diff --git a/bashate/bashate.py b/bashate/bashate.py
index 4512238..6c72a97 100755
--- a/bashate/bashate.py
+++ b/bashate/bashate.py
@@ -372,7 +372,10 @@ class BashateRun(object):
             report.print_error(MESSAGES['E004'].msg, line)
 
 
-def main():
+def main(args=None):
+
+    if args is None:
+        args = sys.argv[1:]
 
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         description='A bash script style checker')
@@ -385,7 +388,7 @@ def main():
                         help='Rules to always error (rather than warn)')
     parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose', action='store_true', default=False)
     parser.add_argument('-s', '--show', action='store_true', default=False)
-    opts = parser.parse_args()
+    opts = parser.parse_args(args)
 
     if opts.show:
         messages.print_messages()
diff --git a/bashate/tests/test_bashate.py b/bashate/tests/test_bashate.py
index 103db9a..089728f 100644
--- a/bashate/tests/test_bashate.py
+++ b/bashate/tests/test_bashate.py
@@ -34,37 +34,38 @@ class TestBashate(base.TestCase):
         self.run = bashate.BashateRun()
 
     @mock.patch('bashate.bashate.BashateRun')
-    @mock.patch('sys.argv')
-    def test_main_no_files(self, m_bashaterun, m_argv):
+    def test_main_no_files(self, m_bashaterun):
         m_run_obj = mock.MagicMock()
         m_run_obj.error_count = 0
+        m_run_obj.warning_count = 0
         m_bashaterun.return_value = m_run_obj
 
-        result = bashate.main()
+        result = bashate.main([])
         expected_return = 1
         self.assertEqual(expected_return, result)
 
     @mock.patch('bashate.bashate.BashateRun')
-    @mock.patch('sys.argv')
-    def test_main_return_one_on_errors(self, m_bashaterun, m_argv):
+    def test_main_return_one_on_errors(self, m_bashaterun):
         m_run_obj = mock.MagicMock()
         m_run_obj.warning_count = 1
         m_run_obj.error_count = 1
         m_bashaterun.return_value = m_run_obj
 
-        result = bashate.main()
+        result = bashate.main([])
         expected_return = 1
         self.assertEqual(expected_return, result)
 
     @mock.patch('bashate.bashate.BashateRun')
-    @mock.patch('sys.argv')
-    def test_main_return_one_on_ioerror(self, m_bashaterun, m_argv):
+    def test_main_return_one_on_ioerror(self, m_bashaterun):
         m_run_obj = mock.MagicMock()
         m_run_obj.error_count = 0
         m_run_obj.check_files = mock.Mock(side_effect=IOError)
         m_bashaterun.return_value = m_run_obj
 
-        result = bashate.main()
+        result = bashate.main(['--verbose',
+                               '/path/to/fileA', '/path/to/fileB'])
+        m_run_obj.check_files.assert_called_with(['/path/to/fileA',
+                                                  '/path/to/fileB'], True)
         expected_return = 1
         self.assertEqual(expected_return, result)