diff --git a/src/main/java/rx/internal/operators/BufferUntilSubscriber.java b/src/main/java/rx/internal/operators/BufferUntilSubscriber.java
index 313e128cdd..11c85817c4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/rx/internal/operators/BufferUntilSubscriber.java
+++ b/src/main/java/rx/internal/operators/BufferUntilSubscriber.java
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@
 import rx.Observer;
 import rx.Subscriber;
 import rx.functions.Action0;
-import rx.observers.EmptyObserver;
-import rx.observers.Subscribers;
+import rx.observers.Observers;
 import rx.subjects.Subject;
 import rx.subscriptions.Subscriptions;
 
@@ -51,9 +50,6 @@
  */
 public class BufferUntilSubscriber<T> extends Subject<T, T> {
 
-    @SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
-    private final static Observer EMPTY_OBSERVER = new EmptyObserver();
-
     /**
      * @warn create() undescribed
      * @return
@@ -96,7 +92,7 @@ public void call(final Subscriber<? super T> s) {
                 s.add(Subscriptions.create(new Action0() {
                     @Override
                     public void call() {
-                        state.observerRef = EMPTY_OBSERVER;
+                        state.observerRef = Observers.empty();
                     }
                 }));
                 boolean win = false;
diff --git a/src/main/java/rx/observers/EmptyObserver.java b/src/main/java/rx/observers/EmptyObserver.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 7667fd769b..0000000000
--- a/src/main/java/rx/observers/EmptyObserver.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Copyright 2014 Netflix, Inc.
- * 
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- * 
- * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- * 
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- */
-package rx.observers;
-
-import rx.Observer;
-
-
-/**
- * Observer that does nothing... including swallowing errors.
- */
-public class EmptyObserver<T> implements Observer<T> {
-
-    @Override
-    public void onCompleted() {
-
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public void onError(Throwable e) {
-
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public void onNext(T args) {
-
-    }
-
-}
diff --git a/src/main/java/rx/observers/Observers.java b/src/main/java/rx/observers/Observers.java
index 0d804cbae1..e9bf789372 100644
--- a/src/main/java/rx/observers/Observers.java
+++ b/src/main/java/rx/observers/Observers.java
@@ -46,9 +46,7 @@ public final void onNext(Object args) {
 
     /**
      * Returns an inert {@link Observer} that does nothing in response to the emissions or notifications from
-     * any {@code Observable} it subscribes to. This is different, however, from an {@link EmptyObserver}, in
-     * that it will throw an exception if its {@link Observer#onError onError} method is called (whereas
-     * {@code EmptyObserver} will swallow the error in such a case).
+     * any {@code Observable} it subscribes to but will throw an exception if its {@link Observer#onError onError} method is called.
      *
      * @return an inert {@code Observer}
      */
@@ -59,8 +57,8 @@ public static <T> Observer<T> empty() {
 
     /**
      * Creates an {@link Observer} that receives the emissions of any {@code Observable} it subscribes to via
-     * {@link Observer#onNext onNext} but ignores {@link Observer#onError onError} and
-     * {@link Observer#onCompleted onCompleted} notifications.
+     * {@link Observer#onNext onNext} but ignores {@link Observer#onCompleted onCompleted} notifications. 
+     * It will throws an {@link OnErrorNotImplementedException} if {@link Observer#onError onError} is invoked.
      *
      * @param onNext
      *          a function that handles each item emitted by an {@code Observable}
diff --git a/src/main/java/rx/observers/TestObserver.java b/src/main/java/rx/observers/TestObserver.java
index 3c9edad9df..e7f02131b6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/rx/observers/TestObserver.java
+++ b/src/main/java/rx/observers/TestObserver.java
@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ public TestObserver(Observer<T> delegate) {
         this.delegate = delegate;
     }
 
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public TestObserver() {
-        this.delegate = Observers.empty();
+        this.delegate = (Observer<T>) INERT;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -153,4 +154,23 @@ public void assertTerminalEvent() {
         }
     }
 
+    // do nothing ... including swallowing errors
+    private static Observer<Object> INERT = new Observer<Object>() {
+
+        @Override
+        public void onCompleted() {
+            
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void onError(Throwable e) {
+            
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void onNext(Object t) {
+            
+        }
+        
+    };
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/rx/observers/TestObserverTest.java b/src/test/java/rx/observers/TestObserverTest.java
index 9cfd547657..aa253f2cd2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/rx/observers/TestObserverTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/rx/observers/TestObserverTest.java
@@ -119,5 +119,10 @@ public void testWrappingMockWhenUnsubscribeInvolved() {
         inOrder.verify(mockObserver, times(1)).onCompleted();
         inOrder.verifyNoMoreInteractions();
     }
+    
+    @Test
+    public void testErrorSwallowed() {
+        Observable.error(new RuntimeException()).subscribe(new TestObserver<Object>());
+    }
 
 }