diff --git a/stack/checkpoint_test.go b/stack/checkpoint_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bec2914d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stack/checkpoint_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+package stack
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/log"
+
+	"github.com/tendermint/basecoin"
+	"github.com/tendermint/basecoin/state"
+)
+
+func TestCheckpointer(t *testing.T) {
+	assert, require := assert.New(t), require.New(t)
+
+	good := writerHand{"foo", []byte{1, 2}, []byte("bar")}
+	bad := FailHandler{Err: errors.New("no go")}
+
+	app := New(
+		Checkpoint{OnCheck: true},
+		writerMid{"bing", []byte{1, 2}, []byte("bang")},
+		Checkpoint{OnDeliver: true},
+	).Use(
+		NewDispatcher(
+			WrapHandler(good),
+			WrapHandler(bad),
+		))
+
+	basecoin.TxMapper.RegisterImplementation(RawTx{}, good.Name(), byte(80))
+
+	mid := state.Model{
+		Key:   []byte{'b', 'i', 'n', 'g', 0, 1, 2},
+		Value: []byte("bang"),
+	}
+	end := state.Model{
+		Key:   []byte{'f', 'o', 'o', 0, 1, 2},
+		Value: []byte("bar"),
+	}
+
+	cases := []struct {
+		// tx to send down the line
+		tx basecoin.Tx
+		// expect no error?
+		valid bool
+		// models to check afterwards
+		toGetCheck []state.Model
+		// models to check afterwards
+		toGetDeliver []state.Model
+	}{
+		// everything writen on success
+		{
+			tx:           NewRawTx([]byte{45, 67}),
+			valid:        true,
+			toGetCheck:   []state.Model{mid, end},
+			toGetDeliver: []state.Model{mid, end},
+		},
+		// mostly reverted on failure
+		{
+			tx:           NewFailTx(),
+			valid:        false,
+			toGetCheck:   []state.Model{},
+			toGetDeliver: []state.Model{mid},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for i, tc := range cases {
+		ctx := NewContext("foo", 100, log.NewNopLogger())
+
+		store := state.NewMemKVStore()
+		_, err := app.CheckTx(ctx, store, tc.tx)
+		if tc.valid {
+			require.Nil(err, "%+v", err)
+		} else {
+			require.NotNil(err)
+		}
+		for _, m := range tc.toGetCheck {
+			val := store.Get(m.Key)
+			assert.EqualValues(m.Value, val, "%d: %#v", i, m)
+		}
+
+		store = state.NewMemKVStore()
+		_, err = app.DeliverTx(ctx, store, tc.tx)
+		if tc.valid {
+			require.Nil(err, "%+v", err)
+		} else {
+			require.NotNil(err)
+		}
+		for _, m := range tc.toGetDeliver {
+			val := store.Get(m.Key)
+			assert.EqualValues(m.Value, val, "%d: %#v", i, m)
+		}
+
+	}
+}
diff --git a/stack/helpers.go b/stack/helpers.go
index eaee30575..b38e86bc6 100644
--- a/stack/helpers.go
+++ b/stack/helpers.go
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@ const (
 const (
 	ByteRawTx   = 0xF0
 	ByteCheckTx = 0xF1
+	ByteFailTx  = 0xF2
 
 	TypeRawTx   = NameOK + "/raw" // this will just say a-ok to RawTx
 	TypeCheckTx = NameCheck + "/tx"
+	TypeFailTx  = NameFail + "/tx"
 
 	rawMaxSize = 2000 * 1000
 )
@@ -30,7 +32,8 @@ const (
 func init() {
 	basecoin.TxMapper.
 		RegisterImplementation(RawTx{}, TypeRawTx, ByteRawTx).
-		RegisterImplementation(CheckTx{}, TypeCheckTx, ByteCheckTx)
+		RegisterImplementation(CheckTx{}, TypeCheckTx, ByteCheckTx).
+		RegisterImplementation(FailTx{}, TypeFailTx, ByteFailTx)
 }
 
 // RawTx just contains bytes that can be hex-ified
@@ -72,6 +75,22 @@ func (CheckTx) ValidateBasic() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// FailTx just gets routed to filaure
+type FailTx struct{}
+
+var _ basecoin.TxInner = FailTx{}
+
+func NewFailTx() basecoin.Tx {
+	return FailTx{}.Wrap()
+}
+
+func (f FailTx) Wrap() basecoin.Tx {
+	return basecoin.Tx{f}
+}
+func (r FailTx) ValidateBasic() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 // OKHandler just used to return okay to everything
 type OKHandler struct {
 	Log string
diff --git a/stack/prefixstore.go b/stack/prefixstore.go
index c12d14e55..5c6a4e7a0 100644
--- a/stack/prefixstore.go
+++ b/stack/prefixstore.go
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ func (p prefixStore) Commit(sub state.SimpleDB) error {
 	}
 
 	// commit the wrapped data, don't worry about the prefix here
-	p.store.Commit(ps)
+	p.store.Commit(ps.store)
 	return nil
 }