diff --git a/commands/cli/helptext_test.go b/commands/cli/helptext_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aa8361f99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/commands/cli/helptext_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	cmds "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/commands"
+)
+
+func TestSynopsisGenerator(t *testing.T) {
+	command := &cmds.Command{
+		Arguments: []cmds.Argument{
+			cmds.StringArg("required", true, false, ""),
+			cmds.StringArg("variadic", false, true, ""),
+		},
+		Options: []cmds.Option{
+			cmds.StringOption("opt", "o", "Option"),
+		},
+		Helptext: cmds.HelpText{
+			SynopsisOptionsValues: map[string]string{
+				"opt": "OPTION",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	syn := generateSynopsis(command, "cmd")
+	t.Logf("Synopsis is: %s", syn)
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(syn, "cmd ") {
+		t.Fatal("Synopsis should start with command name")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(syn, "[--opt=<OPTION> | -o]") {
+		t.Fatal("Synopsis should contain option descriptor")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(syn, "<required>") {
+		t.Fatal("Synopsis should contain required argument")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(syn, "<variadic>...") {
+		t.Fatal("Synopsis should contain variadic argument")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(syn, "[<variadic>...]") {
+		t.Fatal("Synopsis should contain optional argument")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(syn, "[--]") {
+		t.Fatal("Synopsis should contain options finalizer")
+	}
+}