diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 85cc87be..b63b1b15 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -151,7 +151,8 @@ check_PROGRAMS=\
 			   helper_pidfile\
 			   helper_tokenize\
 			   helper_config_cmdline_parser\
-			   widget_test
+			   widget_test\
+			   box_test
 
 
 history_test_CFLAGS=\
@@ -229,6 +230,13 @@ widget_test_CFLAGS=$(textbox_test_CFLAGS)
 widget_test_SOURCES=\
 			source/widgets/widget.c\
 			test/widget-test.c
+
+box_test_LDADD=$(textbox_test_LDADD)
+box_test_CFLAGS=$(textbox_test_CFLAGS)
+box_test_SOURCES=\
+			source/widgets/widget.c\
+			source/widgets/box.c\
+			test/box-test.c
 textbox_test_SOURCES=\
 	source/widgets/widget.c\
 	source/widgets/textbox.c\
@@ -314,7 +322,8 @@ TESTS=\
 	helper_tokenize\
 	helper_config_cmdline_parser\
 	textbox_test\
-	widget_test
+	widget_test\
+	box_test
 
 .PHONY: test-x
 test-x: $(bin_PROGRAMS) 
diff --git a/test/box-test.c b/test/box-test.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ef305dd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/box-test.c
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <glib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <widgets/box.h>
+#include <widgets/widget.h>
+#include <widgets/widget-internal.h>
+unsigned int test =0;
+#define TASSERT( a )    {                                 \
+        assert ( a );                                     \
+        printf ( "Test %3i passed (%s)\n", ++test, # a ); \
+}
+
+#define TASSERTE( a, b )    {                                                            \
+        if ( ( a ) == ( b ) ) {                                                          \
+            printf ( "Test %i passed (%s == %s) (%u == %u)\n", ++test, # a, # b, a, b ); \
+        }else {                                                                          \
+            printf ( "Test %i failed (%s == %s) (%u != %u)\n", ++test, # a, # b, a, b ); \
+            abort ( );                                                                   \
+        }                                                                                \
+}
+
+int main ( G_GNUC_UNUSED int argc, G_GNUC_UNUSED char **argv )
+{
+    {
+        box *b = box_create ( BOX_HORIZONTAL, 0, 0, 100, 20 ); 
+        box_set_padding ( b, 5 ); 
+
+        widget *wid1 = g_malloc0(sizeof(widget));
+        box_add ( b , WIDGET( wid1 ), TRUE, FALSE );
+        // Widget not enabled.  no width allocated.
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->h, 0);
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->w, 0 );
+        widget_enable ( WIDGET ( wid1 ) );
+        widget_update ( WIDGET ( b ) ) ; 
+        // Widget enabled.  so width allocated.
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->h, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->w, 100 );
+        widget *wid2 = g_malloc0(sizeof(widget));
+        widget_enable ( WIDGET ( wid2 ) );
+        box_add ( b , WIDGET( wid2 ), TRUE, FALSE );
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->h, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->w, 47);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->h, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->w, 48);
+
+        widget *wid3 = g_malloc0(sizeof(widget));
+        widget_enable ( WIDGET ( wid3 ) );
+        box_add ( b , WIDGET( wid3 ), FALSE, FALSE );
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->h, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->w, 45);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->h, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->w, 45);
+
+        widget_resize ( WIDGET (wid3) , 20, 10 );
+        // TODO should this happen automagically?
+        widget_update ( WIDGET ( b ) ) ;
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->h, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->w, 35);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->h, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->w, 35);
+        TASSERTE ( wid3->h, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid3->w, 20);
+
+        widget_resize ( WIDGET (b ), 200, 20 );
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->h, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->w, 85);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->h, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->w, 85);
+        TASSERTE ( wid3->h, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid3->w, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( box_get_fixed_pixels ( b ) , 30 );
+        
+        widget *wid4 = g_malloc0(sizeof(widget));
+        widget_enable ( WIDGET ( wid4 ) );
+        widget_resize ( WIDGET ( wid4 ), 20, 20 );
+        box_add ( b , WIDGET( wid4 ), FALSE, TRUE );
+        TASSERTE ( wid4->x, 200-20);
+        widget_free ( WIDGET ( b ) );
+    }
+    {
+        box *b = box_create ( BOX_VERTICAL, 0, 0, 20, 100 ); 
+        box_set_padding ( b, 5 ); 
+
+        widget *wid1 = g_malloc0(sizeof(widget));
+        box_add ( b , WIDGET( wid1 ), TRUE, FALSE );
+        // Widget not enabled.  no width allocated.
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->h, 0);
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->w, 0 );
+        widget_enable ( WIDGET ( wid1 ) );
+        widget_update ( WIDGET ( b ) ) ; 
+        // Widget enabled.  so width allocated.
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->h, 100);
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->w, 20 );
+        widget *wid2 = g_malloc0(sizeof(widget));
+        widget_enable ( WIDGET ( wid2 ) );
+        box_add ( b , WIDGET( wid2 ), TRUE, FALSE );
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->w, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->h, 47);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->w, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->h, 48);
+
+        widget *wid3 = g_malloc0(sizeof(widget));
+        widget_enable ( WIDGET ( wid3 ) );
+        box_add ( b , WIDGET( wid3 ), FALSE, FALSE );
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->w, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->h, 45);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->w, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->h, 45);
+
+        widget_resize ( WIDGET (wid3) , 10, 20 );
+        // TODO should this happen automagically?
+        widget_update ( WIDGET ( b ) ) ;
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->w, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->h, 35);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->w, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->h, 35);
+        TASSERTE ( wid3->w, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid3->h, 20);
+
+        widget_resize ( WIDGET (b ), 20, 200 );
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->w, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid1->h, 85);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->w, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid2->h, 85);
+        TASSERTE ( wid3->w, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( wid3->h, 20);
+        TASSERTE ( box_get_fixed_pixels ( b ) , 30 );
+        widget *wid4 = g_malloc0(sizeof(widget));
+        widget_enable ( WIDGET ( wid4 ) );
+        widget_resize ( WIDGET ( wid4 ), 20, 20 );
+        box_add ( b , WIDGET( wid4 ), FALSE, TRUE );
+        TASSERTE ( wid4->y, 200-20);
+        widget_free ( WIDGET ( b ) );
+    }
+}