diff --git a/piker/cli.py b/piker/cli.py
index 3259785e..37d99e86 100644
--- a/piker/cli.py
+++ b/piker/cli.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ DEFAULT_BROKER = 'robinhood'
 _config_dir = click.get_app_dir('piker')
 _watchlists_data_path = os.path.join(_config_dir, 'watchlists.json')
 
+
 def run(main, loglevel='info'):
     log = get_console_log(loglevel)
 
@@ -152,20 +153,23 @@ def watch(loglevel, broker, rate, name):
 
 @cli.group()
 @click.option('--loglevel', '-l', default='warning', help='Logging level')
+@click.option('--config_dir', '-d', default=_watchlists_data_path,
+              help='Path to piker configuration directory')
 @click.pass_context
-def watchlists(ctx, loglevel):
+def watchlists(ctx, loglevel, config_dir):
     """Watchlists commands and operations
     """
     get_console_log(loglevel)  # activate console logging
     wl.make_config_dir(_config_dir)
-    ctx.obj = wl.ensure_watchlists(_watchlists_data_path)
+    ctx.obj = {'path': config_dir,
+               'watchlist': wl.ensure_watchlists(config_dir)}
 
 
 @watchlists.command(help='show watchlist')
 @click.argument('name', nargs=1, required=False)
 @click.pass_context
 def show(ctx, name):
-    watchlist = ctx.obj
+    watchlist = ctx.obj['watchlist']
     click.echo(colorize_json(
                watchlist if name is None else watchlist[name]))
 
@@ -175,7 +179,7 @@ def show(ctx, name):
 @click.pass_context
 def load(ctx, data):
     try:
-        wl.write_watchlists(data, _watchlists_data_path)
+        wl.write_watchlists(data, ctx.obj['path'])
     except (json.JSONDecodeError, IndexError):
         click.echo('You have passed an invalid text respresentation of a '
                    'JSON object. Try again.')
@@ -186,8 +190,8 @@ def load(ctx, data):
 @click.argument('ticker_name', nargs=1, required=True)
 @click.pass_context
 def add(ctx, name, ticker_name):
-    watchlist = ctx.obj
-    wl.add_ticker(name, ticker_name, watchlist, _watchlists_data_path)
+    watchlist = ctx.obj['watchlist']
+    wl.add_ticker(name, ticker_name, watchlist, ctx.obj['path'])
 
 
 @watchlists.command(help='remove ticker from watchlist')
@@ -195,29 +199,29 @@ def add(ctx, name, ticker_name):
 @click.argument('ticker_name', nargs=1, required=True)
 @click.pass_context
 def remove(ctx, name, ticker_name):
-    watchlist = ctx.obj
-    wl.remove_ticker(name, ticker_name, watchlist, _watchlists_data_path)
+    watchlist = ctx.obj['watchlist']
+    wl.remove_ticker(name, ticker_name, watchlist, ctx.obj['path'])
 
 
 @watchlists.command(help='delete watchlist group')
 @click.argument('name', nargs=1, required=True)
 @click.pass_context
 def delete(ctx, name):
-    watchlist = ctx.obj
-    wl.delete_group(name, watchlist, _watchlists_data_path)
+    watchlist = ctx.obj['watchlist']
+    wl.delete_group(name, watchlist, ctx.obj['path'])
 
 
 @watchlists.command(help='merge a watchlist from another user')
 @click.argument('watchlist_to_merge', nargs=1, required=True)
 @click.pass_context
 def merge(ctx, watchlist_to_merge):
-    watchlist = ctx.obj
-    wl.merge_watchlist(watchlist_to_merge, watchlist, _watchlists_data_path)
+    watchlist = ctx.obj['watchlist']
+    wl.merge_watchlist(watchlist_to_merge, watchlist, ctx.obj['path'])
 
 
 @watchlists.command(help='dump text respresentation of a watchlist to console')
 @click.argument('name', nargs=1, required=False)
 @click.pass_context
 def dump(ctx, name):
-    watchlist = ctx.obj
+    watchlist = ctx.obj['watchlist']
     click.echo(json.dumps(watchlist))
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 35be3a01..39ba72e3 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -4,14 +4,19 @@ CLI testing, dawg.
 import json
 import subprocess
 import pytest
+import tempfile
 import os.path
 import logging
 
+import piker.watchlists as wl
+import piker.cli as cli
+from piker.log import colorize_json
 
