diff --git a/lib/simple_crowd.rb b/lib/simple_crowd.rb
index 326e5c7..b7fbb51 100644
--- a/lib/simple_crowd.rb
+++ b/lib/simple_crowd.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 require 'simple_crowd/user'
 require 'simple_crowd/group'
 require 'simple_crowd/client'
+require 'simple_crowd/client_noop'
 require 'simple_crowd/cache/null_store'
 Dir['simple_crowd/mappers/*.rb'].each {|file| require File.basename(file, File.extname(file)) }
 
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ def default_crowd_options
     end
     def config_file_options
       @config_file_options ||= begin
-        (File.exists?('config/crowd.yml') &&
+        (File.exist?('config/crowd.yml') &&
             yml = (YAML.load_file('config/crowd.yml')[ENV["RAILS_ENV"] || "development"] || {}) and
             yml.symbolize_keys!) || {}
       end
diff --git a/lib/simple_crowd/client.rb b/lib/simple_crowd/client.rb
index 3150604..5782ce6 100644
--- a/lib/simple_crowd/client.rb
+++ b/lib/simple_crowd/client.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@ class Client
     attr_reader :options
     attr_accessor :app_token, :cache_store
 
+    def Client.new(options = {})
+      if options[:noop]
+        Rails.logger.warn "CROWD :: NOOP"
+        SimpleCrowd::ClientNoop.new
+      else
+        super(options)
+      end
+    end
+
     def initialize options = {}
       @options = SimpleCrowd.options options
       yield(@options) if block_given?
@@ -161,7 +170,7 @@ def search_users criteria, limit=0, start=0
       end
       soap_restrictions = add_soap_namespace(prepare_search_restrictions(restrictions, limit, start))
       users = simple_soap_call :search_principals, soap_restrictions rescue []
-      return [] if users.nil? || users[:soap_principal].nil?
+      return [] if users.nil? || users.empty? || users[:soap_principal].nil?
       users = users[:soap_principal].is_a?(Array) ? users[:soap_principal] : [users[:soap_principal]]
       users.map{|u| SimpleCrowd::User.from_soap u}
     end
diff --git a/lib/simple_crowd/client_noop.rb b/lib/simple_crowd/client_noop.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f5b97ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/simple_crowd/client_noop.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# Client with NOOP implementations
+module SimpleCrowd
+  class ClientNoop
+    def get_cookie_info
+      {}
+    end
+    def authenticate_application(name = nil, password = nil)
+      "NOOP"
+    end
+
+    def authenticate_user name, password, factors = nil
+    end
+    def create_user_token name
+    end
+    def invalidate_user_token token
+    end
+    def is_valid_user_token? token, factors = nil
+    end
+    def find_all_user_names
+      []
+    end
+    def find_user_by_name name
+    end
+    alias_method :find_user_with_attributes_by_name, :find_user_by_name
+
+    def find_user_by_token token
+    end
+    def find_username_by_token token
+    end
+    def find_user_by_email email
+    end
+    def search_users_by_email email
+    end
+    def search_users criteria, limit=0, start=0
+      []
+    end
+    def add_user user, credential
+    end
+    def remove_user name
+    end
+    def update_user_credential name, credential, encrypted = false
+    end
+    def update_user_attribute user, name, value
+    end
+    def update_user user
+    end
+
+    def is_group_member? group, user
+    end
+    def find_group_by_name name
+    end
+    def find_all_group_names
+      []
+    end
+    def find_group_memberships user
+      []
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/simple_crowd/mock_client.rb b/lib/simple_crowd/mock_client.rb
index 4c0dc9b..c40841b 100644
--- a/lib/simple_crowd/mock_client.rb
+++ b/lib/simple_crowd/mock_client.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@ def reset
     @tokens = []
     @groups = []
 
+    def MockClient.new(options = {})
+      if options[:noop]
+        Rails.logger.warn "CROWD :: NOOP"
+        SimpleCrowd::ClientNoop.new
+      else
+        super()
+      end
+    end
+
     def get_cookie_info
       {:secure=>false, :domain=>".twcrowdtest.com"}
     end
diff --git a/lib/simple_crowd/version.rb b/lib/simple_crowd/version.rb
index 209c7ae..ad178cd 100644
--- a/lib/simple_crowd/version.rb
+++ b/lib/simple_crowd/version.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 module SimpleCrowd
-  VERSION = "1.2.2"
+  VERSION = "1.2.3"
 end