diff --git a/jiracli/util_test.go b/jiracli/util_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8785d03d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jiracli/util_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+package jiracli
+
+import (
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func realPath(path string) string {
+	cpath, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	return cpath
+}
+
+func comparePaths(p1 string, p2 string) bool {
+	if realPath(p1) == realPath(p2) {
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func TestFindClosestParentPath(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "testFindParentPath")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	origDir, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.Chdir(origDir)
+
+	t1 := filepath.Join(dir, "/.test1")
+	t2 := filepath.Join(t1, "/.test2")
+	t3 := filepath.Join(t2, "/.test1")
+	err = os.MkdirAll(t3, os.ModePerm)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	os.Chdir(t3)
+
+	path1, err := findClosestParentPath(".test1")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("findClosestParentPath should not have errored: %s", err)
+	}
+	if ok := comparePaths(path1, t3); !ok {
+		t.Errorf("%s != %s", path1, t3)
+	}
+
+	path2, err := findClosestParentPath(".test2")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("findClosestParentPath should not have errored: %s", err)
+	}
+	if ok := comparePaths(path2, t2); !ok {
+		t.Errorf("%s != %s", path2, t2)
+	}
+
+	path3, err := findClosestParentPath(".test3")
+	if err.Error() != ".test3 not found in parent directory hierarchy" {
+		t.Errorf("incorrect error from findClosestParentPath: %s", err)
+	}
+	if path3 != "" {
+		t.Errorf("path3 should be empty, but is not: %s", path3)
+	}
+
+}