diff --git a/lib/rb/spec/binaryprotocol_spec.rb b/lib/rb/spec/binaryprotocol_spec.rb
index e949753..4a9fd3c 100644
--- a/lib/rb/spec/binaryprotocol_spec.rb
+++ b/lib/rb/spec/binaryprotocol_spec.rb
@@ -68,39 +68,37 @@
     end
 
     it "should write a byte" do
-      # byte is small enough, let's check -128..255
-      (-128..255).each do |i|
-        # do the verify/clear after each round because negative values
-        # will double-up the same args as positive values
-        @trans.should_receive(:write).with([i].pack('c'))
-        @prot.write_byte(i)
-        @trans.rspec_verify
-        @trans.rspec_clear
+      # byte is small enough, let's check -128..127
+      (-128..127).each do |i|
+        @trans.should_receive(:write).with([i].pack('c')).ordered
       end
-      # now try out of range
-      lambda { @prot.write_byte(512) }.should raise_error(RangeError)
+      (-128..127).each do |i|
+        @prot.write_byte(i)
+      end
+      # now try out of signed range
+      lambda { @prot.write_byte(224) }.should raise_error(RangeError)
     end
 
     it "should write an i16" do
       # try a random scattering of values
-      # include the signed i16 minimum and the unsigned i16 maximum
+      # include the signed i16 minimum/maximum
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\200\000").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\374\000").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\000\021").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\000\000").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\330\360").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\006\273").ordered
-      @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\377\377").ordered
-      [-2**15, -1024, 17, 0, -10000, 1723, 2**16-1].each do |i|
+      @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\177\377").ordered
+      [-2**15, -1024, 17, 0, -10000, 1723, 2**15-1].each do |i|
         @prot.write_i16(i)
       end
-      # and try something out of range
-      lambda { @prot.write_i16(2**18) }.should raise_error(RangeError)
+      # and try something out of signed range
+      lambda { @prot.write_i16(2**15 + 5) }.should raise_error(RangeError)
     end
 
     it "should write an i32" do
       # try a random scattering of values
-      # include the signed i32 minimum and the unsigned i32 maximum
+      # include the signed i32 minimum/maximum
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\200\000\000\000").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\377\376\037\r").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\377\377\366\034").ordered
@@ -108,17 +106,17 @@
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\000\000\000\000").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\000#\340\203").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\000\0000+").ordered
-      @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\377\377\377\377").ordered
-      [-2**31, -123123, -2532, -3, 0, 2351235, 12331, 2**32-1].each do |i|
+      @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\177\377\377\377").ordered
+      [-2**31, -123123, -2532, -3, 0, 2351235, 12331, 2**31-1].each do |i|
         @prot.write_i32(i)
       end
-      # try something out of range
-      lambda { @prot.write_i32(2 ** 34) }.should raise_error(RangeError)
+      # try something out of signed range
+      lambda { @prot.write_i32(2 ** 31 + 5) }.should raise_error(RangeError)
     end
 
     it "should write an i64" do
       # try a random scattering of values
-      # include the signed i64 minimum and the unsigned i64 maximum
+      # try the signed i64 minimum/maximum
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\200\000\000\000\000\000\000\000").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\377\377\364\303\035\244+]").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\377\377\377\377\376\231:\341").ordered
@@ -127,16 +125,16 @@
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\000\000\000\000\000\000\004\317").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\000\000\000\000\000#\340\204").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\000\000\000\002\340\311~\365").ordered
-      @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\377\377\377\377\377\377\377\377").ordered
-      [-2**63, -12356123612323, -23512351, -234, 0, 1231, 2351236, 12361236213, 2**64-1].each do |i|
+      @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\177\377\377\377\377\377\377\377").ordered
+      [-2**63, -12356123612323, -23512351, -234, 0, 1231, 2351236, 12361236213, 2**63-1].each do |i|
         @prot.write_i64(i)
       end
-      # try something out of range
-      lambda { @prot.write_i64(2 ** 72) }.should raise_error(RangeError)
+      # try something out of signed range
+      lambda { @prot.write_i64(2 ** 63 + 5) }.should raise_error(RangeError)
     end
 
