diff --git a/lib/appenders/file.js b/lib/appenders/file.js
index b79d4f6..57aaa9c 100644
--- a/lib/appenders/file.js
+++ b/lib/appenders/file.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ process.on('exit', function() {
  * @param numBackups - the number of log files to keep after logSize 
  *   has been reached (default 5)
  */
-function fileAppender (file, layout, logSize, numBackups, level, compress) {
+function fileAppender (file, layout, logSize, numBackups, compress) {
   var bytesWritten = 0;
   file = path.normalize(file);
   layout = layout || layouts.basicLayout;
@@ -63,21 +63,9 @@ function fileAppender (file, layout, logSize, numBackups, level, compress) {
   // push file to the stack of open handlers
   openFiles.push(logFile);
 
-  if (level) {
-
-    var obj = levels.toLevel(level, levels.TRACE);
-    return function(loggingEvent) {
-      if (obj.isLessThanOrEqualTo(loggingEvent.level)) 
-        logFile.write(layout(loggingEvent) + eol, "utf8");
-    };
-
-  } else {
-
-    return function(loggingEvent) {
-      logFile.write(layout(loggingEvent) + eol, "utf8");
-    };
-
-  }
+  return function(loggingEvent) {
+    logFile.write(layout(loggingEvent) + eol, "utf8");
+  };
 
 }
 
@@ -91,7 +79,7 @@ function configure(config, options) {
     config.filename = path.join(options.cwd, config.filename);
   }
 
-  return fileAppender(config.filename, layout, config.maxLogSize, config.backups, config.level, config.compress);
+  return fileAppender(config.filename, layout, config.maxLogSize, config.backups, config.compress);
 }
 
 function shutdown(cb) {
diff --git a/test/fileAppender-test.js b/test/fileAppender-test.js
index 093eab3..b313400 100644
--- a/test/fileAppender-test.js
+++ b/test/fileAppender-test.js
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ vows.describe('log4js fileAppender').addBatch({
           file_sub1_sub12$sub1_sub13: fs.readFileSync(file_sub1_sub12$sub1_sub13).toString(),
           file_sub1_sub12: fs.readFileSync(file_sub1_sub12).toString()
         });        
-      }, 1000);
+      }, 3000);
     },
     'check file contents': function (err, fileContents) {
 
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ vows.describe('log4js fileAppender').addBatch({
       //log file of 50 bytes maximum, 2 backups
       log4js.clearAppenders();
       log4js.addAppender(
-        require('../lib/appenders/file').appender(testFile, log4js.layouts.basicLayout, 50, 2, null, true), 
+        require('../lib/appenders/file').appender(testFile, log4js.layouts.basicLayout, 50, 2, true), 
         'max-file-size-backups'
       );
       logger.info("This is the first log message.");
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ vows.describe('log4js fileAppender').addBatch({
             that.callback(err, files); 
           }
         });
-      }, 200);
+      }, 1000);
     },
     'the log files': {
       topic: function(files) {