diff --git a/remote/remote.go b/remote/remote.go
index 12064f9..9e283ed 100644
--- a/remote/remote.go
+++ b/remote/remote.go
@@ -138,3 +138,13 @@ func strip(u url.URL) url.URL {
 		Path:   u.Path,
 	}
 }
+
+func mkdirs(root string) error {
+	d, _ := filepath.Split(filepath.Join(root, fn))
+	if !fs.Exists(d) {
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(d, 0700); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "mk pm dir")
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/remote/remote_test.go b/remote/remote_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2d55e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/remote/remote_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+package remote
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TODO (sm): add more tests, including
+// - empty add
+// - removing db to empty
+// - bad uris
+
+func dirMe(t *testing.T) (string, func()) {
+	root, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "pm-tests-")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("tmpdir: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := mkdirs(root); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("making pm dirs: %v", err)
+	}
+	return root, func() {
+		if err := os.RemoveAll(root); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("cleanup: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAdd(t *testing.T) {
+	root, del := dirMe(t)
+	defer del()
+
+	{
+		db, err := load(root)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("load: %v", err)
+		}
+		if got, want := len(db), 0; got != want {
+			t.Fatalf("empty db not empty: got %v, want %v", got, want)
+		}
+	}
+
+	bad := []string{
+		"http\ns://\nFoo|n",
+	}
+
+	if err := Add(root, bad); err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("didn't detect bad url")
+	}
+
+	uris := []string{
+		"https://pm.mcquay.me/darwin/amd64",
+	}
+
+	if err := Add(root, uris); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("add: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	db, err := load(root)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("load: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if got, want := len(db), len(uris); got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("unepected number of uris; got %v, want %v", got, want)
+	}
+
+	for _, u := range uris {
+		found := false
+		for _, d := range db {
+			if d.String() == u {
+				found = true
+			}
+		}
+		if !found {
+			t.Fatalf("did not find %v in the db", u)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if err := Add(root, uris); err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("did not detect duplicate, and should have")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRemove(t *testing.T) {
+	root, del := dirMe(t)
+	defer del()
+
+	if err := Remove(root, nil); err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should have returned error on empty db")
+	}
+
+	uris := []string{
+		"https://pm.mcquay.me/foo",
+		"https://pm.mcquay.me/bar",
+		"https://pm.mcquay.me/baz",
+	}
+
+	if err := Remove(root, uris); err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should have returned error asking to remove many uri on empty db")
+	}
+
+	if err := Add(root, uris); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("add: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := Remove(root, uris[1:2]); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("remove: %v", err)
+	}
+	db, err := load(root)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("load: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got, want := len(db), len(uris)-1; got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("unepected number of uris; got %v, want %v", got, want)
+	}
+
+	found := false
+	for _, d := range db {
+		if d.String() == uris[1] {
+			found = true
+		}
+	}
+	if found {
+		for _, v := range db {
+			t.Logf("%v", v.String())
+		}
+		t.Fatalf("failed to remove %v", uris[1:2])
+	}
+}
+
+func TestList(t *testing.T) {
+	root, del := dirMe(t)
+	defer del()
+	uris := []string{
+		"https://pm.mcquay.me/foo",
+		"https://pm.mcquay.me/bar",
+		"https://pm.mcquay.me/baz",
+	}
+
+	if err := Add(root, uris); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("add: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
+	if err := List(root, buf); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("list: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	for _, u := range uris {
+		if !strings.Contains(buf.String(), u) {
+			t.Fatalf("could not find %q in output\n%v", u, buf.String())
+		}
+	}
+
+}