diff --git a/src/jsx.erl b/src/jsx.erl
index bccf7c6..d953b8a 100644
--- a/src/jsx.erl
+++ b/src/jsx.erl
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 
 -module(jsx).
+-compile(export_all).
 
 -export([encode/1, encode/2, decode/1, decode/2]).
 -export([is_json/1, is_json/2, is_term/1, is_term/2]).
diff --git a/src/jsx_decoder.erl b/src/jsx_decoder.erl
index 925a316..93bac07 100644
--- a/src/jsx_decoder.erl
+++ b/src/jsx_decoder.erl
@@ -1613,16 +1613,7 @@ to_fake_utf(N, utf8) ->
 
 
 decode_test_() ->
-    Data = jsx:empty_array()
-        ++ jsx:deep_array()
-        ++ jsx:really_deep_array()
-        ++ jsx:empty_object()
-        ++ jsx:literals()
-        ++ jsx:naked_literals()
-        ++ jsx:integers()
-        ++ jsx:naked_integers()
-        ++ jsx:floats()
-        ++ jsx:naked_floats()
+    Data = jsx:universals()
         ++ jsx:decodeables(),
     [
         {
diff --git a/src/jsx_encoder.erl b/src/jsx_encoder.erl
index 4944d5b..ac2a72d 100644
--- a/src/jsx_encoder.erl
+++ b/src/jsx_encoder.erl
@@ -137,16 +137,7 @@ clean_string(Bin, Opts) -> jsx_utils:clean_string(Bin, Opts).
 
 
 encode_test_() ->
-    Data = jsx:empty_array()
-        ++ jsx:deep_array()
-        ++ jsx:really_deep_array()
-        ++ jsx:empty_object()
-        ++ jsx:literals()
-        ++ jsx:naked_literals()
-        ++ jsx:integers()
-        ++ jsx:naked_integers()
-        ++ jsx:floats()
-        ++ jsx:naked_floats(),
+    Data = jsx:universals(),
     [
         {
             Title, ?_assertEqual(
diff --git a/src/jsx_parser.erl b/src/jsx_parser.erl
index 5d0b0b8..c67eefd 100644
--- a/src/jsx_parser.erl
+++ b/src/jsx_parser.erl
@@ -170,16 +170,7 @@ clean_string(Bin, Opts) -> jsx_utils:clean_string(Bin, Opts).
 
 
 decode_test_() ->
-    Data = jsx:empty_array()
-        ++ jsx:deep_array()
-        ++ jsx:really_deep_array()
-        ++ jsx:empty_object()
-        ++ jsx:literals()
-        ++ jsx:naked_literals()
-        ++ jsx:integers()
-        ++ jsx:naked_integers()
-        ++ jsx:floats()
-        ++ jsx:naked_floats()
+    Data = jsx:universals()
         ++ jsx:decodeables(),
     [
         {
diff --git a/src/jsx_tests.hrl b/src/jsx_tests.hrl
index 9ea1ae4..b414a7c 100644
--- a/src/jsx_tests.hrl
+++ b/src/jsx_tests.hrl
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
 %% data and helper functions for tests
 
 -export([init/1, handle_event/2]).
--export([empty_array/0, deep_array/0, really_deep_array/0]).
--export([empty_object/0]).
--export([literals/0, naked_literals/0]).
--export([integers/0, naked_integers/0]).
--export([floats/0, naked_floats/0]).
+-export([universals/0]).
 -export([decodeables/0]).
 
 
@@ -19,6 +15,17 @@ handle_event(end_json, State) -> lists:reverse([end_json] ++ State);
 handle_event(Event, State) -> [Event] ++ State.
 
 
+universals() ->
+    empty_array()
+    ++ deep_array()
+    ++ really_deep_array()
+    ++ empty_object()
+    ++ literals()
+    ++ integers()
+    ++ floats()
+    ++ strings().
+
+
 empty_array() -> [{"[]", <<"[]">>, [], [start_array, end_array]}].
 
 deep_array() ->
@@ -33,6 +40,36 @@ really_deep_array() ->
 empty_object() -> [{"{}", <<"{}">>, [{}], [start_object, end_object]}].
 
 
+naked_strings() ->
+    Raw = [
+        "",
+        "hello world"
+    ],
+    [
+        {
+            String,
+            <<"\"", (list_to_binary(String))/binary, "\"">>,
+            list_to_binary(String),
+            [{string, list_to_binary(String)}]
+        }
+        || String <- Raw
+    ].
+
+strings() ->
+    naked_strings()
+    ++ [ wrap_with_array(Test) || Test <- naked_strings() ]
+    ++ [ wrap_with_object(Test) || Test <- naked_strings() ]
+    ++ [listify("naked strings", naked_strings())]
+    ++ [
+        {
+            "naked strings",
+            <<"{\"\":\"\",\"hello world\":\"hello world\"}">>,
+            [{<<>>, <<>>}, {<<"hello world">>, <<"hello world">>}],
+            [start_object, {key, <<>>}, {string, <<>>}, {key, <<"hello world">>}, {string, <<"hello world">>}, end_object]
+        }
+    ].
+
+
 naked_integers() ->
     Raw = [
         1, 2, 3,
@@ -53,7 +90,8 @@ naked_integers() ->
     ].
 
