diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index e9e6290d7..17bf8d3f1 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+default
+
+ * Integration tests for argument parsing.
+ * Documentation updates about repository encryption.
+
 0.0.2
 
  * Configuration support for additional attic prune flags: keep_within, keep_hourly, keep_yearly,
diff --git a/atticmatic/command.py b/atticmatic/command.py
index d47f63a41..4623c47b9 100644
--- a/atticmatic/command.py
+++ b/atticmatic/command.py
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@ from atticmatic.attic import create_archive, prune_archives
 from atticmatic.config import parse_configuration
 
 
-def parse_arguments():
+DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILENAME = '/etc/atticmatic/config'
+DEFAULT_EXCLUDES_FILENAME = '/etc/atticmatic/excludes'
+
+
+def parse_arguments(*arguments):
     '''
     Parse the command-line arguments from sys.argv and return them as an ArgumentParser instance.
     '''
@@ -15,13 +19,13 @@ def parse_arguments():
     parser.add_argument(
         '-c', '--config',
         dest='config_filename',
-        default='/etc/atticmatic/config',
+        default=DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILENAME,
         help='Configuration filename',
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         '--excludes',
         dest='excludes_filename',
-        default='/etc/atticmatic/excludes',
+        default=DEFAULT_EXCLUDES_FILENAME,
         help='Excludes filename',
     )
     parser.add_argument(
@@ -30,12 +34,12 @@ def parse_arguments():
         help='Display verbose progress information',
     )
 
-    return parser.parse_args()
+    return parser.parse_args(arguments)
 
 
 def main():
     try:
-        args = parse_arguments()
+        args = parse_arguments(*sys.argv[1:])
         location_config, retention_config = parse_configuration(args.config_filename)
 
         create_archive(args.excludes_filename, args.verbose, **location_config)
diff --git a/atticmatic/tests/integration/__init__.py b/atticmatic/tests/integration/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/atticmatic/tests/integration/test_command.py b/atticmatic/tests/integration/test_command.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3a5e7943d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/atticmatic/tests/integration/test_command.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import sys
+
+from nose.tools import assert_raises
+
+from atticmatic import command as module
+
+
+def test_parse_arguments_with_no_arguments_uses_defaults():
+    parser = module.parse_arguments()
+
+    assert parser.config_filename == module.DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILENAME
+    assert parser.excludes_filename == module.DEFAULT_EXCLUDES_FILENAME
+    assert parser.verbose == False
+
+
+def test_parse_arguments_with_filename_arguments_overrides_defaults():
+    parser = module.parse_arguments('--config', 'myconfig', '--excludes', 'myexcludes')
+
+    assert parser.config_filename == 'myconfig'
+    assert parser.excludes_filename == 'myexcludes'
+    assert parser.verbose == False
+
+
+def test_parse_arguments_with_verbose_flag_overrides_default():
+    parser = module.parse_arguments('--verbose')
+
+    assert parser.config_filename == module.DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILENAME
+    assert parser.excludes_filename == module.DEFAULT_EXCLUDES_FILENAME
+    assert parser.verbose == True
+
+
+def test_parse_arguments_with_invalid_arguments_exits():
+    original_stderr = sys.stderr
+    sys.stderr = sys.stdout
+
+    try:
+        with assert_raises(SystemExit):
+            module.parse_arguments('--posix-me-harder')
+    finally:
+        sys.stderr = original_stderr