_HOME" ] && JAVA_HOME=`cygpath --unix "$JAVA_HOME"`
-fi
-
 # Attempt to set APP_HOME
 # Resolve links: $0 may be a link
 PRG="$0"
@@ -114,6 +109,7 @@ fi
 if $cygwin ; then
     APP_HOME=`cygpath --path --mixed "$APP_HOME"`
     CLASSPATH=`cygpath --path --mixed "$CLASSPATH"`
+    JAVACMD=`cygpath --unix "$JAVACMD"`
 
     # We build the pattern for arguments to be converted via cygpath
     ROOTDIRSRAW=`find -L / -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 -type d 2>/dev/null`
diff --git a/src/integTest/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormIntegrationSpecification.groovy b/src/integTest/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormIntegrationSpecification.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0126fe1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/integTest/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormIntegrationSpecification.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package com.github.jrubygradle.storm
+
+import org.gradle.testkit.runner.GradleRunner
+import org.gradle.testkit.runner.TaskOutcome
+import org.gradle.testkit.runner.BuildResult
+import org.junit.Rule
+import org.junit.rules.TemporaryFolder
+import spock.lang.*
+
+/**
+ * Integration testing base class for common integration testing behaviors
+ */
+class JRubyStormIntegrationSpecification extends Specification {
+    @Rule
+    final TemporaryFolder testProjectDir = new TemporaryFolder()
+          File buildFile
+          String pluginDependencies
+
+    def setup() {
+        buildFile = testProjectDir.newFile('build.gradle')
+        def pluginClasspathResource = getClass().classLoader.findResource("plugin-classpath.json")
+
+        if (pluginClasspathResource == null) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Did not find plugin classpath resource, run `testClasses` build task.")
+        }
+
+        pluginDependencies = pluginClasspathResource.text
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Apply the necessary plugin configuration to integration test a Gradle build
+     * with the given <pre>build</pre> {@code File}
+     *
+     * @param build Temporary file representing the build.gradle
+     */
+    void applyPluginTo(File build) {
+        build << """
+buildscript {
+    dependencies {
+        classpath files(${pluginDependencies})
+    }
+}
+apply plugin: 'com.github.jruby-gradle.storm'
+
+repositories {
+    jcenter()
+}
+
+"""
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/integTest/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormLocalIntegrationSpec.groovy b/src/integTest/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormLocalIntegrationSpec.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8142d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/integTest/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormLocalIntegrationSpec.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+package com.github.jrubygradle.storm
+
+import org.gradle.testkit.runner.GradleRunner
+import org.gradle.testkit.runner.TaskOutcome
+import org.gradle.testkit.runner.BuildResult
+import spock.lang.*
+
+/**
+ */
+class JRubyStormLocalIntegrationSpec extends JRubyStormIntegrationSpecification {
+    def "executing runJRubyStorm with no topology should error"() {
+        given:
+        applyPluginTo(buildFile)
+        buildFile << "jrubyStorm { topology 'foo.rb' }"
+
+        when:
+        BuildResult result = GradleRunner.create()
+                .withProjectDir(testProjectDir.root)
+                .withArguments('runJRubyStorm')
+                .buildAndFail()
+
+        then:
+        result.task(":runJRubyStorm").outcome == TaskOutcome.FAILED
+    }
+
+    File createHelloWorldTopology() {
+        File topologyFile = testProjectDir.newFile('topo.rb')
+        topologyFile << """
+require 'red_storm'
+
+class HelloWorldSpout < RedStorm::DSL::Spout
+  on_init {@words = ["hello", "world"]}
+  on_send {@words.shift unless @words.empty?}
+end
+
+class HelloWorldBolt < RedStorm::DSL::Bolt
+  on_receive :emit => false do |tuple|
+    puts tuple
+  end
+end
+
+class HelloWorldTopology < RedStorm::DSL::Topology
+  spout HelloWorldSpout do
+    output_fields :word
+  end
+
+  bolt HelloWorldBolt do
+    source HelloWorldSpout, :global
+  end
+
+  configure do
+    debug false
+    max_task_parallelism 4
+    num_workers 1
+    max_spout_pending 1000
+  end
+
+  on_submit do
+    Thread.start {
+        sleep 20
+        cluster.shutdown
+    }
+  end
+end
+"""
+        return topologyFile
+    }
+
+    def "running in local mode with a basic topology"() {
+        given:
+        applyPluginTo(buildFile)
+        File topo = createHelloWorldTopology()
+        buildFile << "jrubyStorm { topology '${topo.absolutePath}' }"
+
+        when: 'runJRubyStorm is invoked'
+        BuildResult result = GradleRunner.create()
+                .withProjectDir(testProjectDir.root)
+                .withArguments('runJRubyStorm')
+                .build()
+
+        then: 'the task should succeed'
+        result.task(":runJRubyStorm").outcome == TaskOutcome.SUCCESS
+
+        and: "it should have logged hello world"
+        result.standardOutput.contains('{"word"=>"hello"}')
+        result.standardOutput.contains('{"word"=>"world"}')
+    }
+
+    @Issue('https://github.com/jruby-gradle/jruby-gradle-storm-plugin/issues/29')
+    def "JRubyStormLocal tasks should not require a parent task"() {
+        given:
+        applyPluginTo(buildFile)
+        File topo = createHelloWorldTopology()
+
+        buildFile << """
+import com.github.jrubygradle.storm.JRubyStormLocal
+task run(type: JRubyStormLocal) {
+    topology '${topo.absolutePath}'
+}
+"""
+
+        when: 'the run task is invoked'
+        BuildResult result = GradleRunner.create()
+                .withProjectDir(testProjectDir.root)
+                .withArguments('run')
+                .build()
+
+        then: 'the task should succeed'
+        result.task(":run").outcome == TaskOutcome.SUCCESS
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/integTest/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormTaskIntegrationSpec.groovy b/src/integTest/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormTaskIntegrationSpec.groovy
index 415ea79..32e8fc8 100644
--- a/src/integTest/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormTaskIntegrationSpec.groovy
+++ b/src/integTest/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormTaskIntegrationSpec.groovy
@@ -1,49 +1,32 @@
 package com.github.jrubygradle.storm
 
