diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f906ef0e45..cc8fd5d8d9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@
 vendor
 merkleeyes.db
 build
+shunit2
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 96897b2505..3cb3937e7d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ GOTOOLS = \
 					github.com/Masterminds/glide
 PACKAGES=$(shell go list ./... | grep -v '/vendor/')
 
-all: test install
+all: get_vendor_deps test install
 
 build:
 	go build ./cmd/...
@@ -15,15 +15,23 @@ dist:
 	@bash scripts/dist.sh
 	@bash scripts/publish.sh
 
+clitest/shunit2:
+	wget "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kward/shunit2/master/source/2.1/src/shunit2" \
+		-q -O clitest/shunit2
+
+test_cli: clitest/shunit2
+	@./clitest/basictx.sh
+	# @./clitest/ibc.sh
+
 test:
 	go test $(PACKAGES)
 	#go run tests/tendermint/*.go
 
-get_deps:
-	go get -d ./...
+# get_deps:
+# 	go get -d ./...
 
-update_deps:
-	go get -d -u ./...
+# update_deps:
+# 	go get -d -u ./...
 
 get_vendor_deps: tools
 	glide install
diff --git a/clitest/basictx.sh b/clitest/basictx.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..0cface81f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clitest/basictx.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+oneTimeSetUp() {
+  BASE_DIR=$HOME/.basecoin_test_basictx
+  LOG=$BASE_DIR/test.log
+  SERVER_LOG=$BASE_DIR/basecoin.log
+
+  rm -rf $BASE_DIR
+  mkdir -p $BASE_DIR
+
+  ACCOUNTS=(jae ethan bucky rigel igor)
+  RICH=${ACCOUNTS[0]}
+  POOR=${ACCOUNTS[1]}
+
+  # set up client
+  prepareClient
+
+  # start basecoin server (with counter)
+  initServer
+  sleep 5
+  PID_SERVER=$!
+  echo pid $PID_SERVER
+
+  initClient
+
+  echo "...Testing may begin!"
+  echo
+  echo
+  echo
+}
+
+oneTimeTearDown() {
+  echo "stopping basecoin test server"
+  kill -9 $PID_SERVER
+  sleep 1
+}
+
+prepareClient() {
+  echo "Preparing client keys..."
+  export BC_HOME=$BASE_DIR/client
+  basecli reset_all
+  assertTrue $?
+
+  for i in "${!ACCOUNTS[@]}"; do
+      newKey ${ACCOUNTS[$i]}
+  done
+}
+
+initServer() {
+  echo "Setting up genesis..."
+  SERVE_DIR=$BASE_DIR/server
+  rm -rf $SERVE_DIR 2>/dev/null
+  basecoin init --home=$SERVE_DIR >>$SERVER_LOG
+
+  #change the genesis to the first account
+  GENKEY=$(basecli keys get ${RICH} -o json | jq .pubkey.data)
+  GENJSON=$(cat $SERVE_DIR/genesis.json)
+  echo $GENJSON | jq '.app_options.accounts[0].pub_key.data='$GENKEY > $SERVE_DIR/genesis.json
+
+  echo "Starting server..."
+  basecoin start --home=$SERVE_DIR >>$SERVER_LOG 2>&1 &
+}
+
+initClient() {
+  echo "Attaching client..."
+  # hard-code the expected validator hash
+  basecli init --chainid=test_chain_id --node=tcp://localhost:46657 --valhash=EB168E17E45BAEB194D4C79067FFECF345C64DE6
+  assertTrue "initialized light-client" $?
+}
+
+# newKeys makes a key for a given username, second arg optional password
+newKey(){
+  assertNotNull "keyname required" "$1"
+  KEYPASS=${2:-qwertyuiop}
+  (echo $KEYPASS; echo $KEYPASS) | basecli keys new $1 >>$LOG 2>/dev/null
+  assertTrue "created $1" $?
+  assertTrue "$1 doesn't exist" "basecli keys get $1"
+}
+
+# getAddr gets the address for a key name
+getAddr() {
+  assertNotNull "keyname required" "$1"
+  RAW=$(basecli keys get $1)
+  assertTrue "no key for $1" $?
+  # print the addr
+  echo $RAW | cut -d' ' -f2
+}
+
+testGetAccount() {
+  SENDER=$(getAddr $RICH)
+  RECV=$(getAddr $POOR)
+
+  echo sender $RICH
+  echo $SENDER
+
+  echo recipient $POOR
+  echo $RECV
+
+  assertFalse "requires arg" "basecli query account"
+  ACCT=$(basecli query account $SENDER)
+  assertTrue "must have proper genesis account" $?
+  echo $ACCT
+}
+
+# load and run these tests with shunit2!
+DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )" #get this files directory
+. $DIR/shunit2
diff --git a/clitest/ibc.sh b/clitest/ibc.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..2b0c889a74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clitest/ibc.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+echo "ibc test not implemented"