diff --git a/copyparty/httpcli.py b/copyparty/httpcli.py
index d7cc27bb..5e9ebbea 100644
--- a/copyparty/httpcli.py
+++ b/copyparty/httpcli.py
@@ -182,10 +182,8 @@ class HttpCli(object):
         self.out_headers.update(headers)
 
         # default to utf8 html if no content-type is set
-        try:
-            mime = mime or self.out_headers["Content-Type"]
-        except KeyError:
-            mime = "text/html; charset=UTF-8"
+        if not mime:
+            mime = self.out_headers.get("Content-Type", "text/html; charset=UTF-8")
 
         self.out_headers["Content-Type"] = mime
 
@@ -536,7 +534,7 @@ class HttpCli(object):
             self.log("qj: " + repr(vbody))
             hits = idx.fsearch(vols, body)
             msg = repr(hits)
-            taglist = []
+            taglist = {}
         else:
             # search by query params
             self.log("qj: " + repr(body))
@@ -1319,6 +1317,74 @@ class HttpCli(object):
             # print(abspath)
             raise Pebkac(404)
 
+        srv_info = []
+
+        try:
+            if not self.args.nih:
+                srv_info.append(unicode(socket.gethostname()).split(".")[0])
+        except:
+            self.log("#wow #whoa")
+
+        try:
+            # some fuses misbehave
+            if not self.args.nid:
+                if WINDOWS:
+                    bfree = ctypes.c_ulonglong(0)
+                    ctypes.windll.kernel32.GetDiskFreeSpaceExW(
+                        ctypes.c_wchar_p(abspath), None, None, ctypes.pointer(bfree)
+                    )
+                    srv_info.append(humansize(bfree.value) + " free")
+                else:
+                    sv = os.statvfs(abspath)
+                    free = humansize(sv.f_frsize * sv.f_bfree, True)
+                    total = humansize(sv.f_frsize * sv.f_blocks, True)
+
+                    srv_info.append(free + " free")
+                    srv_info.append(total)
+        except:
+            pass
+
+        srv_info = "</span> /// <span>".join(srv_info)
+
+        perms = []
+        if self.readable:
+            perms.append("read")
+        if self.writable:
+            perms.append("write")
+
+        url_suf = self.urlq()
+        is_ls = "ls" in self.uparam
+        ts = ""  # "?{}".format(time.time())
+
+        tpl = "browser"
+        if "b" in self.uparam:
+            tpl = "browser2"
+
+        j2a = {
+            "vdir": quotep(self.vpath),
+            "vpnodes": vpnodes,
+            "files": [],
+            "ts": ts,
+            "perms": json.dumps(perms),
+            "taglist": [],
+            "tag_order": [],
+            "have_up2k_idx": ("e2d" in vn.flags),
+            "have_tags_idx": ("e2t" in vn.flags),
+            "have_zip": (not self.args.no_zip),
+            "have_b_u": (self.writable and self.uparam.get("b") == "u"),
+            "url_suf": url_suf,
+            "logues": ["", ""],
+            "title": html_escape(self.vpath, crlf=True),
+            "srv_info": srv_info,
+        }
+        if not self.readable:
+            if is_ls:
+                raise Pebkac(403)
+
+            html = self.j2(tpl, **j2a)
+            self.reply(html.encode("utf-8", "replace"))
+            return True
+
         if not os.path.isdir(fsenc(abspath)):
             if abspath.endswith(".md") and "raw" not in self.uparam:
                 return self.tx_md(abspath)
@@ -1362,15 +1428,11 @@ class HttpCli(object):
         if rem == ".hist":
             hidden = ["up2k."]
 
