diff --git a/benchmark/run b/benchmark/run
index f91853995..00285b2ba 100755
--- a/benchmark/run
+++ b/benchmark/run
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ function run {
     ${BASE}/$1 --threads 0 --iterations $3;
     ${BASE}/$1 --threads $2 --iterations $(expr $3 / $2);
 }
-
+run test_getline 30 10000000
 #run test_array_allocation 20 100000
 #run test_png_encoding1 10 1000
 #run test_png_encoding2 10 50
diff --git a/benchmark/test_getline.cpp b/benchmark/test_getline.cpp
index c4c609a61..f5709647c 100644
--- a/benchmark/test_getline.cpp
+++ b/benchmark/test_getline.cpp
@@ -8,14 +8,14 @@ class test : public benchmark::test_case
 public:
     std::string line_data_;
     test(mapnik::parameters const& params)
-     : test_case(params)
+     : test_case(params),
+       line_data_("this is one line\nand this is a second line\nand a third line")
        {
           boost::optional<std::string> line_data = params.get<std::string>("line");
-          if (!line_data)
+          if (line_data)
           {
-              throw std::runtime_error("please provide a --line \"one line\ntwo line\"");
+              line_data_ = *line_data;
           }
-          line_data_ = *line_data;
        }
 
     bool validate() const
@@ -56,14 +56,14 @@ class test2 : public benchmark::test_case
 public:
     std::string line_data_;
     test2(mapnik::parameters const& params)
-     : test_case(params)
+     : test_case(params),
+       line_data_("this is one line\nand this is a second line\nand a third line")
        {
           boost::optional<std::string> line_data = params.get<std::string>("line");
-          if (!line_data)
+          if (line_data)
           {
-              throw std::runtime_error("please provide a --line \"one line\ntwo line\"");
+              line_data_ = *line_data;
           }
-          line_data_ = *line_data;
        }
 
     bool validate() const