diff --git a/chainlib/cli/arg.py b/chainlib/cli/arg.py
index 5ac161d..be34e4a 100644
--- a/chainlib/cli/arg.py
+++ b/chainlib/cli/arg.py
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@ logg = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 def stdin_arg():
+    """Retreive input arguments from stdin if they exist.
+
+    Method does not block, and expects arguments to be ready on stdin before being called.
+
+    :rtype: str
+    :returns: Input arguments string
+    """
     h = select.select([sys.stdin], [], [], 0)
     if len(h[0]) > 0:
         v = h[0][0].read()
@@ -25,6 +32,23 @@ def stdin_arg():
 
 
 class ArgumentParser(argparse.ArgumentParser):
+    """Extends the standard library argument parser to construct arguments based on configuration flags.
+
+    The extended class is set up to facilitate piping of single positional arguments via stdin. For this reason, positional arguments should be added using the locally defined add_positional method instead of add_argument.
+
+    Calls chainlib.cli.args.ArgumentParser.process_flags with arg_flags and env arguments, see the method's documentation for further details.
+
+    :param arg_flags: Argument flag bit vector to generate configuration values for.
+    :type arg_flags: chainlib.cli.Flag
+    :param env: Environment variables
+    :type env: dict
+    :param usage: Usage string, passed to parent
+    :type usage: str
+    :param description: Description string, passed to parent
+    :type description: str
+    :param epilog: Epilog string, passed to parent
+    :type epilog: str
+    """
 
     def __init__(self, arg_flags=0x0f, env=os.environ, usage=None, description=None, epilog=None, *args, **kwargs):
         super(ArgumentParser, self).__init__(usage=usage, description=description, epilog=epilog)
@@ -33,10 +57,34 @@ class ArgumentParser(argparse.ArgumentParser):
 
 
     def add_positional(self, name, type=str, help=None, required=True):
+        """Add a positional argument.
+
+        Stdin piping will only be possible in the event a single positional argument is defined.
+
+        If the "required" is set, the resulting parsed arguments must have provided a value either from stdin or excplicitly on the command line.
+
+        :param name: Attribute name of argument
+        :type name: str
+        :param type: Argument type
+        :type type: str
+        :param help: Help string
+        :type help: str
+        :param required: If true, argument will be set to required
+        :type required: bool
+        """
         self.pos_args.append((name, type, help, required,))
 
 
     def parse_args(self, argv=sys.argv[1:]):
+        """Overrides the argparse.ArgumentParser.parse_args method.
+
+        Implements reading arguments from stdin if a single positional argument is defined (and not set to required).
+
+        If the "required" was set for the single positional argument, the resulting parsed arguments must have provided a value either from stdin or excplicitly on the command line.
+
+        :param argv: Argument vector to process
+        :type argv: list
+        """
         if len(self.pos_args) == 1:
             arg = self.pos_args[0]
             self.add_argument(arg[0], nargs='?', type=arg[1], default=stdin_arg(), help=arg[2])
@@ -62,6 +110,20 @@ class ArgumentParser(argparse.ArgumentParser):
 
 
     def process_flags(self, arg_flags, env):
+        """Configures the arguments of the parser using the provided flags.
+
+        Environment variables are used for default values for:
+
+        CONFINI_DIR: -c, --config 
+        CONFINI_ENV_PREFIX: --env-prefix
+        
+        This method is called by the constructor, and is not intended to be called directly.
+
+        :param arg_flags: Argument flag bit vector to generate configuration values for.
+        :type arg_flags: chainlib.cli.Flag
+        :param env: Environment variables
+        :type env: dict
+        """
         if arg_flags & Flag.VERBOSE:
             self.add_argument('-v', action='store_true', help='Be verbose')
             self.add_argument('-vv', action='store_true', help='Be more verbose')
diff --git a/chainlib/cli/config.py b/chainlib/cli/config.py
index f6a2d85..17e6370 100644
--- a/chainlib/cli/config.py
+++ b/chainlib/cli/config.py
@@ -11,22 +11,87 @@ from .base import (
         default_config_dir as default_parent_config_dir,
         )
 
-#logg = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-logg = logging.getLogger()
+logg = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 def logcallback(config):
+    """Callback to dump config contents to log after completed config load
+    
+    :param config: Config object
+    :type config: confini.Config
+    """
     logg.debug('config loaded:\n{}'.format(config))
 
 
 class Config(confini.Config):
+    """Extends confini.Config.
 
