diff --git a/lib/chatskills.js b/lib/chatskills.js
index cfa7ede..f8a78a1 100644
--- a/lib/chatskills.js
+++ b/lib/chatskills.js
@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ var ChatSkillsManager = {
 
     add: function(namespace) {
         // Add a new skill (app namespace).
+        if (/[^A-Z0-9a-z]/.test(namespace)) {
+            throw new Error('a skill name may only contain alphanumeric characters');
+        }
         this.apps[namespace] = new alexa.app(namespace);
         return this.apps[namespace];
     },
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index dd78b0c..bb8d4d7 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -12,10 +12,16 @@
     "url": "git://github.com/primaryobjects/chatskills.git"
   },
   "main": "./lib",
+  "scripts": {
+    "test": "node test/*.test.js"
+  },
   "dependencies": {
     "readline-sync": "*",
     "alexa-app": "*"
   },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "tape": "^4.6.3"
+  },
   "engines": {
     "node": "*"
   },
diff --git a/test/addapp.test.js b/test/addapp.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd15da6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/addapp.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+var test = require('tape');
+var chatskills = require('../lib/chatskills');
+
+test("app/skill creation with `app` succeeds", function(t) {
+  t.doesNotThrow(function() { chatskills.app('hello') }, Error);
+  t.end();
+});
+
+test("app/skill creation with `app` returns a value", function(t) {
+  var hello = chatskills.app('hello');
+  t.ok(hello);
+  t.end();
+});
+
+test("app/skill creation with `app` fails with error when namespace is non-alphanumeric", function(t) {
+  t.throws(function() { chatskills.app('hel lo') }, Error);
+  t.throws(function() { chatskills.app('hel lo') }, /skill.*characters/);
+  t.throws(function() { chatskills.app('hel_lo') }, Error);
+  t.throws(function() { chatskills.app('hel_lo') }, /skill.*characters/);
+  t.throws(function() { chatskills.app('hel-lo') }, Error);
+  t.throws(function() { chatskills.app('hel-lo') }, /skill.*characters/);
+  t.end();
+});