diff --git a/doublethink/cli.py b/doublethink/cli.py
index ef76019..517e52e 100644
--- a/doublethink/cli.py
+++ b/doublethink/cli.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 import os, sys
 import argparse
 import doublethink
+import logging
 
 def purge_stale_services(argv=None):
     """Command-line utility to periodically purge stale entries from the "services" table.
@@ -32,10 +33,11 @@ def purge_stale_services(argv=None):
             description='purge-stale-services: utility to periodically purge stale entries from the "services" table.')
 
     arg_parser.add_argument("-d", "--rethinkdb-db", required=True,
+        dest="database",
         help="A RethinkDB database containing a 'services' table")
 
     arg_parser.add_argument("-s", "--rethinkdb-servers",
-        metavar="SERVERS", dest="servers", required=True,
+        metavar="SERVERS", dest="servers", default='localhost',
         help="rethinkdb servers, e.g. db0.foo.org,db0.foo.org:38015,db1.foo.org")
 
     arg_parser.add_argument(
@@ -50,6 +52,6 @@ def purge_stale_services(argv=None):
 
     args.servers = [srv.strip() for srv in args.servers.split(",")]
 
-    rethinker = doublethink.Rethinker(servers=args.servers, db=args)
+    rethinker = doublethink.Rethinker(servers=args.servers, db=args.database)
     registry = doublethink.services.ServiceRegistry(rethinker)
     registry.purge_stale_services()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb7f43a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+'''
+test_cli.py - unit tests for doublethink CLI
+
+Copyright (C) 2015-2017 Internet Archive
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+'''
+
+import doublethink
+import logging
+import sys
+import pytest
+import rethinkdb as r
+
+logging.basicConfig(stream=sys.stderr, level=logging.INFO,
+        format="%(asctime)s %(process)d %(levelname)s %(threadName)s %(name)s.%(funcName)s(%(filename)s:%(lineno)d) %(message)s")
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def rr():
+    rr = RethinkerForTesting()
+    try:
+        rr.db_drop("doublethink_test_db").run()
+    except r.errors.ReqlOpFailedError:
+        pass
+    result = rr.db_create("doublethink_test_db").run()
+    assert not rr.last_conn.is_open()
+    assert result["dbs_created"] == 1
+    return RethinkerForTesting(db="doublethink_test_db")
+
+def test_cli(rr):
+    print(rr)
+    doublethink.cli.purge_stale_services(['test'])