-        is_ls = "ls" in self.uparam
-
         icur = None
         if "e2t" in vn.flags:
             idx = self.conn.get_u2idx()
             icur = idx.get_cur(vn.realpath)
 
-        url_suf = self.urlq()
-
         dirs = []
         files = []
         for fn in vfs_ls:
@@ -1461,42 +1523,6 @@ class HttpCli(object):
             for f in dirs:
                 f["tags"] = {}
 
-        srv_info = []
-
-        try:
-            if not self.args.nih:
-                srv_info.append(unicode(socket.gethostname()).split(".")[0])
-        except:
-            self.log("#wow #whoa")
-            pass
-
-        try:
-            # some fuses misbehave
-            if not self.args.nid:
-                if WINDOWS:
-                    bfree = ctypes.c_ulonglong(0)
-                    ctypes.windll.kernel32.GetDiskFreeSpaceExW(
-                        ctypes.c_wchar_p(abspath), None, None, ctypes.pointer(bfree)
-                    )
-                    srv_info.append(humansize(bfree.value) + " free")
-                else:
-                    sv = os.statvfs(abspath)
-                    free = humansize(sv.f_frsize * sv.f_bfree, True)
-                    total = humansize(sv.f_frsize * sv.f_blocks, True)
-
-                    srv_info.append(free + " free")
-                    srv_info.append(total)
-        except:
-            pass
-
-        srv_info = "</span> /// <span>".join(srv_info)
-
-        perms = []
-        if self.readable:
-            perms.append("read")
-        if self.writable:
-            perms.append("write")
-
         logues = ["", ""]
         for n, fn in enumerate([".prologue.html", ".epilogue.html"]):
             fn = os.path.join(abspath, fn)
@@ -1518,34 +1544,12 @@ class HttpCli(object):
             self.reply(ret.encode("utf-8", "replace"), mime="application/json")
             return True
 
-        ts = ""
-        # ts = "?{}".format(time.time())
+        j2a["files"] = dirs + files
+        j2a["logues"] = logues
+        j2a["taglist"] = taglist
+        if "mte" in vn.flags:
+            j2a["tag_order"] = json.dumps(vn.flags["mte"].split(","))
 