+    Processes argument parser attributes to configuration variables.
+
+    Provides sane configuration overrides and fallbacks.
+
+    """        
     default_base_config_dir = default_parent_config_dir
     default_fee_limit = 0
 
     @classmethod
-    def from_args(cls, args, arg_flags, extra_args={}, base_config_dir=None, default_config_dir=None, user_config_dir=None, default_fee_limit=None, logger=None, load_callback=logcallback):
+    def from_args(cls, args, arg_flags=0x0f, env=os.environ, extra_args={}, base_config_dir=None, default_config_dir=None, user_config_dir=None, default_fee_limit=None, logger=None, load_callback=logcallback):
+        """Parses arguments in argparse.ArgumentParser instance, then match and override configuration values that match them.
 
+        The method processes all known argument flags from chainlib.cli.Flag passed in the "args" argument. 
+
+        All entries in extra_args may be used to associate arguments not defined in the argument flags with configuration variables, in the following manner:
+
+        - The value of argparser.ArgumentParser instance attribute with the dictionary key string is looked up.
+        - If the value is None (defined but empty), any existing value for the configuration directive will be kept.
+        - If the value of the extra_args dictionary entry is None, then the value will be stored in the configuration under the upper-case value of the key string, prefixed with "_" ("foo_bar" becomes "_FOO_BAR")
+        - If the value of the extra_args dictionary entries is a string, then the value will be stored in the configuration under that literal string.
+ 
+        Missing attributes defined by both the "args" and "extra_args" arguments will both raise an AttributeError.
+
+        The python package "confini" is used to process and render the configuration.
+
+        The confini config schema is determined in the following manner:
+
+        - If nothing is set, only the config folder in chainlib.data.config will be used as schema.
+        - If base_config_dir is a string or list, the config directives from the path(s) will be added to the schema.
+
+        The global override config directories are determined in the following manner:
+
+        - If no default_config_dir is defined, the environment variable CONFINI_DIR will be used.
+        - If default_config_dir is a string or list, values from the config directives from the path(s) will override those defined in the schema(s).
+
+        The user override config directories work the same way as the global ones, but the namespace - if defined - are dependent on them. They are only applied if the CONFIG arg flag is set. User override config directories are determined in the following manner:
+
+        - If --config argument is not defined and the pyxdg module is present, the first available xdg basedir is used.
+        - If --config argument is defined, the directory defined by its value will be used.
+
+        The namespace, if defined, will be stored under the CONFIG_USER_NAMESPACE configuration key.
+
+        :param args: Argument parser object
+        :type args: argparse.ArgumentParser
+        :param arg_flags: Argument flags defining which arguments to process into configuration.
+        :type arg_flags: confini.cli.args.ArgumentParser
+        :param env: Environment variables selection
+        :type env: dict
+        :param extra_args: Extra arguments to process and override.
+        :type extra_args: dict
+        :param base_config_dir: Path(s) to one or more directories extending the base chainlib config schema.
+        :type base_config_dir: list or str
+        :param default_config_dir: Path(s) to one or more directories overriding the defaults defined in the schema config directories.
+        :type default_config_dir: list or str
+        :param user_config_dir: User xdg config basedir, with namespace
+        :type user_config_dir: str
+        :param default_fee_limit: Default value for fee limit argument
+        :type default_fee_limit: int
+        :param logger: Logger instance to use during argument processing (will use package namespace logger if None)
+        :type logger: logging.Logger
+        :param load_callback: Callback receiving config instance as argument after config processing and load completes.
+        :type load_callback: function
+        :raises AttributeError: Attribute defined in flag not found in parsed arguments
+        :rtype: confini.Config
+        :return: Processed configuation
+        """
         if logger == None:
             logger = logging.getLogger()
 
