diff --git a/keyring/keyring.go b/keyring/keyring.go
index 43dc428..9abfc9e 100644
--- a/keyring/keyring.go
+++ b/keyring/keyring.go
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ func NewKeyPair(root, name, email string) error {
 
 // ListKeys prints keyring information to w.
 func ListKeys(root string, w io.Writer) error {
-	if err := ensureDir(root); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "can't find or create pgp dir")
+	if err := checkDir(root); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "can't find pgp dir")
 	}
 	srn, prn := getNames(root)
 	secs, pubs, err := getELs(srn, prn)
@@ -105,8 +105,8 @@ func ListKeys(root string, w io.Writer) error {
 
 // Export prints pubkey information associated with email to w.
 func Export(root string, w io.Writer, email string) error {
-	if err := ensureDir(root); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "can't find or create pgp dir")
+	if err := checkDir(root); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "can't find pgp dir")
 	}
 	srn, prn := getNames(root)
 	_, pubs, err := getELs(srn, prn)
@@ -142,8 +142,8 @@ func Import(root string, w io.Reader) error {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "reading keyring")
 	}
 
-	if err := ensureDir(root); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "can't find or create pgp dir")
+	if err := checkDir(root); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "can't find pgp dir")
 	}
 	srn, prn := getNames(root)
 	_, pubs, err := getELs(srn, prn)
@@ -185,8 +185,8 @@ func Import(root string, w io.Reader) error {
 
 // Sign takes an id and a reader and writes the signature for that id to sig.
 func Sign(root, id string, in io.Reader, sig io.Writer) error {
-	if err := ensureDir(root); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "can't find or create pgp dir")
+	if err := checkDir(root); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "can't find pgp dir")
 	}
 	srn, prn := getNames(root)
 	secs, _, err := getELs(srn, prn)
@@ -206,8 +206,8 @@ func Sign(root, id string, in io.Reader, sig io.Writer) error {
 
 // Verify verifies a file's deatched signature.
 func Verify(root string, file, sig io.Reader) error {
-	if err := ensureDir(root); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "can't find or create pgp dir")
+	if err := checkDir(root); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "can't find pgp dir")
 	}
 	srn, prn := getNames(root)
 	_, pubs, err := getELs(srn, prn)
@@ -225,8 +225,8 @@ func Verify(root string, file, sig io.Reader) error {
 // It skips public keys that have matching secret keys, and does not effect
 // private keys.
 func Remove(root string, id string) error {
-	if err := ensureDir(root); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "can't find or create pgp dir")
+	if err := checkDir(root); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "can't find pgp dir")
 	}
 	srn, prn := getNames(root)
 	secs, pubs, err := getELs(srn, prn)
@@ -266,6 +266,14 @@ func pGPDir(root string) string {
 	return filepath.Join(root, "var", "lib", "pm", "pgp")
 }
 
+func checkDir(root string) error {
+	d := pGPDir(root)
+	if !fs.Exists(d) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("pgp dir does not exist")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func ensureDir(root string) error {
 	d := pGPDir(root)
 	if !fs.Exists(d) {
diff --git a/keyring/keyring_test.go b/keyring/keyring_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6425d50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/keyring/keyring_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+package keyring
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"regexp"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+const (
+	ExpectedListKeysRegex = "sec: [[:alnum:]]{8}:[[:space:]]*foo[[:space:]]*\\(pm\\)[[:space:]]*<bar>\npub: [[:alnum:]]{8}:[[:space:]]*foo[[:space:]]*\\(pm\\)[[:space:]]*<bar>"
+)
+
+func TestNewKeyPair(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Couldn't create tmpdir")
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
+
+	var newKeyPair = []struct {
+		r, n, e  string
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{"", "", "", false},
+		{"", "foo", "", false},
+		{"", "foo", "bad<>email", false},
+		{tmpdir, "foo", "bar", true},
+	}
+	for _, rt := range newKeyPair {
+		actual := NewKeyPair(rt.r, rt.n, rt.e)
+		if (actual == nil) != rt.expected {
+			t.Errorf(
+				"failed NewKeyPair with an error: %v\n\troot: %s\n\tname: %s\n\temail:%s\n\texpected: %t\n\t  actual: %t",
+				actual,
+				rt.r,
+				rt.n,
+				rt.e,
+				(actual == nil),
+				rt.expected,
+			)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestListKeys(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Couldn't create tmpdir")
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
+
+	err = NewKeyPair(tmpdir, "foo", "bar")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Couldn't create New Key Pair")
+	}
+
+	var newKeyPair = []struct {
+		r        string
+		regex    string
+		w        *bytes.Buffer
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{"", "", bytes.NewBuffer(nil), false},
+		{tmpdir, ExpectedListKeysRegex, bytes.NewBuffer(nil), true},
+	}
+	for _, rt := range newKeyPair {
+		actual := ListKeys(rt.r, rt.w)
+		if (actual == nil) != rt.expected {
+			t.Errorf(
+				"failed ListKeys with an error: %v\n\troot: %s\n\texpected: %t\n\t  actual: %t",
+				actual,
+				rt.r,
+				(actual == nil),
+				rt.expected,
+			)
+		}
+		if rt.expected {
+			matched, err := regexp.MatchString(rt.regex, rt.w.String())
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("error%v, ", err)
+			}
+			if !matched {
+				t.Errorf("did not match")
+				t.Errorf("ListKeys did not match expected regex; wanted: [%q], got: [%s]", rt.regex, rt.w.String())
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}