-        dirs.extend(files)
-
-        tpl = "browser"
-        if "b" in self.uparam:
-            tpl = "browser2"
-
-        html = self.j2(
-            tpl,
-            vdir=quotep(self.vpath),
-            vpnodes=vpnodes,
-            files=dirs,
-            ts=ts,
-            perms=json.dumps(perms),
-            taglist=taglist,
-            tag_order=json.dumps(
-                vn.flags["mte"].split(",") if "mte" in vn.flags else []
-            ),
-            have_up2k_idx=("e2d" in vn.flags),
-            have_tags_idx=("e2t" in vn.flags),
-            have_zip=(not self.args.no_zip),
-            have_b_u=(self.writable and self.uparam.get("b") == "u"),
-            url_suf=url_suf,
-            logues=logues,
-            title=html_escape(self.vpath, crlf=True),
-            srv_info=srv_info,
-        )
+        html = self.j2(tpl, **j2a)
         self.reply(html.encode("utf-8", "replace"))
         return True
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/tests/run.py b/tests/run.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..8b6daecc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/run.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import sys
+import runpy
+
+host = sys.argv[1]
+sys.argv = sys.argv[:1] + sys.argv[2:]
+sys.path.insert(0, ".")
+
+
+def rp():
+    runpy.run_module("unittest", run_name="__main__")
+
+
+if host == "vmprof":
+    rp()
+
+elif host == "cprofile":
+    import cProfile
+    import pstats
+
+    log_fn = "cprofile.log"
+    cProfile.run("rp()", log_fn)
+    p = pstats.Stats(log_fn)
+    p.sort_stats(pstats.SortKey.CUMULATIVE).print_stats(64)
+
+
+"""
+python3.9 tests/run.py cprofile -v tests/test_httpcli.py
+
+python3.9 -m pip install --user vmprof
+python3.9 -m vmprof --lines -o vmprof.log tests/run.py vmprof -v tests/test_httpcli.py
+"""
diff --git a/tests/test_httpcli.py b/tests/test_httpcli.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f8e953dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_httpcli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,192 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# coding: utf-8
+from __future__ import print_function, unicode_literals
+
+import io
+import os
+import time
+import shutil
+import pprint
+import tarfile
+import unittest
+
+from argparse import Namespace
+from copyparty.authsrv import AuthSrv
+from copyparty.httpcli import HttpCli
+
+from tests import util as tu
+
+
+def hdr(query):
+    h = "GET /{} HTTP/1.1\r\nCookie: cppwd=o\r\nConnection: close\r\n\r\n"
+    return h.format(query).encode("utf-8")
+
+
+class Cfg(Namespace):
+    def __init__(self, a=[], v=[], c=None):
+        super(Cfg, self).__init__(
+            a=a,
+            v=v,
+            c=c,
+            ed=False,
+            no_zip=False,
+            no_scandir=False,
+            no_sendfile=True,
+            nih=True,
+            mtp=[],
+            mte="a",
+            **{k: False for k in "e2d e2ds e2dsa e2t e2ts e2tsr".split()}
+        )
+
+
+class TestHttpCli(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test(self):
+        td = os.path.join(tu.get_ramdisk(), "vfs")
+        try:
+            shutil.rmtree(td)
+        except OSError:
+            pass
+
+        os.mkdir(td)
+        os.chdir(td)
+
+        self.dtypes = ["ra", "ro", "rx", "wa", "wo", "wx", "aa", "ao", "ax"]
+        self.can_read = ["ra", "ro", "aa", "ao"]
+        self.can_write = ["wa", "wo", "aa", "ao"]
+        self.fn = "g{:x}g".format(int(time.time() * 3))
+
+        allfiles = []
+        allvols = []
+        for top in self.dtypes:
+            allvols.append(top)
+            allfiles.append("/".join([top, self.fn]))
+            for s1 in self.dtypes:
+                p = "/".join([top, s1])
+                allvols.append(p)
+                allfiles.append(p + "/" + self.fn)
+                allfiles.append(p + "/n/" + self.fn)
+                for s2 in self.dtypes:
+                    p = "/".join([top, s1, "n", s2])
+                    os.makedirs(p)
+                    allvols.append(p)
+                    allfiles.append(p + "/" + self.fn)
+
+        for fp in allfiles:
+            with open(fp, "w") as f:
+                f.write("ok {}\n".format(fp))
+
+        for top in self.dtypes:
+            vcfg = []
+            for vol in allvols:
+                if not vol.startswith(top):
+                    continue
+
+                mode = vol[-2]
+                usr = vol[-1]
+                if usr == "a":
+                    usr = ""
+
+                if "/" not in vol:
+                    vol += "/"
+
+                top, sub = vol.split("/", 1)
+                vcfg.append("{0}/{1}:{1}:{2}{3}".format(top, sub, mode, usr))
+
+            pprint.pprint(vcfg)
+
+            self.args = Cfg(v=vcfg, a=["o:o", "x:x"])
+            self.auth = AuthSrv(self.args, self.log)
+            vfiles = [x for x in allfiles if x.startswith(top)]
+            for fp in vfiles:
+                rok, wok = self.can_rw(fp)
+                furl = fp.split("/", 1)[1]
+                durl = furl.rsplit("/", 1)[0] if "/" in furl else ""
+
+                # file download
+                ret = self.curl(furl)
+                res = "ok " + fp in ret
+                print("[{}] {} {} = {}".format(fp, rok, wok, res))
+                if rok != res:
+                    print("\033[33m{}\n# {}\033[0m".format(ret, furl))
+                    self.fail()
+
+                # file browser: html
+                ret = self.curl(durl)
+                res = "'{}'".format(self.fn) in ret
+                print(res)
+                if rok != res:
+                    print("\033[33m{}\n# {}\033[0m".format(ret, durl))
+                    self.fail()
+
+                # file browser: json
+                url = durl + "?ls"
+                ret = self.curl(url)
+                res = '"{}"'.format(self.fn) in ret
+                print(res)
+                if rok != res:
+                    print("\033[33m{}\n# {}\033[0m".format(ret, url))
+                    self.fail()
+
+                # tar
+                url = durl + "?tar"
+                h, b = self.curl(url, True)
+                # with open(os.path.join(td, "tar"), "wb") as f:
+                #    f.write(b)
+                try:
+                    tar = tarfile.open(fileobj=io.BytesIO(b)).getnames()
+                except:
+                    tar = []
+                tar = ["/".join([y for y in [top, durl, x] if y]) for x in tar]
+                tar = [[x] + self.can_rw(x) for x in tar]
+                tar_ok = [x[0] for x in tar if x[1]]
+                tar_ng = [x[0] for x in tar if not x[1]]
+                self.assertEqual([], tar_ng)
+
+                if durl.split("/")[-1] not in self.can_read:
+                    continue
+
+                ref = [x for x in vfiles if self.in_dive(top + "/" + durl, x)]
+                for f in ref:
+                    print("{}: {}".format("ok" if f in tar_ok else "NG", f))
+                ref.sort()
+                tar_ok.sort()
+                self.assertEqual(ref, tar_ok)
+
+    def can_rw(self, fp):
+        # lowest non-neutral folder declares permissions
+        expect = fp.split("/")[:-1]
+        for x in reversed(expect):
+            if x != "n":
+                expect = x
+                break
+
+        return [expect in self.can_read, expect in self.can_write]
+
+    def in_dive(self, top, fp):
+        # archiver bails at first inaccessible subvolume
+        top = top.strip("/").split("/")
+        fp = fp.split("/")
+        for f1, f2 in zip(top, fp):
+            if f1 != f2:
+                return False
+
+        for f in fp[len(top) :]:
+            if f == self.fn:
+                return True
+            if f not in self.can_read and f != "n":
+                return False
+
+        return True
+
+    def curl(self, url, binary=False):
+        conn = tu.VHttpConn(self.args, self.auth, self.log, hdr(url))
+        HttpCli(conn).run()
+        if binary:
+            h, b = conn.s._reply.split(b"\r\n\r\n", 1)
+            return h, b
+
+        return conn.s._reply.decode("utf-8")
+
+    def log(self, src, msg, c=0):
+        # print(repr(msg))
+        pass
diff --git a/tests/test_vfs.py b/tests/test_vfs.py
index c7730828..04dd4331 100644
--- a/tests/test_vfs.py
+++ b/tests/test_vfs.py
@@ -3,18 +3,18 @@
 from __future__ import print_function, unicode_literals
 
