diff --git a/src/Monolog/Handler/NewRelicHandler.php b/src/Monolog/Handler/NewRelicHandler.php
index 157fcbb8..df798dea 100644
--- a/src/Monolog/Handler/NewRelicHandler.php
+++ b/src/Monolog/Handler/NewRelicHandler.php
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 
 namespace Monolog\Handler;
 
+use Monolog\Handler\MissingExtensionException;
+
 /**
  * Class to record a log on a NewRelic application
  *
@@ -18,17 +20,34 @@ namespace Monolog\Handler;
  */
 class NewRelicHandler extends AbstractProcessingHandler
 {    
+    const ERROR_MISSING_EXTENSION = "The NewRelic PHP extension is not installed on this system, therefore you can't use the NewRelicHandler";
+    const NEWRELIC_EXTENSION_NAME = 'newrelic';
+    
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      */
     protected function write(array $record)
     {
-        if (extension_loaded('newrelic')) {
+        if ($this->isNewRelicEnabled()) {
             newrelic_notice_error($record['message']);
 
             foreach ($record['context'] as $key => $parameter) {
                 newrelic_add_custom_parameter($key, $parameter);
             }
+            
+            return;
         }
+        
+        throw new MissingExtensionException(self::ERROR_MISSING_EXTENSION);
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Checks whether the NewRelic extension is enabled in the system.
+     * 
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    protected function isNewRelicEnabled()
+    {
+        return (bool) extension_loaded(self::NEWRELIC_EXTENSION_NAME);
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Monolog/Handler/NewRelicHandlerTest.php b/tests/Monolog/Handler/NewRelicHandlerTest.php
index ac415de7..249fbad1 100644
--- a/tests/Monolog/Handler/NewRelicHandlerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Monolog/Handler/NewRelicHandlerTest.php
@@ -15,18 +15,49 @@ use Monolog\TestCase;
 use Monolog\Logger;
 
 class NewRelicHandlerTest extends TestCase
-{
-    public function testFallbackHandler()
+{    
+    /**
+     * @expectedException Monolog\Handler\MissingExtensionException
+     */
+    public function testThehandlerThrowsAnExceptionIfTheNRExtensionIsNotLoaded()
     {
-        $handler         = new NewRelicHandler();
-        $fallbackHandler = new TestHandler();
-        $record          = array(
-            'level' => Logger::DEBUG,
-            'extra' => array(),
-        );
-        
-        $handler->handle($record);
-        
-        $this->assertTrue($handler->isHandling($record));
+        $handler = new StubNewRelicHandlerWithoutExtension();
+        $handler->handle($this->getRecord());
+    }
+    
+    public function testThehandlerCanHandleTheRecord()
+    {
+        $handler = new StubNewRelicHandler();
+        $handler->handle($this->getRecord());
+    }
+    
+    public function testThehandlerCanAddParamsToTheNewRelicTrace()
+    {
+        $handler = new StubNewRelicHandler();
+        $handler->handle($this->getRecord(100, 'log message', array('a' => 'b')));
     }
 }
+
+class StubNewRelicHandlerWithoutExtension extends NewRelicHandler
+{
+    protected function isNewRelicEnabled()
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+}
+
+class StubNewRelicHandler extends NewRelicHandler
+{
+    protected function isNewRelicEnabled()
+    {
+        return true;
+    }
+}
+
+function newrelic_notice_error() {
+    return true;
+}
+
+function newrelic_add_custom_parameter() {
+    return true;
+}