diff --git a/include/psyc/render.h b/include/psyc/render.h
index c2d988c..6b837da 100644
--- a/include/psyc/render.h
+++ b/include/psyc/render.h
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@
  */
 typedef enum
 {
-	//PSYC_RENDER_ERROR_ROUTING = -2,
+	PSYC_RENDER_ERROR_METHOD_MISSING = -3, ///< method missing, but data present
+	PSYC_RENDER_ERROR_MODIFIER_NAME_MISSING = -2, ///< modifier name missing
 	PSYC_RENDER_ERROR = -1,
 	PSYC_RENDER_SUCCESS = 0,
 } psycRenderRC;
diff --git a/src/render.c b/src/render.c
index 6935f8f..a5848c0 100644
--- a/src/render.c
+++ b/src/render.c
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ size_t psyc_renderModifier (psycModifier *mod, char *buffer)
 	buffer[cur++] = mod->oper;
 	memcpy(buffer + cur, mod->name.ptr, mod->name.length);
 	cur += mod->name.length;
+	if (cur <= 1)
+		return cur; // error, name can't be empty
+
 	if (mod->flag == PSYC_MODIFIER_NEED_LENGTH)
 	{
 		buffer[cur++] = ' ';
@@ -61,14 +64,19 @@ size_t psyc_renderModifier (psycModifier *mod, char *buffer)
 
 psycRenderRC psyc_render (psycPacket *packet, char *buffer, size_t buflen)
 {
-	size_t i, cur = 0;
+	size_t i, cur = 0, len;
 
 	if (packet->length > buflen)
 		return PSYC_RENDER_ERROR; // return error if packet doesn't fit in buffer
 
 	// render routing modifiers
 	for (i = 0; i < packet->routing.lines; i++)
-		cur += psyc_renderModifier(&packet->routing.modifiers[i], buffer + cur);
+	{
+		len = psyc_renderModifier(&packet->routing.modifiers[i], buffer + cur);
+		cur += len;
+		if (len <= 1)
+			return PSYC_RENDER_ERROR_MODIFIER_NAME_MISSING;
+	}
 
 	// add length if needed
 	if (packet->flag == PSYC_PACKET_NEED_LENGTH)
@@ -86,14 +94,16 @@ psycRenderRC psyc_render (psycPacket *packet, char *buffer, size_t buflen)
 		memcpy(buffer + cur, packet->method.ptr, packet->method.length);
 		cur += packet->method.length;
 		buffer[cur++] = '\n';
-	}
+		if (packet->data.length) // add data\n
+		{
+			memcpy(buffer + cur, packet->data.ptr, packet->data.length);
+			cur += packet->data.length;
 
-	if (packet->data.length) // add data\n
-	{
-		memcpy(buffer + cur, packet->data.ptr, packet->data.length);
-		cur += packet->data.length;
-		buffer[cur++] = '\n';
+			buffer[cur++] = '\n';
+		}
 	}
+	else if (packet->data.length) // error, we have data but no modifier
+		return PSYC_RENDER_ERROR_METHOD_MISSING;
 
 	// add packet delimiter
 	buffer[cur++] = C_GLYPH_PACKET_DELIMITER;
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index 4b73eb7..5560569 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ test: ${TARGETS}
 	./isRoutingVar
 	./getVarType
 	for f in packets/full-*; do echo ">> $$f"; ./testParser $$f; done
+	for f in packets/full-*; do echo ">> $$f"; ./testParser $$f -r; done
 
 testServer: CFLAGS := $(subst -std=c99,,${CFLAGS})
 
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ netstartv:
 	./testServer ${PORT} -v
 
 netstartrv:
-	./testServer ${PORT} -r -v
+	./testServer ${PORT} -rv
 
 nettest:
 	for f in packets/full-*; do echo ">> $$f"; cat $$f | nc localhost ${PORT} | diff -u $$f -; done
diff --git a/test/testParser.c b/test/testParser.c
index 2f203f7..38a1d46 100644
--- a/test/testParser.c
+++ b/test/testParser.c
@@ -7,12 +7,16 @@
 
 int main (int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	int idx, ret, routing_only = argc > 2, verbose = argc > 3;
+	uint8_t routing_only = argc > 2 && memchr(argv[2], (int)'r', strlen(argv[2]));
+	uint8_t verbose = argc > 2 && memchr(argv[2], (int)'v', strlen(argv[2]));
+	int idx, ret;
 	char buffer[2048], oper;
 	psycString name, value, elem;
 	psycParseState state;
 	psycParseListState listState;
 
+	if (argc < 2)
+		return -1;
 	int file = open(argv[1],O_RDONLY);
 	if (file < 0)
 		return -1;
@@ -55,7 +59,7 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 					       (int)name.length, name.ptr,
 					       (int)value.length, value.ptr);
 
-				if (memcmp(name.ptr, "_list", 5) == 0)
+				if (name.length >= 5 && memcmp(name.ptr, "_list", 5) == 0)
 				{
 					if (verbose)
 						printf(">> LIST START\n");
diff --git a/test/testServer.c b/test/testServer.c
index adcd2b7..e7aeccc 100644
--- a/test/testServer.c
+++ b/test/testServer.c
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ void *get_in_addr (struct sockaddr *sa)
 int main (int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	char *port = argc > 1 ? argv[1] : "4440";
-	uint8_t routing_only = argc > 2, verbose = argc > 3;
+	uint8_t routing_only = argc > 2 && memchr(argv[2], (int)'r', strlen(argv[2]));
+	uint8_t verbose = argc > 2 && memchr(argv[2], (int)'v', strlen(argv[2]));
 
 	fd_set master;    // master file descriptor list
 	fd_set read_fds;  // temp file descriptor list for select()
@@ -249,11 +250,18 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 									packets[i].flag = psyc_isParseContentLengthFound(&parsers[i]) ?
 										PSYC_PACKET_NEED_LENGTH : PSYC_PACKET_NO_LENGTH;
 
-									psyc_setPacketLength(&packets[i]);
-									psyc_render(&packets[i], sendbuf, SEND_BUF_SIZE);
+									if (routing_only)
+										packets[i].method = psyc_newString(PSYC_C2ARG("_packet_content"));
 
-									if (send(i, sendbuf, packets[i].length, 0) == -1)
-										perror("send");
+									psyc_setPacketLength(&packets[i]);
+
+									if (psyc_render(&packets[i], sendbuf, SEND_BUF_SIZE) == PSYC_RENDER_SUCCESS)
+									{
+										if (send(i, sendbuf, packets[i].length, 0) == -1)
+											perror("send error");
+									}
+									else
+										perror("render error");
 
 									ret = -1;
 									break;
@@ -314,7 +322,7 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 
 										if (verbose)
 										{
-											printf("%.*s", (int)pvalue->length, pvalue->ptr);
+											printf("[%.*s]", (int)pvalue->length, pvalue->ptr);
 											if (parsers[i].valueLength > pvalue->length)
 												printf("...");
 											printf("\n");