 import os
-import time
 import json
 import shutil
 import tempfile
 import unittest
-import subprocess as sp  # nosec
 
 from textwrap import dedent
 from argparse import Namespace
 from copyparty.authsrv import AuthSrv
 from copyparty import util
 
+from tests import util as tu
+
 
 class Cfg(Namespace):
     def __init__(self, a=[], v=[], c=None):
@@ -51,52 +51,11 @@ class TestVFS(unittest.TestCase):
         real = [x[0] for x in real]
         return fsdir, real, virt
 
-    def runcmd(self, *argv):
-        p = sp.Popen(argv, stdout=sp.PIPE, stderr=sp.PIPE)
-        stdout, stderr = p.communicate()
-        stdout = stdout.decode("utf-8")
-        stderr = stderr.decode("utf-8")
-        return [p.returncode, stdout, stderr]
-
-    def chkcmd(self, *argv):
-        ok, sout, serr = self.runcmd(*argv)
-        if ok != 0:
-            raise Exception(serr)
-
-        return sout, serr
-
-    def get_ramdisk(self):
-        for vol in ["/dev/shm", "/Volumes/cptd"]:  # nosec (singleton test)
-            if os.path.exists(vol):
-                return vol
-
-        if os.path.exists("/Volumes"):
-            devname, _ = self.chkcmd("hdiutil", "attach", "-nomount", "ram://8192")
-            devname = devname.strip()
-            print("devname: [{}]".format(devname))
-            for _ in range(10):
-                try:
-                    _, _ = self.chkcmd(
-                        "diskutil", "eraseVolume", "HFS+", "cptd", devname
-                    )
-                    return "/Volumes/cptd"
-                except Exception as ex:
-                    print(repr(ex))
-                    time.sleep(0.25)
-
-            raise Exception("ramdisk creation failed")
-
-        ret = os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), "copyparty-test")
-        try:
-            os.mkdir(ret)
-        finally:
-            return ret
-
     def log(self, src, msg, c=0):
         pass
 