@@ -58,7 +123,7 @@ class Config(confini.Config):
 
         # confini dir env var will be used for override configs only in this case
         if default_config_dir == None:
-            default_config_dir = os.environ.get('CONFINI_DIR')
+            default_config_dir = env.get('CONFINI_DIR')
         if default_config_dir != None:
             if isinstance(default_config_dir, str):
                 default_config_dir = [default_config_dir]
@@ -67,32 +132,27 @@ class Config(confini.Config):
 
         # process config command line arguments
         if arg_flags & Flag.CONFIG:
-
             effective_user_config_dir = getattr(args, 'config', None)
             if effective_user_config_dir == None:
                 effective_user_config_dir = user_config_dir
-
             if effective_user_config_dir != None:
-                if config_dir == None:
-                    if getattr(args, 'namespace', None) != None:
-                        arg_config_dir = os.path.join(effective_user_config_dir, args.namespace)
-                    config_dir = [cls.default_base_config_dir, effective_user_config_dir]
-                    logg.debug('using config arg as base config addition {}'.format(effective_user_config_dir))
-                else:
-                    if getattr(args, 'namespace', None) != None:
-                        arg_config_dir = os.path.join(effective_user_config_dir, args.namespace)
-                    override_config_dirs.append(effective_user_config_dir)
-                    logg.debug('using config arg as config override {}'.format(effective_user_config_dir))
+                if getattr(args, 'namespace', None) != None:
+                    effective_user_config_dir = os.path.join(effective_user_config_dir, args.namespace)
+                #if config_dir == None:
+                #    config_dir = [cls.default_base_config_dir, effective_user_config_dir]
+                #    logg.debug('using config arg as base config addition {}'.format(effective_user_config_dir))
+                #else:
+                override_config_dirs.append(effective_user_config_dir)
+                logg.debug('using config arg as config override {}'.format(effective_user_config_dir))
 
-
-        if config_dir == None:
-            if default_config_dir == None:
-                default_config_dir = default_parent_config_dir
-            config_dir = default_config_dir
-            override_config_dirs = []
+        #if config_dir == None:
+        #    if default_config_dir == None:
+        #        default_config_dir = default_parent_config_dir
+        #    config_dir = default_config_dir
+        #    override_config_dirs = []
         env_prefix = getattr(args, 'env_prefix', None)
 
-        config = confini.Config(config_dir, env_prefix=args.env_prefix, override_dirs=override_config_dirs)
+        config = confini.Config(config_dir, env_prefix=env_prefix, override_dirs=override_config_dirs)
         config.process()
 
         args_override = {}
@@ -140,6 +200,9 @@ class Config(confini.Config):
 
         config.add(getattr(args, 'raw'), '_RAW')
 
