diff --git a/test/reporters/tap.spec.js b/test/reporters/tap.spec.js
index 2ac4eb2c2b..67632210e3 100644
--- a/test/reporters/tap.spec.js
+++ b/test/reporters/tap.spec.js
@@ -4,22 +4,18 @@ var reporters = require('../../').reporters;
 var TAP = reporters.TAP;
 
 var createMockRunner = require('./helpers').createMockRunner;
+var makeRunReporter = require('./helpers.js').createRunReporterFunction;
 
 describe('TAP reporter', function() {
-  var stdout;
-  var stdoutWrite;
+  var ECHO = true;
   var runner;
+  var options = {};
+  var runReporter = makeRunReporter(TAP);
   var expectedTitle = 'some title';
   var countAfterTestEnd = 2;
   var test;
 
   beforeEach(function() {
-    stdout = [];
-    stdoutWrite = process.stdout.write;
-    process.stdout.write = function(string, enc, callback) {
-      stdout.push(string);
-      stdoutWrite.call(process.stdout, string, enc, callback);
-    };
     test = {
       fullTitle: function() {
         return expectedTitle;
@@ -29,27 +25,33 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
   });
 
   afterEach(function() {
-    process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+    runner = undefined;
+    test = undefined;
   });
 
   describe('TAP12 spec', function() {
     var options = {};
     describe('on start', function() {
-      it('should write the number of tests that it plans to run', function() {
-        var expectedSuite = 'some suite';
-        var expectedTotal = 10;
-        var expectedString;
+      var expectedSuite = 'some suite';
+      var expectedTotal = 10;
+      var expectedString;
+      var stdout;
+
+      before(function() {
         runner = createMockRunner('start', 'start');
         runner.suite = expectedSuite;
         runner.grepTotal = function(string) {
           expectedString = string;
           return expectedTotal;
         };
-        TAP.call({}, runner, options);
+        stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
+      });
 
+      it('should not write the TAP specification version', function() {
+        expect(stdout, 'not to contain', 'TAP version');
+      });
+      it('should write the number of tests that it plans to run', function() {
         var expectedArray = ['1..' + expectedTotal + '\n'];
-        process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
-
         expect(stdout, 'to equal', expectedArray);
         expect(expectedString, 'to be', expectedSuite);
       });
@@ -66,9 +68,8 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
         );
         runner.suite = '';
         runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-        TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-        process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+        var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
         var expectedMessage =
           'ok ' + countAfterTestEnd + ' ' + expectedTitle + ' # SKIP -\n';
@@ -79,12 +80,10 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
     describe('on pass', function() {
       it('should write expected message including count and title', function() {
         runner = createMockRunner('start test', 'test end', 'pass', null, test);
-
         runner.suite = '';
         runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-        TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-        process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+        var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
         var expectedMessage =
           'ok ' + countAfterTestEnd + ' ' + expectedTitle + '\n';
@@ -95,18 +94,18 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
     describe('on fail', function() {
       describe('if there is an error message', function() {
         it('should write expected message and error message', function() {
-          var expectedTitle = 'some title';
-          var countAfterTestEnd = 2;
           var expectedErrorMessage = 'some error';
-          var test = {
-            fullTitle: function() {
-              return expectedTitle;
-            },
-            slow: function() {}
-          };
           var error = {
             message: expectedErrorMessage
           };
+          runner = createMockRunner(
+            'test end fail',
+            'test end',
+            'fail',
+            null,
+            test,
+            error
+          );
           runner.on = function(event, callback) {
             if (event === 'test end') {
               callback();
@@ -116,9 +115,8 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
           };
           runner.suite = '';
           runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-          TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-          process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+          var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
           var expectedArray = [
             'not ok ' + countAfterTestEnd + ' ' + expectedTitle + '\n',
@@ -143,9 +141,8 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
           );
           runner.suite = '';
           runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-          TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-          process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+          var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
           var expectedArray = [
             'not ok ' + countAfterTestEnd + ' ' + expectedTitle + '\n',
@@ -156,20 +153,20 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
       });
       describe('if there is an error stack and error message', function() {
         it('should write expected message and stack', function() {
-          var expectedTitle = 'some title';
-          var countAfterTestEnd = 2;
           var expectedStack = 'some stack';
           var expectedErrorMessage = 'some error';
-          var test = {
-            fullTitle: function() {
-              return expectedTitle;
-            },
-            slow: function() {}
-          };
           var error = {
             stack: expectedStack,
             message: expectedErrorMessage
           };
+          runner = createMockRunner(
+            'test end fail',
+            'test end',
+            'fail',
+            null,
+            test,
+            error
+          );
           runner.on = function(event, callback) {
             if (event === 'test end') {
               callback();
@@ -179,9 +176,8 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
           };
           runner.suite = '';
           runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-          TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-          process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+          var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
           var expectedArray = [
             'not ok ' + countAfterTestEnd + ' ' + expectedTitle + '\n',
@@ -194,6 +190,14 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
       describe('if there is no error stack or error message', function() {
         it('should write expected message only', function() {
           var error = {};
+          runner = createMockRunner(
+            'test end fail',
+            'test end',
+            'fail',
+            null,
+            test,
+            error
+          );
           runner.on = runner.once = function(event, callback) {
             if (event === 'test end') {
               callback();
@@ -203,9 +207,8 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
           };
           runner.suite = '';
           runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-          TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-          process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+          var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
           var expectedArray = [
             'not ok ' + countAfterTestEnd + ' ' + expectedTitle + '\n'
@@ -221,9 +224,8 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
         runner = createMockRunner('fail end pass', 'fail', 'end', 'pass', test);
         runner.suite = '';
         runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-        TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-        process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+        var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
         var totalTests = numberOfPasses + numberOfFails;
         var expectedArray = [
@@ -245,21 +247,29 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
       }
     };
     describe('on start', function() {
-      it('should write the number of tests that it plans to run', function() {
-        var expectedSuite = 'some suite';
-        var expectedTotal = 10;
-        var expectedString;
+      var expectedSuite = 'some suite';
+      var expectedTotal = 10;
+      var expectedString;
+      var stdout;
+
+      before(function() {
         runner = createMockRunner('start', 'start');
         runner.suite = expectedSuite;
         runner.grepTotal = function(string) {
           expectedString = string;
           return expectedTotal;
         };
-        TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-        var expectedSecondLine = '1..' + expectedTotal + '\n';
-        process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+        stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
+      });
 
