diff --git a/test/unit/run.js b/test/unit/run.js
index 6b1398f9..ec1309be 100644
--- a/test/unit/run.js
+++ b/test/unit/run.js
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ var tests = [
   require('./controller/doc'),
   require('./controller/suggest'),
   require('./controller/search'),
+  require('./service/mget'),
+  require('./service/search'),
+  require('./service/suggest'),
   require('./sanitiser/suggest'),
   require('./sanitiser/doc'),
   require('./query/indeces'),
diff --git a/test/unit/service/mget.js b/test/unit/service/mget.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b43f717
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/service/mget.js
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+
+var setup = require('../../../service/mget'),
+    mockBackend = require('../mock/backend');
+
+module.exports.tests = {};
+
+module.exports.tests.interface = function(test, common) {
+  test('valid interface', function(t) {
+    t.equal(typeof setup, 'function', 'setup is a function');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
+// functionally test service 
+module.exports.tests.functional_success = function(test, common) {
+
+  var expected = [
+    {
+      value: 1,
+      center_point: { lat: 100.1, lon: -50.5 },
+      name: { default: 'test name1' },
+      admin0: 'country1', admin1: 'state1', admin2: 'city1'
+    }, 
+    {
+      value: 2,
+      center_point: { lat: 100.2, lon: -51.5 },
+      name: { default: 'test name2' },
+      admin0: 'country2', admin1: 'state2', admin2: 'city2'
+    }
+  ];
+
+  test('valid query', function(t) {
+    var backend = mockBackend( 'client/doc/ok/1', function( cmd ){
+      t.deepEqual(cmd, { body: { docs: [ { _id: 123, _index: 'pelias', _type: 'a' } ] } }, 'correct backend command');
+    });
+    setup( backend, [ { _id: 123, _index: 'pelias', _type: 'a' } ], function(err, data) {
+      t.true(Array.isArray(data), 'returns an array');
+      data.forEach(function(d) {
+        t.true(typeof d === 'object', 'valid object');
+      });
+      t.deepEqual(data, expected, 'values correctly mapped')
+      t.end();
+    });
+  });
+
+};
+
+// functionally test service
+module.exports.tests.functional_failure = function(test, common) {
+
+  test('invalid query', function(t) {
+    var invalid_queries = [
+      { _id: 123, _index: 'pelias' },
+      { _id: 123, _type: 'a' },
+      { _index: 'pelias', _type: 'a' },
+      { }
+    ];
+
+    var backend = mockBackend( 'client/doc/fail/1', function( cmd ){
+      t.notDeepEqual(cmd, { body: { docs: [ { _id: 123, _index: 'pelias', _type: 'a' } ] } }, 'incorrect backend command');
+    });
+    invalid_queries.forEach(function(query) {
+      setup( backend, [ query ], function(err, data) {
+        t.equal(err, 'a backend error occurred','error passed to errorHandler');
+        t.equal(data, undefined, 'data is undefined');
+      });
+    });
+    t.end();
+  });
+
+};
+
+module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
+
+  function test(name, testFunction) {
+    return tape('SERVICE /mget ' + name, testFunction);
+  }
+
+  for( var testCase in module.exports.tests ){
+    module.exports.tests[testCase](test, common);
+  }
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unit/service/search.js b/test/unit/service/search.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2e1b3393
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/service/search.js
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+
+var setup = require('../../../service/search'),
+    mockBackend = require('../mock/backend');
+
+var example_valid_es_query = { body: { a: 'b' }, index: 'pelias' };
+
+module.exports.tests = {};
+
+module.exports.tests.interface = function(test, common) {
+  test('valid interface', function(t) {
+    t.equal(typeof setup, 'function', 'setup is a function');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
+// functionally test service 
+module.exports.tests.functional_success = function(test, common) {
+
+  var expected = [
+    {
+      value: 1,
+      center_point: { lat: 100.1, lon: -50.5 },
+      name: { default: 'test name1' },