 integers() ->
-    [ wrap_with_array(Test) || Test <- naked_integers() ]
+    naked_integers()
+    ++ [ wrap_with_array(Test) || Test <- naked_integers() ]
     ++ [ wrap_with_object(Test) || Test <- naked_integers() ]
     ++ [listify("naked integers", naked_integers())]
     ++ [objectify("naked integers", naked_integers())].
@@ -84,12 +122,34 @@ naked_floats() ->
     ].
 
 floats() ->
-    [ wrap_with_array(Test) || Test <- naked_floats() ]
+    naked_floats()
+    ++ [ wrap_with_array(Test) || Test <- naked_floats() ]
     ++ [ wrap_with_object(Test) || Test <- naked_floats() ]
     ++ [listify("naked floats", naked_floats())]
     ++ [objectify("naked floats", naked_floats())].
 
 
+naked_literals() ->
+    [
+        {
+            atom_to_list(Literal),
+            atom_to_binary(Literal, unicode),
+            Literal,
+            [{literal, Literal}]
+        }
+        || Literal <- [true, false, null]
+    ].
+
+literals() ->
+    naked_literals()
+    ++ [ wrap_with_array(Test) || Test <- naked_literals() ]
+    ++ [ wrap_with_object(Test) || Test <- naked_literals() ]
+    ++ [listify("naked literals", naked_literals())]
+    ++ [objectify("naked literals", naked_literals())].
+
+
+%% special tests used only for things that don't round trip when decoded and re-encoded
+
 decodeables() ->
     Tests  =  [
         {"-0.0", <<"-0.0">>, 0.0, [{float, 0.0}]},
@@ -106,29 +166,6 @@ decodeables() ->
     ++ [objectify("naked decodeables", Tests)].
 
 
-sane_float_to_list(X) ->
-    [Output] = io_lib:format("~p", [X]),
-    Output.
-
-
-naked_literals() ->
-    [
-        {
-            atom_to_list(Literal),
-            atom_to_binary(Literal, unicode),
-            Literal,
-            [{literal, Literal}]
-        }
-        || Literal <- [true, false, null]
-    ].
-
-literals() ->
-    [ wrap_with_array(Test) || Test <- naked_literals() ]
-    ++ [ wrap_with_object(Test) || Test <- naked_literals() ]
-    ++ [listify("naked literals", naked_literals())]
-    ++ [objectify("naked literals", naked_literals())].
-
-
 wrap_with_array({Title, JSON, Term, Events}) ->
     {
         "[" ++ Title ++ "]",
@@ -151,6 +188,11 @@ repeat(_, Test, 0) -> Test;
 repeat(Fun, Test, Times) -> repeat(Fun, Fun(Test), Times - 1).
 
 
+sane_float_to_list(X) ->
+    [Output] = io_lib:format("~p", [X]),
+    Output.
+
+
 listify(Title, [{_, JSON, Term, Events}|Rest]) -> do_listify(Rest, {Title, JSON, [Term], Events}).
 
 do_listify([], {Title, JSON, Term, Events}) ->
diff --git a/src/jsx_to_json.erl b/src/jsx_to_json.erl
index 4e3bac9..df4f4f4 100644
--- a/src/jsx_to_json.erl
+++ b/src/jsx_to_json.erl
@@ -292,16 +292,7 @@ format_test_() ->
 
 
 handle_event_test_() ->
-    Data = jsx:empty_array()
-        ++ jsx:deep_array()
-        ++ jsx:really_deep_array()
-        ++ jsx:empty_object()
-        ++ jsx:literals()
-        ++ jsx:naked_literals()
-        ++ jsx:integers()
-        ++ jsx:naked_integers()
-        ++ jsx:floats()
-        ++ jsx:naked_floats(),
+    Data = jsx:universals(),
     [
         {
             Title, ?_assertEqual(
diff --git a/src/jsx_to_term.erl b/src/jsx_to_term.erl
index 007d8dc..792b6d6 100644
--- a/src/jsx_to_term.erl
+++ b/src/jsx_to_term.erl
@@ -267,16 +267,7 @@ post_decoders_test_() ->
 
 
 handle_event_test_() ->
-    Data = jsx:empty_array()
-        ++ jsx:deep_array()
-        ++ jsx:really_deep_array()
-        ++ jsx:empty_object()
-        ++ jsx:literals()
-        ++ jsx:naked_literals()
-        ++ jsx:integers()
-        ++ jsx:naked_integers()
-        ++ jsx:floats()
-        ++ jsx:naked_floats()
+    Data = jsx:universals()
         ++ jsx:decodeables(),
     [
         {
diff --git a/src/jsx_verify.erl b/src/jsx_verify.erl
index 059385a..304807e 100644
--- a/src/jsx_verify.erl
+++ b/src/jsx_verify.erl
@@ -115,16 +115,7 @@ opts_test_() ->
 
 
 handle_event_test_() ->
-    Data = jsx:empty_array()
-        ++ jsx:deep_array()
-        ++ jsx:really_deep_array()
-        ++ jsx:empty_object()
-        ++ jsx:literals()
-        ++ jsx:naked_literals()
-        ++ jsx:integers()
-        ++ jsx:naked_integers()
-        ++ jsx:floats()
-        ++ jsx:naked_floats()
+    Data = jsx:universals()
         ++ jsx:decodeables(),
     [
         {