diff --git a/lex_test.go b/lex_test.go
index 0790e7b..3314a04 100644
--- a/lex_test.go
+++ b/lex_test.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
-func runTest(t *testing.T, basepath, inpath, outpath string) {
+func runLexTest(t *testing.T, basepath, inpath, outpath string) {
 	in, err := os.Open(inpath)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unable to open input file %s: %s", inpath, err)
@@ -54,6 +54,6 @@ func TestLex(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, fname := range files {
-		runTest(t, "tests/lex/", fname, strings.Replace(fname, "in", "out", -1))
+		runLexTest(t, "tests/lex/", fname, strings.Replace(fname, "in", "out", -1))
 	}
 }
diff --git a/parse_test.go b/parse_test.go
index 3729d45..c755566 100644
--- a/parse_test.go
+++ b/parse_test.go
@@ -1,151 +1,65 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"reflect"
+	"bytes"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
-var parseTests = []parseTest{
-	{
-		source: ``,
-		root: &rootNode{
-			children: []node{},
-		},
-	},
-	{
-		source: `# just a comment`,
-		root: &rootNode{
-			children: []node{},
-		},
-	},
-	{
-		source: `name: "jordan"`,
-		root: &rootNode{
-			children: []node{
-				&assignmentNode{"name", "jordan"},
-			},
-		},
-	},
-	{
-		source: `
-            hostname: "jordanorelli.com"
-            port: 9000
-            freq: 1e9
-            duty: 0.2
-            neg: -2
-            neg2: -2.3
-            imag: 1+2i
-	    `,
-		root: &rootNode{
-			children: []node{
-				&assignmentNode{"hostname", "jordanorelli.com"},
-				&assignmentNode{"port", 9000},
-				&assignmentNode{"freq", 1e9},
-				&assignmentNode{"duty", 0.2},
-				&assignmentNode{"neg", -2},
-				&assignmentNode{"neg2", -2.3},
-				&assignmentNode{"imag", 1 + 2i},
-			},
-		},
-	},
-	{
-		source: `
-            first_name: "jordan" # yep, that's my name
-            last_name: "orelli"  # comments should be able to follow other shit
-        `,
-		root: &rootNode{
-			children: []node{
-				&assignmentNode{"first_name", "jordan"},
-				&assignmentNode{"last_name", "orelli"},
-			},
-		},
-	},
-	{
-		source: `
-            heroes: ["lina" "cm"]
-        `,
-		root: &rootNode{
-			children: []node{
-				&assignmentNode{"heroes", list{"lina", "cm"}},
-			},
-		},
-	},
-	{
-		source: `
-            nested: [["one" "two"] ["three" "four"]]
-        `,
-		root: &rootNode{
-			children: []node{
-				&assignmentNode{"nested", list{list{"one", "two"}, list{"three", "four"}}},
-			},
-		},
-	},
-	{
-		source: `
-            nested: [
-	           ["one" "two"]
-	           ["three" "four"]
-	        ]
-        `,
-		root: &rootNode{
-			children: []node{
-				&assignmentNode{"nested", list{list{"one", "two"}, list{"three", "four"}}},
-			},
-		},
-	},
-	{
-		source: `
-            admin: {first_name: "jordan" last_name: "orelli"}
-	    `,
-		root: &rootNode{
-			children: []node{
-				&assignmentNode{"admin", object{
-					"first_name": "jordan",
-					"last_name":  "orelli",
-				}},
-			},
-		},
-	},
-	{
-		source: `
-            http: {
-	           port: 9000
-	           routes: "/path/to/some/file"
-            }
-        `,
-		root: &rootNode{
-			children: []node{
-				&assignmentNode{"http", object{
-					"port":   9000,
-					"routes": "/path/to/some/file",
-				}},
-			},
-		},
-	},
-}
+func runParseTest(t *testing.T, basepath, inpath, outpath string) {
+	in, err := os.Open(inpath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("unable to open input file %s: %s", inpath, err)
+		return
+	}
+	defer in.Close()
 
-type parseTest struct {
-	source string
-	root   node
-}
+	expected, err := ioutil.ReadFile(outpath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("unable to read expected output for %s: %s", outpath, err)
+		return
+	}
 
-func (p *parseTest) run(t *testing.T) {
-	r := strings.NewReader(p.source)
-	n, err := parse(r)
+	r_inpath := filepath.Base(inpath)
+	n, err := strconv.ParseInt(strings.TrimSuffix(r_inpath, ".in"), 0, 64)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("parse error: %v", err)
+		t.Errorf("unable to get test number for path %s: %s", inpath, err)
 		return
 	}
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(p.root, n) {
-		t.Errorf("trees are not equal.  expected:\n%v\nsaw:\n%v", p.root, n)
-	} else {
-		t.Logf("OK trees are equal: %v = %v", p.root, n)
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	root, err := parse(in)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Logf("test %d: in: %s out: %s", n, inpath, outpath)
+		t.Errorf("parse error in test %d: %s", n, err)
+		return
+	}
+	if err := root.pretty(&buf, ""); err != nil {
+		t.Logf("test %d: in: %s out: %s", n, inpath, outpath)
+		t.Errorf("output error in test %d: %s", n, err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	if !bytes.Equal(buf.Bytes(), expected) {
+		t.Logf("test %d: in: %s out: %s", n, inpath, outpath)
+		t.Errorf("lex output does not match expected result for test %d", n)
+		t.Logf("expected output:\n%s", expected)
+		t.Logf("received output:\n%s", buf.Bytes())
 	}
 }
 
 func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
-	for _, test := range parseTests {
-		test.run(t)
+	files, err := filepath.Glob("tests/parse/*.in")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("unable to find test files: %s", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	for _, fname := range files {
+		runParseTest(t, "tests/parse/", fname, strings.Replace(fname, "in", "out", -1))
 	}
 }