diff --git a/api/api.go b/api/api.go
index 4940a0e..2543e57 100644
--- a/api/api.go
+++ b/api/api.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 var log apid.LogService
 var config apid.ConfigService
+var requests *expvar.Map = expvar.NewMap("requests")
 
 func CreateService() apid.APIService {
 	config = apid.Config()
@@ -26,38 +27,35 @@
 	config.SetDefault(configAPIPort, 9000)
 
 	r := mux.NewRouter()
-	return &service{r}
+	rw := &router{r}
+	return &service{rw}
 }
 
 type service struct {
-	router *mux.Router
+	*router
 }
 
 func (s *service) Listen() error {
 	port := config.GetString(configAPIPort)
 	log.Infof("opening api port %s", port)
 
+	s.InitExpVar()
+
+	apid.Events().Emit(apid.SystemEventsSelector, apid.APIListeningEvent) // todo: run after successful listen?
+	return http.ListenAndServe(":"+port, s.r)
+}
+
+func (s *service) InitExpVar() {
 	if config.IsSet(configExpVarPath) {
 		log.Infof("expvar available on path: %s", config.Get(configExpVarPath))
 		s.HandleFunc(config.GetString(configExpVarPath), expvarHandler)
 	}
-
-	apid.Events().Emit(apid.SystemEventsSelector, apid.APIListeningEvent) // todo: run after successful listen?
-	return http.ListenAndServe(":"+port, s.router)
 }
 
-func (s *service) Handle(path string, handler http.Handler) apid.Route {
-	log.Infof("handle %s: %v", path, handler)
-	return s.Router().Handle(path, handler)
-}
-
-func (s *service) HandleFunc(path string, handlerFunc http.HandlerFunc) apid.Route {
-	log.Infof("handle %s: %v", path, handlerFunc)
-	return s.Router().HandleFunc(path, handlerFunc)
-}
-
+// for testing
 func (s *service) Router() apid.Router {
-	return &router{s.router}
+	s.InitExpVar()
+	return s
 }
 
 func (s *service) Vars(r *http.Request) map[string]string {
@@ -83,14 +81,17 @@
 }
 
 func (r *router) Handle(path string, handler http.Handler) apid.Route {
+	log.Infof("Handle %s: %v", path, handler)
 	return &route{r.r.Handle(path, handler)}
 }
 
-func (r *router) HandleFunc(path string, f func(http.ResponseWriter, *http.Request)) apid.Route {
-	return &route{r.r.HandleFunc(path, f)}
+func (r *router) HandleFunc(path string, handlerFunc http.HandlerFunc) apid.Route {
+	log.Infof("Handle %s: %v", path, handlerFunc)
+	return &route{r.r.HandleFunc(path, handlerFunc)}
 }
 
 func (r *router) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+	requests.Add(req.URL.Path, 1)
 	r.r.ServeHTTP(w, req)
 }
 
diff --git a/api/api_suite_test.go b/api/api_suite_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a93089
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/api_suite_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+package api_test
+
+import (
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+
+	"testing"
+)
+
+import (
+	"github.com/30x/apid"
+	"github.com/30x/apid/factory"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"os"
+)
+
+var (
+	testDir    string
+	testServer *httptest.Server
+)
+
+var _ = BeforeSuite(func() {
+	apid.Initialize(factory.DefaultServicesFactory())
+
+	apid.Config().Set("api_expvar_path", "/exp/vars")
+
+	// get the router - this will have the /exp/vars route registered
+	router := apid.API().Router()
+
+	// create our test server
+	testServer = httptest.NewServer(router)
+
+})
+
+var _ = AfterSuite(func() {
+	apid.Events().Close()
+	if testServer != nil {
+		testServer.Close()
+	}
+	os.RemoveAll(testDir)
+})
+
+func TestApi(t *testing.T) {
+	RegisterFailHandler(Fail)
+	RunSpecs(t, "Api Suite")
+}
diff --git a/api/api_test.go b/api/api_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66c91e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/api_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package api_test
+
+import (
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+	"net/url"
+	"net/http"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"encoding/json"
+)
+
+var _ = Describe("API Service", func() {
+
+	It("should return vars from /exp/vars with request counter", func() {
+
+		uri, err := url.Parse(testServer.URL)
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		uri.Path = "/exp/vars"
+
+		resp, err := http.Get(uri.String())
+		defer resp.Body.Close()
+		Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(resp.StatusCode).Should(Equal(http.StatusOK))
+
+		body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+		var m map[string]interface{}
+		err = json.Unmarshal(body, &m)
+		Expect(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+		requests := m["requests"].(map[string]interface{})
+		Expect(requests["/exp/vars"]).Should(Equal(float64(1)))
+	})
+})
diff --git a/api_service.go b/api_service.go
index 73b5a24..b44f3eb 100644
--- a/api_service.go
+++ b/api_service.go
@@ -7,15 +7,18 @@
 	Handle(path string, handler http.Handler) Route
 	HandleFunc(path string, handlerFunc http.HandlerFunc) Route
 	Vars(r *http.Request) map[string]string
-	Router() Router
-}
 
-type Router interface {
-	Handle(path string, handler http.Handler) Route
-	HandleFunc(path string, f func(http.ResponseWriter, *http.Request)) Route
-	ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request)
+	// for testing
+	Router() Router
 }
 
 type Route interface {
 	Methods(methods ...string) Route
 }
+
+// for testing
+type Router interface {
+	Handle(path string, handler http.Handler) Route
+	HandleFunc(path string, handlerFunc http.HandlerFunc) Route
+	ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request)
+}