     it "should write a double" do
-      # try a random scattering of values
+      # try a random scattering of values, including min/max
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\000\020\000\000\000\000\000\000").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\300\223<\234\355\221hs").ordered
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with("\300\376\0173\256\024z\341").ordered
@@ -156,5 +154,122 @@
       @trans.should_receive(:write).with(str).ordered
       @prot.write_string(str)
     end
+
+    it "should read a message header" do
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i32).and_return(BinaryProtocol::VERSION_1 | MessageTypes::REPLY, 42)
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_string).and_return('testMessage')
+      @prot.read_message_begin.should == ['testMessage', MessageTypes::REPLY, 42]
+    end
+
+    # message header is a noop
+
+    it "should read a field header" do
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_byte).ordered.and_return(Types::STRING)
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i16).ordered.and_return(3)
+      @prot.read_field_begin.should == [nil, Types::STRING, 3]
+    end
+
+    # field footer is a noop
+
+    it "should read a stop field" do
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_byte).and_return(Types::STOP)
+      @prot.should_not_receive(:read_i16)
+      @prot.read_field_begin.should == [nil, Types::STOP, 0]
+    end
+
+    it "should read a map header" do
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_byte).and_return(Types::DOUBLE, Types::I64)
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i32).and_return(42)
+      @prot.read_map_begin.should == [Types::DOUBLE, Types::I64, 42]
+    end
+
+    # map footer is a noop
+
+    it "should read a list header" do
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_byte).ordered.and_return(Types::STRING)
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i32).and_return(17)
+      @prot.read_list_begin.should == [Types::STRING, 17]
+    end
+
+    # list footer is a noop
+
+    it "should read a set header" do
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_byte).ordered.and_return(Types::MAP)
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i32).ordered.and_return(42)
+      @prot.read_set_begin.should == [Types::MAP, 42]
+    end
+
+    # set footer is a noop
+
+    it "should read a bool" do
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_byte).and_return(1, 0)
+      @prot.read_bool.should == true
+      @prot.read_bool.should == false
+    end
+
+    it "should read a byte" do
+      # try a scattering of values, including min/max
+      @trans.should_receive(:read_all).with(1).and_return(
+        "\200", "\307", "\375",
+        "\000", "\021", "\030", "\177"
+      )
+      [-128, -57, -3, 0, 17, 24, 127].each do |i|
+        @prot.read_byte.should == i
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "should read an i16" do
+      # try a scattering of values, including min/max
+      @trans.should_receive(:read_all).with(2).and_return(
+        "\200\000", "\353\213", "\376\237",
+        "\000\000", "\005\367", "\b\272", "\177\377"
+      )
+      [-2**15, -5237, -353, 0, 1527, 2234, 2**15-1].each do |i|
+        @prot.read_i16.should == i
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "should read an i32" do
+      # try a scattering of values, including min/max
+      @trans.should_receive(:read_all).with(4).and_return(
+        "\200\000\000\000", "\377\374i\213", "\377\377\347\244",
+        "\000\000\000\000", "\000\000\t/", "\000\001\340\363", "\177\377\377\377"
+      )
+      [-2**31, -235125, -6236, 0, 2351, 123123, 2**31-1].each do |i|
+        @prot.read_i32.should == i
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "should read an i64" do
+      # try a scattering of values, including min/max
+      @trans.should_receive(:read_all).with(8).and_return(
+        "\200\000\000\000\000\000\000\000", "\377\377\377\377\370\243Z\b",
+        "\377\377\377\377\377\377\3476", "\000\000\000\000\000\000\000\000",
+        "\000\000\000\000\000\000\000 ", "\000\000\000\000\213\332\t\223",
+        "\177\377\377\377\377\377\377\377"
+      )
+      [-2**63, -123512312, -6346, 0, 32, 2346322323, 2**63-1].each do |i|
+        @prot.read_i64.should == i
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "should read a double" do
+      # try a random scattering of values, including min/max
+      @trans.should_receive(:read_all).with(8).and_return(
+        "\000\020\000\000\000\000\000\000", "\301\f9\370\374\362\317\226",
+        "\300t3\274x \243\016", "\000\000\000\000\000\000\000\000", "@^\317\fCo\301Y",
+        "AA\360A\217\317@\260", "\177\357\377\377\377\377\377\377"
+      )
+      [Float::MIN, -231231.12351, -323.233513, 0, 123.2351235, 2351235.12351235, Float::MAX].each do |f|
+        @prot.read_double.should == f
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "should read a string" do
+      str = "hello world"
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i32).and_return(str.length)
+      @trans.should_receive(:read_all).with(str.length).and_return(str)
+      @prot.read_string.should == str
+    end
   end
 end