diff --git a/lib/cartodb/monitoring/health_check.js b/lib/cartodb/monitoring/health_check.js
index 69425c2e..c3ae41f1 100644
--- a/lib/cartodb/monitoring/health_check.js
+++ b/lib/cartodb/monitoring/health_check.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 var fs = require('fs');
-var step = require('step');
 
 function HealthCheck(disableFile) {
     this.disableFile = disableFile;
@@ -9,26 +8,12 @@ module.exports = HealthCheck;
 
 
 HealthCheck.prototype.check = function(callback) {
-
-    var self = this;
-
-    step(
-        function getManualDisable() {
-          fs.readFile(self.disableFile, this);
-        },
-        function handleDisabledFile(err, data) {
-          var next = this;
-          if (err) {
-            return next();
-          }
-          if (!!data) {
-            err = new Error(data);
-            err.http_status = 503;
-            throw err;
-          }
-        },
-        function handleResult(err) {
-            return callback(err);
+    fs.readFile(this.disableFile, function handleDisabledFile(err, data) {
+        var disabledError = null;
+        if (!!data) {
+            disabledError = new Error(data);
+            disabledError.http_status = 503;
         }
-    );
+        return callback(disabledError);
+    });
 };
diff --git a/test/acceptance/health_check.js b/test/acceptance/health_check.js
index 68ca3346..3d1aceb4 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/health_check.js
+++ b/test/acceptance/health_check.js
@@ -1,23 +1,22 @@
 require(__dirname + '/../support/test_helper');
 
-var assert      = require('../support/assert');
+var fs = require('fs');
+
+var assert = require('../support/assert');
 var CartodbWindshaft = require('../../lib/cartodb/server');
 var serverOptions = require('../../lib/cartodb/server_options');
 
-var metadataBackend = {};
-var tilelive = {};
-var HealthCheck = require('../../lib/cartodb/monitoring/health_check');
-var healthCheck = new HealthCheck(metadataBackend, tilelive);
-
 describe('health checks', function () {
 
-    function resetHealthConfig() {
+    function enableHealthConfig() {
         global.environment.health = {
-            enabled: true,
-            username: 'localhost',
-            z: 0,
-            x: 0,
-            y: 0
+            enabled: true
+        };
+    }
+
+    function disableHealthConfig() {
+        global.environment.health = {
+            enabled: false
         };
     }
 
@@ -29,69 +28,89 @@ describe('health checks', function () {
         }
     };
 
-    it('returns 200 and ok=true with enabled configuration', function (done) {
-        resetHealthConfig();
+    beforeEach(enableHealthConfig);
+    afterEach(disableHealthConfig);
 
+    var RESPONSE_OK = {
+        status: 200
+    };
+
+    var RESPONSE_FAIL = {
+        status: 503
+    };
+
+    it('returns 200 and ok=true with enabled configuration', function (done) {
         var server = new CartodbWindshaft(serverOptions);
 
-        assert.response(server,
-            healthCheckRequest,
-            {
-                status: 200
-            },
-            function (res, err) {
-                assert.ok(!err);
+        assert.response(server, healthCheckRequest, RESPONSE_OK, function (res, err) {
+            assert.ok(!err);
 
-                var parsed = JSON.parse(res.body);
+            var parsed = JSON.parse(res.body);
 
-                assert.ok(parsed.enabled);
-                assert.ok(parsed.ok);
+            assert.ok(parsed.enabled);
+            assert.ok(parsed.ok);
 
-                done();
-            }
-        );
+            done();
+        });
     });
 
     it('error if disabled file exists', function(done) {
-      var fs = require('fs');
+        var errorMessage = "Maintenance";
 
-      var readFileFn = fs.readFile;
-      fs.readFile = function(filename, callback) {
-        callback(null, "Maintenance");
-      };
-      
-      healthCheck.check(function(err) {
-        assert.equal(err.message, "Maintenance");
-        assert.equal(err.http_status, 503);
-        done();
-        fs.readFile = readFileFn;
-      }); 
-      
-    }); 
+        var readFileFn = fs.readFile;
+        fs.readFile = function(filename, callback) {
+            callback(null, errorMessage);
+        };
+        var server = new CartodbWindshaft(serverOptions);
+
+        assert.response(server, healthCheckRequest, RESPONSE_FAIL, function(res, err) {
+            fs.readFile = readFileFn;
+
+            assert.ok(!err);
+            var parsed = JSON.parse(res.body);
+            assert.ok(parsed.enabled);
+            assert.ok(!parsed.ok);
+            assert.equal(parsed.err, errorMessage);
+
+            done();
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('no error if disabled file exists but has no content', function(done) {
+        var readFileFn = fs.readFile;
+        fs.readFile = function(filename, callback) {
+            callback(null, '');
+        };
+        var server = new CartodbWindshaft(serverOptions);
+
+        assert.response(server, healthCheckRequest, RESPONSE_OK, function(res, err) {
+            fs.readFile = readFileFn;
+
+            assert.ok(!err);
+            var parsed = JSON.parse(res.body);
+
+            assert.equal(parsed.enabled, true);
+            assert.equal(parsed.ok, true);
+
+            done();
+        });
+    });
 
     it('not err if disabled file does not exists', function(done) {
-      resetHealthConfig();
+        global.environment.disabled_file = '/tmp/ftreftrgtrccre';
 
-      global.environment.disabled_file = '/tmp/ftreftrgtrccre';
+        var server = new CartodbWindshaft(serverOptions);
 
-      var server = new CartodbWindshaft(serverOptions);
+        assert.response(server, healthCheckRequest, RESPONSE_OK, function (res, err) {
+            assert.ok(!err);
 
-      assert.response(server,
-        healthCheckRequest,
-        {
-          status: 200
-        },
-        function (res, err) {
-          assert.ok(!err);
+            var parsed = JSON.parse(res.body);
 
-          var parsed = JSON.parse(res.body);
+            assert.equal(parsed.enabled, true);
+            assert.equal(parsed.ok, true);
 
-          assert.equal(parsed.enabled, true);
-          assert.equal(parsed.ok, true);
-
-          done();
-        }
-      );
+            done();
+        });
     }); 
 
 });