-def run(cmd):
+
+def run(cmd, *args):
     """Run cmd and check for zero return code.
     """
-    cp = subprocess.run(cmd.split())
+    cp = subprocess.run(cmd.split() + list(args))
     cp.check_returncode()
     return cp
 
@@ -87,3 +92,119 @@ def test_api_method_not_found(nyse_tickers, capfd):
     out, err = capfd.readouterr()
     assert 'null' in out
     assert f'No api method `{bad_meth}` could be found?' in err
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def temp_dir():
+    """Creates a path to a pretend config dir in a temporary directory for
+    testing.
+    """
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tempdir:
+        config_dir = os.path.join(tempdir, 'piker')
+        yield config_dir
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def piker_dir(temp_dir):
+    wl.make_config_dir(temp_dir)
+    json_file_path = os.path.join(temp_dir, 'watchlists.json')
+    watchlist = {
+        'dad': ['GM', 'TSLA', 'DOL.TO', 'CIM', 'SPY', 'SHOP.TO'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+        'indexes': ['SPY', 'DAX', 'QQQ', 'DIA'],
+    }
+    wl.write_sorted_json(watchlist, json_file_path)
+    yield json_file_path
+
+
+def test_show_watchlists(capfd, piker_dir):
+    """Ensure a watchlist is printed.
+    """
+    expected_out = json.dumps({
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'QQQ', 'SPY'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+    }, indent=4)
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} show")
+    out, err = capfd.readouterr()
+    assert out.strip() == expected_out
+
+
+def test_dump_watchlists(capfd, piker_dir):
+    """Ensure watchlist is dumped.
+    """
+    expected_out = json.dumps({
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'QQQ', 'SPY'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+    })
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} dump")
+    out, err = capfd.readouterr()
+    assert out.strip() == expected_out
+
+
+def test_ticker_added_to_watchlists(capfd, piker_dir):
+    expected_out = {
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'QQQ', 'SPY'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN', 'CRACK'],
+    }
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} add pharma CRACK")
+    out = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+    assert out == expected_out
+
+
+def test_ticker_removed_from_watchlists(capfd, piker_dir):
+    expected_out = {
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'SPY'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+    }
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} remove indexes QQQ")
+    out = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+    assert out == expected_out
+
+
+def test_group_deleted_from_watchlists(capfd, piker_dir):
+    expected_out = {
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'QQQ', 'SPY'],
+    }
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} delete pharma")
+    out = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+    assert out == expected_out
+
+
+def test_watchlists_loaded(capfd, piker_dir):
+    expected_out_text = json.dumps({
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+    })
+    expected_out = {
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+    }
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} load", expected_out_text)
+    out = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+    assert out == expected_out
+
+
+def test_watchlists_is_merge(capfd, piker_dir):
+    orig_watchlist = {
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'QQQ', 'SPY'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+    }
+    list_to_merge = json.dumps({
+        'drugs': ['CRACK']
+    })
+    expected_out = {
+        'dad': ['CIM', 'DOL.TO', 'GM', 'SHOP.TO', 'SPY', 'TSLA'],
+        'indexes': ['DAX', 'DIA', 'QQQ', 'SPY'],
+        'pharma': ['ATE.VN'],
+        'drugs': ['CRACK']
+    }
+    wl.write_sorted_json(orig_watchlist, piker_dir)
+    run(f"piker watchlists -d {piker_dir} merge", list_to_merge)
+    out = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
+    assert out == expected_out
diff --git a/tests/test_watchlists.py b/tests/test_watchlists.py
index 5325b81e..80f7a4d7 100644
--- a/tests/test_watchlists.py
+++ b/tests/test_watchlists.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import piker.watchlists as wl
 @pytest.fixture
 def temp_dir():
     """Creates a path to a pretend config dir in a temporary directory for
-
     testing.
     """
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tempdir:
@@ -56,7 +55,6 @@ def test_watchlists_config_dir_created(caplog, temp_dir):
 
 def test_watchlist_is_read_from_file(piker_dir):
     """Ensure json info is read from file or an empty dict is generated
-
     and that text respresentation of a watchlist is saved to file.
     """
     wl_temp = wl.ensure_watchlists(piker_dir)
@@ -79,7 +77,6 @@ def test_new_ticker_added(piker_dir):
 
 def test_ticker_is_removed(piker_dir):
     """Verify that passed in ticker is removed and that a group is removed
-
     if no tickers left.
     """
     wl_temp = {'test': ['TEST.CN', 'TEST2.CN'], 'test2': ['TEST.CN']}