+      admin0: 'country1', admin1: 'state1', admin2: 'city1'
+    }, 
+    {
+      value: 2,
+      center_point: { lat: 100.2, lon: -51.5 },
+      name: { default: 'test name2' },
+      admin0: 'country2', admin1: 'state2', admin2: 'city2'
+    }
+  ];
+
+  test('valid ES query', function(t) {
+    var backend = mockBackend( 'client/search/ok/1', function( cmd ){
+      t.deepEqual(cmd, example_valid_es_query, 'no change to the command');
+    });
+    setup( backend, example_valid_es_query, function(err, data) {
+      t.true(Array.isArray(data), 'returns an array');
+      data.forEach(function(d) {
+        t.true(typeof d === 'object', 'valid object');
+      });
+      t.deepEqual(data, expected, 'values correctly mapped')
+      t.end();
+    });
+  });
+
+};
+
+// functionally test service
+module.exports.tests.functional_failure = function(test, common) {
+
+  test('invalid ES query', function(t) {
+    var invalid_queries = [
+      {  },
+      { foo: 'bar' }
+    ];
+
+    var backend = mockBackend( 'client/search/fail/1', function( cmd ){
+      t.notDeepEqual(cmd, example_valid_es_query, 'incorrect backend command');
+    });
+    invalid_queries.forEach(function(query) {
+      setup( backend, [ query ], function(err, data) {
+        t.equal(err, 'a backend error occurred','error passed to errorHandler');
+        t.equal(data, undefined, 'data is undefined');
+      });
+    });
+    t.end();
+  });
+
+};
+
+module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
+
+  function test(name, testFunction) {
+    return tape('SERVICE /search ' + name, testFunction);
+  }
+
+  for( var testCase in module.exports.tests ){
+    module.exports.tests[testCase](test, common);
+  }
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unit/service/suggest.js b/test/unit/service/suggest.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0f57e02c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/service/suggest.js
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+
+var setup = require('../../../service/suggest'),
+    mockBackend = require('../mock/backend');
+
+var example_valid_es_query = { body: { a: 'b' }, index: 'pelias' };
+
+module.exports.tests = {};
+
+module.exports.tests.interface = function(test, common) {
+  test('valid interface', function(t) {
+    t.equal(typeof setup, 'function', 'setup is a function');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
+// functionally test service 
+module.exports.tests.functional_success = function(test, common) {
+
+  var mockPayload = {
+    id: 'mocktype/mockid',
+    geo: '101,-10.1'
+  };
+
+  var expected = [ 
+    { value: 1, payload: mockPayload }, 
+    { value: 2, payload: mockPayload } 
+  ];
+
+  test('valid ES query', function(t) {
+    var backend = mockBackend( 'client/suggest/ok/1', function( cmd ){
+      t.deepEqual(cmd, example_valid_es_query, 'no change to the command');
+    });
+    setup( backend, example_valid_es_query, function(err, data) {
+      t.true(Array.isArray(data), 'returns an array');
+      data.forEach(function(d) {
+        t.true(typeof d === 'object', 'valid object');
+      });
+      t.deepEqual(data, expected, 'values correctly mapped')
+      t.end();
+    });
+  });
+
+};
+
+// functionally test service
+module.exports.tests.functional_failure = function(test, common) {
+
+  test('invalid ES query', function(t) {
+    var invalid_queries = [
+      {  },
+      { foo: 'bar' }
+    ];
+
+    var backend = mockBackend( 'client/suggest/fail/1', function( cmd ){
+      t.notDeepEqual(cmd, example_valid_es_query, 'incorrect backend command');
+    });
+    invalid_queries.forEach(function(query) {
+      setup( backend, [ query ], function(err, data) {
+        t.equal(err, 'a backend error occurred','error passed to errorHandler');
+        t.equal(data, undefined, 'data is undefined');
+      });
+    });
+    t.end();
+  });
+
+};
+
+module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
+
+  function test(name, testFunction) {
+    return tape('SERVICE /suggest ' + name, testFunction);
+  }
+
+  for( var testCase in module.exports.tests ){
+    module.exports.tests[testCase](test, common);
+  }
+};
\ No newline at end of file