diff --git a/tests/churn-rsync.lua b/tests/churn-rsync.lua
index 2827871..f55db42 100755
--- a/tests/churn-rsync.lua
+++ b/tests/churn-rsync.lua
@@ -5,14 +5,7 @@
 require("posix")
 dofile("tests/testlib.lua")
 
-local tdir = mktempd().."/"
-cwriteln("using ", tdir, " as test root")
-
-local srcdir = tdir.."src/"
-local trgdir = tdir.."trg/"
-
-posix.mkdir(srcdir)
-posix.mkdir(trgdir)
+local tdir, srcdir, trdir = mktemps()
 
 -- makes some startup data 
 churn(srcdir, 10)
diff --git a/tests/churn-rsyncssh.lua b/tests/churn-rsyncssh.lua
index ba9beb9..d95d444 100755
--- a/tests/churn-rsyncssh.lua
+++ b/tests/churn-rsyncssh.lua
@@ -5,14 +5,7 @@
 require("posix")
 dofile("tests/testlib.lua")
 
-local tdir = mktempd().."/"
-cwriteln("using ", tdir, " as test root")
-
-local srcdir = tdir.."src/"
-local trgdir = tdir.."trg/"
-
-posix.mkdir(srcdir)
-posix.mkdir(trgdir)
+local tdir, srcdir, trdir = mktemps()
 
 -- makes some startup data 
 churn(srcdir, 10)
diff --git a/tests/l4-rsync-data.sh b/tests/l4-rsync-data.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index d8f512f..0000000
--- a/tests/l4-rsync-data.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,70 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-RANGE=1
-LOG="-log all"
-
-set -e
-C1="\E[47;34m"
-C0="\033[0m"
-
-echo -e "$C1****************************************************************$C0"
-echo -e "$C1 Testing layer 4 default rsync with simulated data activity     $C0"
-echo -e "$C1****************************************************************$C0"
-echo
-
-# root tmp dir
-R=$(mktemp -d)
-# source dir
-S=$R/source
-# target dir
-T=$R/target
-# logfile
-L=$R/log
-# pidfile
-P=$R/pid
-
-echo -e "$C1* using root dir for test $R$C0"
-echo -e "$C1* populating the source$C0"
-echo -e "$C1* ceating d[x]/e/f1 $C0"
-mkdir -p "$S"/d/e
-echo 'test' > "$S"/d/e/f1
-echo -e "$C1* starting lsyncd$C0"
-# lets bash detatch Lsyncd instead of itself; lets it log stdout as well.
-echo ./lsyncd $LOG -logfile "$L" -pidfile "$P" -nodaemon -rsync "$S" "$T"
-./lsyncd $LOG -logfile "$L" -pidfile "$P" -nodaemon -rsync "$S" "$T" &
-echo -e "$C1* waiting for lsyncd to start$C0"
-sleep 4s
-
-# cp -r the directory
-echo -e "$C1* making some data$C0"
-echo -e "$C1* ceating d[x]/e/f2 $C0"
-for i in $RANGE; do
-    cp -r "$S"/d "$S"/d${i}
-#    echo 'test2' > "$S"/d${i}/e/f2
-done
-
-#mkdir -p "$S"/m/n
-#echo 'test3' > "$S"/m/n/file
-#for i in $RANGE; do
-#    cp -r "$S"/m "$S"/m$i
-#    echo 'test4' > "$S"/m${i}/n/another
-#done
-
-echo -e "$C1* waiting for Lsyncd to do its job.$C0"
-sleep 20s
-
-echo -e "$C1* killing Lsyncd$C0"
-PID=$(cat "$P")
-if ! kill "$PID"; then
-    cat "$L"
-    diff -urN "$S" "$T" || true
-    echo "kill failed"
-    exit 1
-fi
-sleep 1s
-
-echo -e "$C1* differences$C0"
-diff -urN "$S" "$T"
-
-#rm -rf "$R"
-
diff --git a/tests/l4rsyncdata.lua b/tests/l4rsyncdata.lua
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9f9404f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/l4rsyncdata.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/usr/bin/lua
+require("posix")
+dofile("tests/testlib.lua")
+
+cwriteln("****************************************************************")
+cwriteln(" Testing layer 4 default rsync with simulated data activity     ")
+cwriteln("****************************************************************")
+
+local tdir, srcdir, trgdir = mktemps()
+local logfile = tdir .. "log"
+local range = 5
+local log = {"-log", "all"}
+
+posix.mkdir(srcdir .. "d")
+posix.mkdir(srcdir .. "d/e")
+if not writefile(srcdir .. "d/e/f1", 'test') then
+	os.exit(1)
+end
+cwriteln("starting Lsyncd")
+
+logs = {}
+local pid = spawn("./lsyncd", "-logfile", logfile, "-nodaemon", "-delay", "5",
+                  "-rsync", srcdir, trgdir, unpack(logs))
+cwriteln("waiting for lsyncd to start")
+posix.sleep(2)
+
+cwriteln("* making some data")
+cwriteln("* creating d[x]/e/f2")
+for i = 1, range do
+	cwriteln("[cp -r "..srcdir.."d "..srcdir.."d"..i.."]")
+	os.execute("cp -r "..srcdir.."d "..srcdir.."d"..i)
+end
+
+-- mkdir -p "$S"/m/n
+-- echo 'test3' > "$S"/m/n/file
+-- for i in $RANGE; do
+--    cp -r "$S"/m "$S"/m$i
+--    echo 'test4' > "$S"/m${i}/n/another
+-- done
+
+cwriteln("* waiting for Lsyncd to do its job.")
+posix.sleep(10)
+
+cwriteln("* killing Lsyncd")
+
+posix.kill(pid)
+local _, exitmsg, lexitcode = posix.wait(lpid)
+cwriteln("Exitcode of Lsyncd = ", exitmsg, " ", lexitcode)
+posix.sleep(1)
+
+cwriteln("* differences:")
+os.execute("diff -urN "..srcdir.." "..trgdir)
+
+-- TODO remove temp
diff --git a/tests/testlib.lua b/tests/testlib.lua
index 4a88010..b5e37c6 100644
--- a/tests/testlib.lua
+++ b/tests/testlib.lua
@@ -34,6 +34,41 @@ function mktempd()
 	return s
 end
 
+-----
+-- creates a tmp directory with the
+-- typical lsyncd test architecture
+-- 
+-- @returns path of tmpdir
+--          path of srcdir
+--          path of trgdir
+--
+
+function mktemps()
+	local tdir = mktempd().."/"
+	cwriteln("using ", tdir, " as test root")
+	local srcdir = tdir.."src/"
+	local trgdir = tdir.."trg/"
+	posix.mkdir(srcdir)
+	posix.mkdir(trgdir)
+	return tdir, srcdir, trgdir
+end
+
+----
+-- Writes a file with 'text' in it.
+-- and adds a newline.
+--
+function writefile(filename, text)
+	local f = io.open(filename, "w")
+	if not f then
+		cwriteln("Cannot open '"..filename.."' for writing.")
+		return false
+	end
+	f:write(text)
+	f:write('\n')
+	f:close()
+	return true
+end
+
 -----
 -- spawns a subprocess.
 --