diff --git a/src/Writer/FirePhp.php b/src/Writer/FirePhp.php
index a04a9be4..b57b343d 100644
--- a/src/Writer/FirePhp.php
+++ b/src/Writer/FirePhp.php
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 use Zend\Log\Exception;
 use Zend\Log\Formatter\FirePhp as FirePhpFormatter;
 use Zend\Log\Logger;
-use FirePhp\FirePhpInterface;
 
 class FirePhp extends AbstractWriter
 {
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ public function __construct($instance = null)
             $instance = isset($instance['instance']) ? $instance['instance'] : null;
         }
 
-        if ($instance instanceof FirePhpInterface) {
+        if ($instance !== null && !($instance instanceof FirePhp\FirePhpInterface)) {
             throw new Exception\InvalidArgumentException('You must pass a valid FirePhp\FirePhpInterface');
         }
 
diff --git a/test/Writer/FirePhpTest.php b/test/Writer/FirePhpTest.php
index 2f3f2aee..b17b925c 100644
--- a/test/Writer/FirePhpTest.php
+++ b/test/Writer/FirePhpTest.php
@@ -89,4 +89,15 @@ public function testConstructWithOptions()
         $this->assertCount(1, $filters);
         $this->assertEquals($filter, $filters[0]);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Verify behavior of __construct when 'instance' is not an FirePhpInterface
+     *
+     * @expectedException Zend\Log\Exception\InvalidArgumentException
+     * @expectedExceptionMessage You must pass a valid FirePhp\FirePhpInterface
+     */
+    public function testConstructWithInvalidInstance()
+    {
+        new FirePhp(new \StdClass());
+    }
 }