     def test(self):
-        td = os.path.join(self.get_ramdisk(), "vfs")
+        td = os.path.join(tu.get_ramdisk(), "vfs")
         try:
             shutil.rmtree(td)
         except OSError:
@@ -268,7 +227,7 @@ class TestVFS(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(list(v1), list(v2))
 
         # config file parser
-        cfg_path = os.path.join(self.get_ramdisk(), "test.cfg")
+        cfg_path = os.path.join(tu.get_ramdisk(), "test.cfg")
         with open(cfg_path, "wb") as f:
             f.write(
                 dedent(
diff --git a/tests/util.py b/tests/util.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0bc0cf2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/util.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+import os
+import time
+import jinja2
+import tempfile
+import subprocess as sp
+
+from copyparty.util import Unrecv
+
+
+J2_ENV = jinja2.Environment(loader=jinja2.BaseLoader)
+J2_FILES = J2_ENV.from_string("{{ files|join('\n') }}")
+
+
+def runcmd(*argv):
+    p = sp.Popen(argv, stdout=sp.PIPE, stderr=sp.PIPE)
+    stdout, stderr = p.communicate()
+    stdout = stdout.decode("utf-8")
+    stderr = stderr.decode("utf-8")
+    return [p.returncode, stdout, stderr]
+
+
+def chkcmd(*argv):
+    ok, sout, serr = runcmd(*argv)
+    if ok != 0:
+        raise Exception(serr)
+
+    return sout, serr
+
+
+def get_ramdisk():
+    for vol in ["/dev/shm", "/Volumes/cptd"]:  # nosec (singleton test)
+        if os.path.exists(vol):
+            return vol
+
+    if os.path.exists("/Volumes"):
+        devname, _ = chkcmd("hdiutil", "attach", "-nomount", "ram://32768")
+        devname = devname.strip()
+        print("devname: [{}]".format(devname))
+        for _ in range(10):
+            try:
+                _, _ = chkcmd("diskutil", "eraseVolume", "HFS+", "cptd", devname)
+                return "/Volumes/cptd"
+            except Exception as ex:
+                print(repr(ex))
+                time.sleep(0.25)
+
+        raise Exception("ramdisk creation failed")
+
+    ret = os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), "copyparty-test")
+    try:
+        os.mkdir(ret)
+    finally:
+        return ret
+
+
+class VSock(object):
+    def __init__(self, buf):
+        self._query = buf
+        self._reply = b""
+        self.sendall = self.send
+
+    def recv(self, sz):
+        ret = self._query[:sz]
+        self._query = self._query[sz:]
+        return ret
+
+    def send(self, buf):
+        self._reply += buf
+        return len(buf)
+
+
+class VHttpSrv(object):
+    def __init__(self):
+        aliases = ["splash", "browser", "browser2", "msg", "md", "mde"]
+        self.j2 = {x: J2_FILES for x in aliases}
+
+
+class VHttpConn(object):
+    def __init__(self, args, auth, log, buf):
+        self.s = VSock(buf)
+        self.sr = Unrecv(self.s)
+        self.addr = ("127.0.0.1", "42069")
+        self.args = args
+        self.auth = auth
+        self.log_func = log
+        self.log_src = "a"
+        self.hsrv = VHttpSrv()
+        self.nbyte = 0
+        self.t0 = time.time()
+