diff --git a/cli/setup_test.go b/cli/setup_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4e16bdfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/setup_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// Executable is the minimal interface to *corba.Command, so we can
+// wrap if desired before the test
+type Executable interface {
+	Execute() error
+}
+
+func TestSetupEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	assert, require := assert.New(t), require.New(t)
+
+	cases := []struct {
+		args     []string
+		env      map[string]string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{nil, nil, ""},
+		{[]string{"--foobar", "bang!"}, nil, "bang!"},
+		// make sure reset is good
+		{nil, nil, ""},
+		// test both variants of the prefix
+		{nil, map[string]string{"DEMO_FOOBAR": "good"}, "good"},
+		{nil, map[string]string{"DEMOFOOBAR": "silly"}, "silly"},
+		// and that cli overrides env...
+		{[]string{"--foobar", "important"},
+			map[string]string{"DEMO_FOOBAR": "ignored"}, "important"},
+	}
+
+	for idx, tc := range cases {
+		i := strconv.Itoa(idx)
+		// test command that store value of foobar in local variable
+		var foo string
+		cmd := &cobra.Command{
+			Use: "demo",
+			RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+				foo = viper.GetString("foobar")
+				return nil
+			},
+		}
+		cmd.Flags().String("foobar", "", "Some test value from config")
+		PrepareBaseCmd(cmd, "DEMO", "/qwerty/asdfgh") // some missing dir..
+
+		viper.Reset()
+		args := append([]string{cmd.Use}, tc.args...)
+		err := runWithArgs(cmd, args, tc.env)
+		require.Nil(err, i)
+		assert.Equal(tc.expected, foo, i)
+	}
+}
+
+// runWithArgs executes the given command with the specified command line args
+// and environmental variables set. It returns any error returned from cmd.Execute()
+func runWithArgs(cmd Executable, args []string, env map[string]string) error {
+	oargs := os.Args
+	oenv := map[string]string{}
+	// defer returns the environment back to normal
+	defer func() {
+		os.Args = oargs
+		for k, v := range oenv {
+			os.Setenv(k, v)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// set the args and env how we want them
+	os.Args = args
+	for k, v := range env {
+		// backup old value if there, to restore at end
+		ov := os.Getenv(k)
+		if ov != "" {
+			oenv[k] = ov
+		}
+		err := os.Setenv(k, v)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	// and finally run the command
+	return cmd.Execute()
+}
+
+// runCaptureWithArgs executes the given command with the specified command line args
+// and environmental variables set. It returns whatever was writen to
+// stdout along with any error returned from cmd.Execute()
+func runCaptureWithArgs(cmd Executable, args []string, env map[string]string) (output string, err error) {
+	old := os.Stdout // keep backup of the real stdout
+	r, w, _ := os.Pipe()
+	os.Stdout = w
+	defer func() {
+		os.Stdout = old // restoring the real stdout
+	}()
+
+	outC := make(chan string)
+	// copy the output in a separate goroutine so printing can't block indefinitely
+	go func() {
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		// io.Copy will end when we call w.Close() below
+		io.Copy(&buf, r)
+		outC <- buf.String()
+	}()
+
+	// now run the command
+	err = runWithArgs(cmd, args, env)
+
+	// and grab the stdout to return
+	w.Close()
+	output = <-outC
+	return output, err
+}