diff --git a/tests/test_conf.py b/tests/test_conf.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cce551d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_conf.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+from unittest import TestCase
+from pecan import configuration
+
+class TestConf(TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        import sys
+        import os 
+        if 'test_config' not in sys.path:
+            sys.path.append(os.path.abspath('test_config'))
+
+
+    def test_update_config_fail_identifier(self):
+        """Fail when naming does not pass correctness"""
+        bad_dict = {'bad name':'value'}
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, configuration.Config, bad_dict)
+
+    def test_update_set_config(self):
+        """Update an empty configuration with the default values"""
+        from pecan import conf, set_config
+        set_config('config')
+
+        self.assertTrue(conf.app.debug)
+        self.assertEqual(conf.app.root, None)
+        self.assertEqual(conf.app.template_path, 'myproject/templates')
+        self.assertEqual(conf.app.static_root, 'public')
+
+        self.assertEqual(conf.server.host, '1.1.1.1')
+        self.assertEqual(conf.server.port, '8081')
+
+
+    def test_update_set_default_config(self):
+        """Update an empty configuration with the default values"""
+        from pecan import conf, set_config
+        set_config('empty')
+
+        self.assertFalse(conf.app.debug)
+        self.assertEqual(conf.app.root, None)
+        self.assertEqual(conf.app.template_path, '')
+        self.assertEqual(conf.app.static_root, 'public')
+
+        self.assertEqual(conf.server.host, '0.0.0.0')
+        self.assertEqual(conf.server.port, '8080')
+
+