+      it('should write the TAP specification version', function() {
+        var tapVersion = options.reporterOptions.tapVersion;
+        var expectedFirstLine = 'TAP version ' + tapVersion + '\n';
+        expect(stdout[0], 'to equal', expectedFirstLine);
+      });
+      it('should write the number of tests that it plans to run', function() {
+        var expectedSecondLine = '1..' + expectedTotal + '\n';
         expect(stdout[1], 'to equal', expectedSecondLine);
         expect(expectedString, 'to be', expectedSuite);
       });
@@ -276,9 +286,8 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
         );
         runner.suite = '';
         runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-        TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-        process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+        var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
         var expectedMessage =
           'ok ' + countAfterTestEnd + ' ' + expectedTitle + ' # SKIP -\n';
@@ -289,12 +298,10 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
     describe('on pass', function() {
       it('should write expected message including count and title', function() {
         runner = createMockRunner('start test', 'test end', 'pass', null, test);
-
         runner.suite = '';
         runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-        TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-        process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+        var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
         var expectedMessage =
           'ok ' + countAfterTestEnd + ' ' + expectedTitle + '\n';
@@ -305,18 +312,18 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
     describe('on fail', function() {
       describe('if there is an error message', function() {
         it('should write expected message and error message', function() {
-          var expectedTitle = 'some title';
-          var countAfterTestEnd = 2;
           var expectedErrorMessage = 'some error';
-          var test = {
-            fullTitle: function() {
-              return expectedTitle;
-            },
-            slow: function() {}
-          };
           var error = {
             message: expectedErrorMessage
           };
+          runner = createMockRunner(
+            'test end fail',
+            'test end',
+            'fail',
+            null,
+            test,
+            error
+          );
           runner.on = function(event, callback) {
             if (event === 'test end') {
               callback();
@@ -326,9 +333,8 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
           };
           runner.suite = '';
           runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-          TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-          process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+          var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
           var expectedArray = [
             'not ok ' + countAfterTestEnd + ' ' + expectedTitle + '\n',
@@ -356,9 +362,8 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
           );
           runner.suite = '';
           runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-          TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-          process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+          var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
           var expectedArray = [
             'not ok ' + countAfterTestEnd + ' ' + expectedTitle + '\n',
@@ -372,20 +377,20 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
       });
       describe('if there is an error stack and error message', function() {
         it('should write expected message and stack', function() {
-          var expectedTitle = 'some title';
-          var countAfterTestEnd = 2;
           var expectedStack = 'some stack';
           var expectedErrorMessage = 'some error';
-          var test = {
-            fullTitle: function() {
-              return expectedTitle;
-            },
-            slow: function() {}
-          };
           var error = {
             stack: expectedStack,
             message: expectedErrorMessage
           };
+          runner = createMockRunner(
+            'test end fail',
+            'test end',
+            'fail',
+            null,
+            test,
+            error
+          );
           runner.on = function(event, callback) {
             if (event === 'test end') {
               callback();
@@ -395,9 +400,8 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
           };
           runner.suite = '';
           runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-          TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-          process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+          var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
           var expectedArray = [
             'not ok ' + countAfterTestEnd + ' ' + expectedTitle + '\n',
@@ -414,6 +418,14 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
       describe('if there is no error stack or error message', function() {
         it('should write expected message only', function() {
           var error = {};
+          runner = createMockRunner(
+            'test end fail',
+            'test end',
+            'fail',
+            null,
+            test,
+            error
+          );
           runner.on = runner.once = function(event, callback) {
             if (event === 'test end') {
               callback();
@@ -423,9 +435,8 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
           };
           runner.suite = '';
           runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-          TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-          process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+          var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
           var expectedArray = [
             'not ok ' + countAfterTestEnd + ' ' + expectedTitle + '\n'
@@ -442,9 +453,8 @@ describe('TAP reporter', function() {
         runner = createMockRunner('fail end pass', 'fail', 'end', 'pass', test);
         runner.suite = '';
         runner.grepTotal = function() {};
-        TAP.call({}, runner, options);
 
-        process.stdout.write = stdoutWrite;
+        var stdout = runReporter({}, runner, options);
 
         var totalTests = numberOfPasses + numberOfFails;
         var expectedArray = [