diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef7f0ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bin
+.bundle
diff --git a/.rspec b/.rspec
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc0c90e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.rspec
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+--tty
+--color
+--format documentation
+--require spec_helper
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 298ba7d..594c90b 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ gem "thin"
 gem "slim"
 gem "bb-ruby"
 gem "ruby-bbcode"
+gem "rspec", "~> 3.0"
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9244ec2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+GEM
+  remote: http://rubygems.org/
+  specs:
+    activesupport (4.2.4)
+      i18n (~> 0.7)
+      json (~> 1.7, >= 1.7.7)
+      minitest (~> 5.1)
+      thread_safe (~> 0.3, >= 0.3.4)
+      tzinfo (~> 1.1)
+    bb-ruby (1.1.0)
+    daemons (1.2.3)
+    diff-lcs (1.2.5)
+    eventmachine (1.0.8)
+    i18n (0.7.0)
+    json (1.8.3)
+    minitest (5.8.2)
+    rack (1.6.4)
+    rack-protection (1.5.3)
+      rack
+    rspec (3.1.0)
+      rspec-core (~> 3.1.0)
+      rspec-expectations (~> 3.1.0)
+      rspec-mocks (~> 3.1.0)
+    rspec-core (3.1.2)
+      rspec-support (~> 3.1.0)
+    rspec-expectations (3.1.0)
+      diff-lcs (>= 1.2.0, < 2.0)
+      rspec-support (~> 3.1.0)
+    rspec-mocks (3.1.0)
+      rspec-support (~> 3.1.0)
+    rspec-support (3.1.0)
+    ruby-bbcode (2.0.0)
+      activesupport (>= 3.2.3)
+    sinatra (1.4.6)
+      rack (~> 1.4)
+      rack-protection (~> 1.4)
+      tilt (>= 1.3, < 3)
+    slim (3.0.6)
+      temple (~> 0.7.3)
+      tilt (>= 1.3.3, < 2.1)
+    temple (0.7.6)
+    thin (1.6.4)
+      daemons (~> 1.0, >= 1.0.9)
+      eventmachine (~> 1.0, >= 1.0.4)
+      rack (~> 1.0)
+    thread_safe (0.3.5)
+    tilt (2.0.1)
+    tzinfo (1.2.2)
+      thread_safe (~> 0.1)
+
+PLATFORMS
+  ruby
+
+DEPENDENCIES
+  bb-ruby
+  rspec (~> 3.0)
+  ruby-bbcode
+  sinatra
+  slim
+  thin
+
+BUNDLED WITH
+   1.10.6
diff --git a/bristlecode.rb b/bristlecode.rb
index 4dc540f..3491b57 100644
--- a/bristlecode.rb
+++ b/bristlecode.rb
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ module Bristlecode
     rule(:space?) { space.maybe }
 
     rule(:bold_open) { str('[b]') | str('[B]') }
-    rule(:bold_close) { str('[/b]') | str('[/B]') }
+    rule(:bold_close) { str('[/b]') | str('[/B]') | eof }
     rule(:bold) { bold_open >> children.as(:bold) >> bold_close }
 
     rule(:italic_open) { str('[i]') | str('[I]') }
-    rule(:italic_close) { str('[/i]') | str('[/I]') }
+    rule(:italic_close) { str('[/i]') | str('[/I]') | eof }
     rule(:italic) { italic_open >> children.as(:italic) >> italic_close }
 
     rule(:eof) { any.absent? }
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ module Bristlecode
 
     rule(:text) { (tag_delim.absent? >> any).repeat(1).as(:text) }
     rule(:children) { space? >> elem.repeat(1) }
-    rule(:doc) { space? >> elem.repeat(1).as(:doc) }
+    rule(:doc) { space? >> elem.repeat.as(:doc) }
     root(:doc)
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/bristlecode/parser_spec.rb b/spec/bristlecode/parser_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..997f5b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/bristlecode/parser_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+require 'parslet/rig/rspec'
+require_relative '../../bristlecode.rb'
+
+module Bristlecode
+  describe Parser do
+    let(:parser) { Parser.new }
+
+    describe '#parse' do
+      it 'can parse an empty string' do
+        expect(parser).to parse('')
+      end
+
+      it 'can parse plain text' do
+        expect(parser).to parse('this is some plain text')
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe '#bold' do
+      it 'can parse correct bold text syntax' do
+        expect(parser.bold).to parse('[b]bolded contents here[/b]')
+        expect(parser.bold).to parse('[b]bolded contents here[/B]')
+        expect(parser.bold).to parse('[B]bolded contents here[/b]')
+        expect(parser.bold).to parse('[B]bolded contents here[/B]')
+      end
+
+      it 'can parse an unclosed tag' do
+        expect(parser.bold).to parse('[b]bolded contents here')
+        expect(parser.bold).to parse('[B]bolded contents here')
+      end
+
+      it 'fails non-bold text' do
+        expect(parser.bold).not_to parse('this is not bold')
+      end
+
+      it 'fails dangling close tags' do
+        expect(parser.bold).not_to parse('before [/b] after')
+      end
+
+      it 'fails nonsense tag' do
+        expect(parser.bold).not_to parse('[bold]fake content[/bold]')
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe '#italic' do
+      it 'can parse correct italic text syntax' do
+        expect(parser.italic).to parse('[i]italiced contents here[/i]')
+        expect(parser.italic).to parse('[i]italiced contents here[/I]')
+        expect(parser.italic).to parse('[I]italiced contents here[/i]')
+        expect(parser.italic).to parse('[I]italiced contents here[/I]')
+      end
+
+      it 'can parse an unclosed tag' do
+        expect(parser.italic).to parse('[i]italiced contents here')
+        expect(parser.italic).to parse('[I]italiced contents here')
+      end
+
+      it 'fails non-italic text' do
+        expect(parser.italic).not_to parse('this is not italic')
+      end
+
+      it 'fails dangling close tags' do
+        expect(parser.italic).not_to parse('before [/i] after')
+      end
+
+      it 'fails nonsense tag' do
+        expect(parser.italic).not_to parse('[italic]fake content[/italic]')
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b054591
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+RSpec.configure do |config|
+  config.expect_with :rspec do |expect|
+    expect.include_chain_clauses_in_custom_matcher_descriptions = true
+  end
+
+  config.mock_with :rspec do |mocks|
+    mocks.verify_partial_doubles = true
+  end
+end