diff --git a/lib/rb/spec/protocol_spec.rb b/lib/rb/spec/protocol_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f2b5080
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/rb/spec/protocol_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/spec_helper'
+
+class ThriftSpec < Spec::ExampleGroup
+  include Thrift
+
+  before(:each) do
+    @prot = Protocol.new(mock("MockTransport"))
+  end
+
+  describe Protocol do
+    # most of the methods are stubs, so we can ignore them
+    it "should write out a field nicely" do
+      @prot.should_receive(:write_field_begin).with('field', 'type', 'fid').ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:write_type).with('type', 'value').ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:write_field_end).ordered
+      @prot.write_field('field', 'type', 'fid', 'value')
+    end
+
+    it "should write out the different types" do
+      @prot.should_receive(:write_bool).with('bool').ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:write_byte).with('byte').ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:write_double).with('double').ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:write_i16).with('i16').ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:write_i32).with('i32').ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:write_i64).with('i64').ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:write_string).with('string').ordered
+      struct = mock('Struct')
+      struct.should_receive(:write).with(@prot).ordered
+      @prot.write_type(Types::BOOL, 'bool')
+      @prot.write_type(Types::BYTE, 'byte')
+      @prot.write_type(Types::DOUBLE, 'double')
+      @prot.write_type(Types::I16, 'i16')
+      @prot.write_type(Types::I32, 'i32')
+      @prot.write_type(Types::I64, 'i64')
+      @prot.write_type(Types::STRING, 'string')
+      @prot.write_type(Types::STRUCT, struct)
+      # all other types are not implemented
+      [Types::STOP, Types::VOID, Types::MAP, Types::SET, Types::LIST].each do |type|
+        lambda { @prot.write_type(type, type.to_s) }.should raise_error(NotImplementedError)
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "should read the different types" do
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_bool).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_byte).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i16).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i32).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i64).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_double).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_string).ordered
+      @prot.read_type(Types::BOOL)
+      @prot.read_type(Types::BYTE)
+      @prot.read_type(Types::I16)
+      @prot.read_type(Types::I32)
+      @prot.read_type(Types::I64)
+      @prot.read_type(Types::DOUBLE)
+      @prot.read_type(Types::STRING)
+      # all other types are not implemented
+      [Types::STOP, Types::VOID, Types::MAP, Types::SET, Types::LIST].each do |type|
+        lambda { @prot.read_type(type) }.should raise_error(NotImplementedError)
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "should skip the basic types" do
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_bool).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_byte).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i16).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i32).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_i64).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_double).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_string).ordered
+      @prot.read_type(Types::BOOL)
+      @prot.read_type(Types::BYTE)
+      @prot.read_type(Types::I16)
+      @prot.read_type(Types::I32)
+      @prot.read_type(Types::I64)
+      @prot.read_type(Types::DOUBLE)
+      @prot.read_type(Types::STRING)
+    end
+
+    it "should skip structs" do
+      real_skip = @prot.method(:skip)
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_struct_begin).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_field_begin).exactly(4).times.and_return(
+        ['field 1', Types::STRING, 1],
+        ['field 2', Types::I32, 2],
+        ['field 3', Types::MAP, 3],
+        [nil, Types::STOP, 0]
+      )
+      @prot.should_receive(:skip).with(Types::STRING).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:skip).with(Types::I32).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:skip).with(Types::MAP).ordered
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_field_end).exactly(3).times
+      @prot.should_receive(:read_struct_end).ordered
+      real_skip.call(Types::STRUCT)
+    end
+  end
+end