the challenge of pulling an optical fiber having a connector at its terminal end without incurring damage to the fiber or connector due to excessive pulling or bending is met by introducing a breakaway feature that disconnects the connectorized fiber from the pulling mechanism upon detecting excessive force . the breakaway feature may be positioned at several locations along the pathway connecting the optical fiber and the pulling force . in one embodiment the breakaway feature is disposed on a cover over the connectorized front end of the optical fiber . in other embodiments the breakaway element is inserted along the cord connecting the connectorized optical fiber to the pulling force .