diff --git a/lib/logstash/inputs.rb b/lib/logstash/inputs.rb
index e7e9f965902..1253114b546 100644
--- a/lib/logstash/inputs.rb
+++ b/lib/logstash/inputs.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 require "logstash/namespace"
+require "logstash/ruby_fixes"
 require "uri"
 
 module LogStash::Inputs
diff --git a/lib/logstash/logging.rb b/lib/logstash/logging.rb
index 6c24e94b69d..d54a4479ed1 100644
--- a/lib/logstash/logging.rb
+++ b/lib/logstash/logging.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 require "logstash/namespace"
+require "logstash/ruby_fixes"
 require "logger"
 
 class LogStash::Logger < Logger
diff --git a/lib/logstash/ruby_fixes.rb b/lib/logstash/ruby_fixes.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..08751c0eb8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/logstash/ruby_fixes.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+
+
+# Ruby 1.8.7 added String#start_with? - monkeypatch the
+# String class if it isn't supported (<= ruby 1.8.6)
+if !String.instance_methods.include?("start_with?")
+  class String
+    def start_with?(str)
+      return self[0 .. (str.length-1)] == str
+    end
+  end
+end
+