diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index c072fa6..878a075 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ PATH
       opal-activesupport (~> 0)
       react-jsx (~> 0.8.0)
       react-source (~> 0.13)
-      sprockets (~> 3.1)
+      sprockets (>= 2.2.3, < 3.1)
       therubyracer (~> 0)
 
 GEM
@@ -16,15 +16,16 @@ GEM
     hike (1.2.3)
     json (1.8.3)
     libv8 (3.16.14.7)
-    opal (0.7.1)
+    multi_json (1.11.1)
+    opal (0.7.2)
       hike (~> 1.2)
       sourcemap (~> 0.1.0)
-      sprockets (>= 2.2.3, < 4.0.0)
+      sprockets (>= 2.2.3, < 3.0.0)
       tilt (~> 1.4)
     opal-activesupport (0.1.0)
       opal (>= 0.5.0, < 1.0.0)
-    opal-jquery (0.2.0)
-      opal (>= 0.5.0, < 1.0.0)
+    opal-jquery (0.3.0)
+      opal (~> 0.7.0)
     opal-rspec (0.4.2)
       opal (~> 0.7.0)
     rack (1.6.1)
@@ -42,8 +43,11 @@ GEM
       rack-protection (~> 1.4)
       tilt (>= 1.3, < 3)
     sourcemap (0.1.1)
-    sprockets (3.2.0)
+    sprockets (2.12.3)
+      hike (~> 1.2)
+      multi_json (~> 1.0)
       rack (~> 1.0)
+      tilt (~> 1.1, != 1.3.0)
     therubyracer (0.12.2)
       libv8 (~> 3.16.14.0)
       ref
@@ -54,7 +58,10 @@ PLATFORMS
 
 DEPENDENCIES
   opal-jquery (~> 0)
-  opal-rspec (~> 0.4.2)
+  opal-rspec
   rake (~> 10)
   react.rb!
   sinatra (~> 1)
+
+BUNDLED WITH
+   1.10.2
diff --git a/opal/react/component.rb b/opal/react/component.rb
index c18d6e7..aa7760d 100644
--- a/opal/react/component.rb
+++ b/opal/react/component.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ def self.included(base)
       end
       base.extend(ClassMethods)
     end
+    
+    def _render_wrapper
+      render
+    rescue Exception => e
+      message = "Exception raised while rendering #{self.class.name}: #{e}"
+      `console.error(#{message})` rescue nil
+      React.create_element("div") # return a valid element so error does not propogate, and we can keep rendering
+    end
 
     def params
       Hash.new(`#{self}.props`).inject({}) do |memo, (k,v)|
diff --git a/opal/react/component_factory.rb b/opal/react/component_factory.rb
index f0c5795..6216592 100644
--- a/opal/react/component_factory.rb
+++ b/opal/react/component_factory.rb
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ def self.native_component_class(klass)
         optional_native_alias[:componentDidUpdate, :component_did_update]
         optional_native_alias[:componentWillUnmount, :component_will_unmount]
         native_alias :render, :render
+        optional_native_alias[:render, :_render_wrapper]
       end
       %x{
         if (!Object.assign) {
diff --git a/react.rb.gemspec b/react.rb.gemspec
index 326549f..e734e45 100644
--- a/react.rb.gemspec
+++ b/react.rb.gemspec
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.add_runtime_dependency 'opal-activesupport', '~> 0'
   s.add_runtime_dependency 'therubyracer', '~> 0'
   s.add_runtime_dependency 'react-jsx', '~> 0.8.0'
-  s.add_runtime_dependency 'sprockets', '~> 3.1'
+  s.add_runtime_dependency 'sprockets', '>= 2.2.3', '< 3.1'
   s.add_runtime_dependency 'react-source', '~> 0.13'
 
