diff --git a/src/duster/parser.rs b/src/duster/parser.rs
index d3ae8cc..0264c93 100644
--- a/src/duster/parser.rs
+++ b/src/duster/parser.rs
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@ use nom::branch::alt;
 use nom::bytes::complete::is_a;
 use nom::bytes::complete::tag;
 use nom::bytes::complete::take_until;
+use nom::character::complete::one_of;
 use nom::combinator::map;
+use nom::combinator::opt;
 use nom::combinator::recognize;
 use nom::combinator::rest;
 use nom::combinator::value;
+use nom::combinator::verify;
 use nom::multi::many0;
 use nom::multi::separated_list;
 use nom::sequence::delimited;
@@ -20,7 +23,7 @@ enum DustTag<'a> {
     DTReference(Reference<'a>),
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
 enum Special {
     Space,
     NewLine,
@@ -29,23 +32,23 @@ enum Special {
     RightCurlyBrace,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
 struct Comment<'a> {
     value: &'a str,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
 struct Path<'a> {
     keys: Vec<&'a str>,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
 struct Reference<'a> {
     path: Path<'a>,
     filters: Vec<Filter>,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
 enum Filter {
     HtmlEncode,
     DisableHtmlEncode,
@@ -56,6 +59,7 @@ enum Filter {
     JsonParse,
 }
 
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
 struct Span<'a> {
     contents: &'a str,
 }
@@ -81,11 +85,11 @@ fn special(i: &str) -> IResult<&str, Special> {
     delimited(
         tag("{~"),
         alt((
+            value(Special::LeftCurlyBrace, tag("lb")),
+            value(Special::RightCurlyBrace, tag("rb")),
             value(Special::Space, tag("s")),
-            value(Special::NewLine, tag("s")),
-            value(Special::CarriageReturn, tag("s")),
-            value(Special::LeftCurlyBrace, tag("s")),
-            value(Special::RightCurlyBrace, tag("s")),
+            value(Special::NewLine, tag("n")),
+            value(Special::CarriageReturn, tag("r")),
         )),
         tag("}"),
     )(i)
@@ -102,8 +106,10 @@ fn path(i: &str) -> IResult<&str, Path> {
         separated_list(
             tag("."),
             recognize(tuple((
-                is_a("abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ_$"),
-                is_a("abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ_$0123456789-"),
+                one_of("abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ_$"),
+                opt(is_a(
+                    "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ_$0123456789-",
+                )),
             ))),
         ),
         |body| Path { keys: body },
@@ -138,7 +144,7 @@ fn filter(i: &str) -> IResult<&str, Filter> {
 
 /// Any text that is not a Dust element
 fn span(i: &str) -> IResult<&str, Span> {
-    let (remaining, body) = alt((take_until("{"), rest))(i)?;
+    let (remaining, body) = verify(alt((take_until("{"), rest)), |s: &str| s.len() > 0)(i)?;
     Ok((remaining, Span { contents: body }))
 }
 
@@ -154,3 +160,106 @@ pub fn template(i: &str) -> IResult<&str, Template> {
         },
     ))
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use nom::bytes::complete::is_a;
+    use nom::error::ErrorKind;
+    use nom::Err::Error;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_reference() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::reference("{foo.bar.baz|js|s}"),
+            Ok((
+                "",
+                Reference {
+                    path: Path {
+                        keys: vec!["foo", "bar", "baz"]
+                    },
+                    filters: vec![Filter::JsonStringify, Filter::DisableHtmlEncode],
+                }
+            ))
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_path() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            is_a::<_, _, (_, ErrorKind)>("abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ_$")(
+                "foo"
+            ),
+            Ok(("", "foo"))
+        );
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::path("foo.bar.baz"),
+            Ok((
+                "",
+                Path {
+                    keys: vec!["foo", "bar", "baz"]
+                }
+            ))
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_special() {
+        assert_eq!(super::special("{~s}"), Ok(("", Special::Space)));
+        assert_eq!(super::special("{~n}"), Ok(("", Special::NewLine)));
+        assert_eq!(super::special("{~r}"), Ok(("", Special::CarriageReturn)));
+        assert_eq!(super::special("{~lb}"), Ok(("", Special::LeftCurlyBrace)));
+        assert_eq!(super::special("{~rb}"), Ok(("", Special::RightCurlyBrace)));
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::special("{~zzz}"),
+            Err(Error(("zzz}", ErrorKind::Tag)))
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_comment() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::comment("{! yo dawg} this is a comment !}"),
+            Ok((
+                "",
+                Comment {
+                    value: " yo dawg} this is a comment "
+                }
+            ))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::special("{! this is a comment without a close"),
+            Err(Error((
+                "{! this is a comment without a close",
+                ErrorKind::Tag
+            )))
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_span() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::span("this is just some text"),
+            Ok((
+                "",
+                Span {
+                    contents: "this is just some text"
+                }
+            ))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::span("this is just some text {~lb}"),
+            Ok((
+                "{~lb}",
+                Span {
+                    contents: "this is just some text "
+                }
+            ))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::span("{~lb}"),
+            Err(Error(("{~lb}", ErrorKind::Verify)))
+        );
+    }
+}