+        if arg_flags & Flag.CONFIG:
+            config.add(getattr(args, 'namespace'), 'CONFIG_USER_NAMESPACE')
+
         for k in extra_args.keys():
             v = extra_args[k]
             if v == None:
diff --git a/run_tests.sh b/run_tests.sh
index 2a36ca3..72957d2 100644
--- a/run_tests.sh
+++ b/run_tests.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 set -e
 set -x
-export PYTHONPATH=${PYTHONPATH:.}
+export PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:.
 for f in `ls tests/*.py`; do
 	python $f
 done
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0f54fc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+# standard imports
+import unittest
+import os
+
+# local imports
+import chainlib.cli
+from chainlib.cli.base import argflag_std_base
+
+script_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
+data_dir = os.path.join(script_dir, 'testdata')
+config_dir = os.path.join(data_dir, 'config')
+
+
+class TestCli(unittest.TestCase):
+    
+    def test_args_process_single(self):
+        ap = chainlib.cli.arg.ArgumentParser()
+        argv = [
+            '-vv',
+            '-n',
+            'foo',
+                ]
+        args = ap.parse_args(argv)
+        config = chainlib.cli.config.Config.from_args(args)
+        self.assertEqual(config.get('CONFIG_USER_NAMESPACE'), 'foo')
+
+
+    def test_args_process_schema_override(self):
+        ap = chainlib.cli.arg.ArgumentParser()
+        args = ap.parse_args([])
+        config = chainlib.cli.config.Config.from_args(args, base_config_dir=config_dir)
+        self.assertEqual(config.get('FOO_BAR'), 'baz')
+
+
+    def test_args_process_arg_override(self):
+        ap = chainlib.cli.arg.ArgumentParser()
+        argv = [
+            '-c',
+            config_dir,
+            '-n',
+            'foo',
+            ]
+        args = ap.parse_args(argv)
+        config = chainlib.cli.config.Config.from_args(args, base_config_dir=config_dir)
+        self.assertEqual(config.get('FOO_BAR'), 'bazbazbaz')
+
+
+    def test_args_process_internal_override(self):
+        ap = chainlib.cli.arg.ArgumentParser()
+        args = ap.parse_args()
+        default_config_dir = os.path.join(config_dir, 'default')
+        config = chainlib.cli.config.Config.from_args(args, default_config_dir=default_config_dir)
+        self.assertEqual(config.get('CHAIN_SPEC'), 'baz:bar:13:foo')
+
+        user_config_dir = os.path.join(default_config_dir, 'user')
+        config = chainlib.cli.config.Config.from_args(args, default_config_dir=default_config_dir, user_config_dir=user_config_dir)
+        self.assertEqual(config.get('CHAIN_SPEC'), 'foo:foo:666:foo')
+
+        config = chainlib.cli.config.Config.from_args(args, default_config_dir=default_config_dir, user_config_dir=default_config_dir)
+        self.assertEqual(config.get('CHAIN_SPEC'), 'baz:bar:13:foo')
+
+        ap = chainlib.cli.arg.ArgumentParser()
+        argv = [
+                '-n',
+                'user',
+                ]
+        args = ap.parse_args(argv)
+        config = chainlib.cli.config.Config.from_args(args, default_config_dir=default_config_dir, user_config_dir=default_config_dir)
+        self.assertEqual(config.get('CHAIN_SPEC'), 'foo:foo:666:foo')
+
+
+    def test_args_process_extra(self):
+        ap = chainlib.cli.arg.ArgumentParser()
+        ap.add_argument('--foo', type=str)
+        argv = [
+            '--foo',
+            'bar',
+                ]
+        args = ap.parse_args(argv)
+        extra_args = {
+            'foo': None,
+            }
+        config = chainlib.cli.config.Config.from_args(args, extra_args=extra_args)
+        self.assertEqual(config.get('_FOO'), 'bar')
+
+        extra_args = {
+            'foo': 'FOOFOO',
+            }
+        config = chainlib.cli.config.Config.from_args(args, extra_args=extra_args)
+        self.assertEqual(config.get('FOOFOO'), 'bar')
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/tests/testdata/config/config.ini b/tests/testdata/config/config.ini
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e6396bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testdata/config/config.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[foo]
+bar = baz
diff --git a/tests/testdata/config/default/chain.ini b/tests/testdata/config/default/chain.ini
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b0bbaab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testdata/config/default/chain.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[chain]
+spec = baz:bar:13:foo
diff --git a/tests/testdata/config/default/user/chain.ini b/tests/testdata/config/default/user/chain.ini
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7ebf89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testdata/config/default/user/chain.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[chain]
+spec = foo:foo:666:foo
diff --git a/tests/testdata/config/foo/config.ini b/tests/testdata/config/foo/config.ini
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b05b054
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testdata/config/foo/config.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[foo]
+bar = bazbazbaz