-  s.add_development_dependency 'opal-rspec', '~> 0.4.2'
+  s.add_development_dependency 'opal-rspec'
   s.add_development_dependency 'sinatra', '~> 1'
   s.add_development_dependency 'opal-jquery', '~> 0'
   s.add_development_dependency 'rake', '~> 10'
diff --git a/spec/component_factory_spec.rb b/spec/component_factory_spec.rb
index 71b1085..1adb458 100644
--- a/spec/component_factory_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/component_factory_spec.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 describe React::ComponentFactory do
   describe "native_component_class" do
-    it "should bridge the defined life cycle methods" do
+    it "should bridge the defined life cycle methods and the render method" do
       stub_const 'Foo', Class.new
       Foo.class_eval do
         def component_will_mount; end
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ def should_component_update?; end
         def component_will_update; end
         def component_did_update; end
         def component_will_unmount; end
+        def render; end
       end
       
       ctor = React::ComponentFactory.native_component_class(Foo)
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ def component_will_unmount; end
       expect(`instance.$component_will_update`).to be(`instance.componentWillUpdate`)
       expect(`instance.$component_did_update`).to be(`instance.componentDidUpdate`)
       expect(`instance.$component_will_unmount`).to be(`instance.componentWillUnmount`)
+      expect(`instance.$render`).to be(`instance.render`)
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/exception_handling_spec.rb b/spec/exception_handling_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa84259
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/exception_handling_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+describe "displaying helpful warning and error messages" do
+  
+  before(:all) do
+    %x{
+      window.old_error_console = console.error
+      console.error = function(m) { window.last_error_message = m; }
+    }
+  end
+  
+  after(:all) do
+    %x{
+      console.error = window.old_error_console
+    }
+  end
+
+  it "should print and exception message" do
+    stub_const 'Foo', Class.new
+    Foo.class_eval do
+      include React::Component
+      def render
+        raise "error happened"
+      end
+    end
+    React.render_to_static_markup(React.create_element(Foo)) 
+    expect(`window.last_error_message`).to include("error happened")
+  end
+  
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/upgradetodos.txt b/upgradetodos.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a39501
--- /dev/null
+++ b/upgradetodos.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+
+observable_spec.rb
+
+native_library_spec.rb  <- no big interaction, just hooks into @@component_classes - but depends on RenderingContext
+
+  importing native react components (like bootstrap)
+
+
+export_component_spec.rb <- completely stand alone 
+  export_component
+  
+
+rendering_context_spec.rb
+    NOTE: rendering context primarily exists so that we can say Foo::Bar in the dsl, because we have no way of knowing the caller, so we have to track it via RenderingContext
+    NOTE: put the component lookup method in here I think
+  components can be directly named in the dsl (i.e. if class Foo, then you can just say Foo)
+  _as_node will return the native node without pushing into the buffer
+  if element returned from the child block is a string it is added to the buffer
+  test to make sure subclassing components works
+  
+exception_handling_spec.rb
+  you don't have to have render method, if you just want to export state  <- not sure what is going on here, but there is a render method now in the component, that raises an error unless its subclassed
+  catch and print rendering method if rendering fails.
+    I'm figuring that there will more exception cases (like misnamed components) that can go in this file.
+
+state_spec.rb
+  states all get methods  - states define methods foo, foo= and foo!
+  export / import states
+  states can be defined from within components instances (i.e. before_mount)
+  define_state extended syntax:  strings/symbols are initialized to the default initializer (nil or provided by block), the hash gives name => value pairs
+  if default initializer excepts params then it is considered a state listener and will receive |state_name, current_value, new_value| on state changes
+  
+
+params_spec.rb
+  NOTE: probably updates validator
+  can require param on a single line: required_param or optional_param
+  can require param of type Proc
+  params get methods 
+  proc params automatically call
+  ReactObserver params interact with the observer
+
+
+depends on react-source <- does it have to (i.e. perhaps for react-rails to work?, if not then do a separate PR at end)
+
+Branch map... 
+
+v13_base is synced with v13 BUT already has observable.rb added.   (todo if possible, shuffle this around)
+ <- exception_handling branched fro v13_base
+ <- export_component branched from v13_base
\ No newline at end of file