diff --git a/db_query_interface.go b/db_query_interface.go
index 572dd6684..11137e4c2 100644
--- a/db_query_interface.go
+++ b/db_query_interface.go
@@ -68,12 +68,18 @@ func (i *DbInterface) ParseInput(input string) bool {
       fmt.Println(hex.EncodeToString([]byte(i.trie.root)))
     case "get":
       fmt.Println(i.trie.Get(tokens[1]))
+    case "root":
+      fmt.Println(hex.EncodeToString([]byte(i.trie.root)))
+    case "rawroot":
+      fmt.Println(i.trie.root)
     case "exit", "quit", "q":
       return false
     case "help":
-      fmt.Println(`query commands:
-update KEY VALUE
-get KEY
+      fmt.Printf(`QUERY COMMANDS:
+update KEY VALUE - Updates/Creates a new value for the given key
+get KEY - Retrieves the given key
+root - Prints the hex encoded merkle root
+rawroot - Prints the raw merkle root
 `)
     default:
       fmt.Println("Unknown command:", tokens[0])
diff --git a/test_runner.go b/test_runner.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da93533dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_runner.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+  "fmt"
+  "testing"
+  "encoding/json"
+)
+
+type TestSource struct {
+  Inputs map[string]string
+  Expectation string
+}
+
+func NewTestSource(source string) *TestSource {
+  s := &TestSource{}
+  err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(source), s)
+  if err != nil {
+    fmt.Println(err)
+  }
+
+  return s
+}
+
+type TestRunner struct {
+  source *TestSource
+}
+
+func NewTestRunner(t *testing.T) *TestRunner {
+  return &TestRunner{}
+}
+
+func (runner *TestRunner) RunFromString(input string, Cb func(*TestSource)) {
+  source := NewTestSource(input)
+  Cb(source)
+}
diff --git a/test_runner_test.go b/test_runner_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..190bf3caf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_runner_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+  _"fmt"
+  "testing"
+  "encoding/hex"
+)
+
+var testsource = `{"Inputs":{
+    "doe": "reindeer",
+    "dog": "puppy",
+    "dogglesworth": "cat"
+  },
+  "Expectation":"e378927bfc1bd4f01a2e8d9f59bd18db8a208bb493ac0b00f93ce51d4d2af76c"
+}`
+
+func TestTestRunner(t *testing.T) {
+  db, _ := NewMemDatabase()
+  trie := NewTrie(db, "")
+
+  runner := NewTestRunner(t)
+  runner.RunFromString(testsource, func(source *TestSource) {
+    for key, value := range source.Inputs {
+      trie.Update(key, value)
+    }
+
+    if hex.EncodeToString([]byte(trie.root)) != source.Expectation {
+      t.Error("trie root did not match")
+    }
+  })
+}