-import org.gradle.api.Project
-import org.gradle.testfixtures.ProjectBuilder
 import org.gradle.testkit.runner.GradleRunner
 import org.gradle.testkit.runner.TaskOutcome
 import org.gradle.testkit.runner.BuildResult
-import org.gradle.api.artifacts.Dependency
-import org.junit.Rule
-import org.junit.rules.TemporaryFolder
 import spock.lang.*
 
 
 /** Integration tests which actually execute Gradle via the GradleTestKit */
-class JRubyStormTestKitSpec extends Specification {
-    @Rule
-    final TemporaryFolder testProjectDir = new TemporaryFolder()
-    File buildFile
-    String pluginDependencies
+class JRubyStormTestKitSpec extends JRubyStormIntegrationSpecification {
+    def "executing the task without a topolgoy should error"() {
+        given:
+        applyPluginTo(buildFile)
+        buildFile << 'jrubyStorm { }'
 
-    def setup() {
-        buildFile = testProjectDir.newFile('build.gradle')
-        def pluginClasspathResource = getClass().classLoader.findResource("plugin-classpath.json")
+        when:
+        BuildResult result = GradleRunner.create()
+                .withProjectDir(testProjectDir.root)
+                .withArguments('jrubyStorm')
+                .buildAndFail()
 
-        if (pluginClasspathResource == null) {
-            throw new IllegalStateException("Did not find plugin classpath resource, run `testClasses` build task.")
-        }
-
-        pluginDependencies = pluginClasspathResource.text
+        then:
+        result.task(":jrubyStorm").outcome == TaskOutcome.FAILED
     }
 
     def "executing the assemble task produces a jar artifact"() {
         given:
+        applyPluginTo(buildFile)
         buildFile << """
-buildscript {
-    dependencies {
-        classpath files(${pluginDependencies})
-    }
-}
-apply plugin: 'com.github.jruby-gradle.storm'
-
-repositories {
-    jcenter()
-    mavenLocal()
-}
-
 jrubyStorm {
 }
     """
diff --git a/src/main/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormLocal.groovy b/src/main/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormLocal.groovy
index af4626f..9a8a1d8 100644
--- a/src/main/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormLocal.groovy
+++ b/src/main/groovy/com/github/jrubygradle/storm/JRubyStormLocal.groovy
@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ class JRubyStormLocal extends JavaExec implements JRubyExecTraits {
         if (parentTask) {
             super.classpath parentTask.localConfiguration
         }
+        else {
+            /* make sure we always have some form of valid classpath set, see
+             * also: https://github.com/jruby-gradle/jruby-gradle-storm-plugin/issues/29
+             */
+            super.classpath project.configurations.findByName(getConfiguration())
+        }
 
         prepareDependencies(project)
         super.exec()