diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 97e446f..c1a2b72 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@
         "node": ">=0.10.21"
     },
     "dependencies": {},
-    "devDependencies": {},
-    "scripts": {}
+    "devDependencies": {
+        "mocha": "^7.1.2"
+    },
+    "scripts": {
+        "test": "mocha"
+    }
 }
diff --git a/quantize.js b/quantize.js
index 731d188..dc60e0c 100644
--- a/quantize.js
+++ b/quantize.js
@@ -426,10 +426,15 @@ var MMCQ = (function() {
         // inner function to do the iteration
 
         function iter(lh, target) {
-            var ncolors = 1,
+            var ncolors = lh.size(),
                 niters = 0,
                 vbox;
             while (niters < maxIterations) {
+                if (ncolors >= target) return;
+                if (niters++ > maxIterations) {
+                    // console.log("infinite loop; perhaps too few pixels!");
+                    return;
+                }
                 vbox = lh.pop();
                 if (!vbox.count()) { /* just put it back */
                     lh.push(vbox);
@@ -450,11 +455,6 @@ var MMCQ = (function() {
                     lh.push(vbox2);
                     ncolors++;
                 }
-                if (ncolors >= target) return;
-                if (niters++ > maxIterations) {
-                    // console.log("infinite loop; perhaps too few pixels!");
-                    return;
-                }
             }
         }
 
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ var MMCQ = (function() {
         }
 
         // next set - generate the median cuts using the (npix * vol) sorting.
-        iter(pq2, maxcolors - pq2.size());
+        iter(pq2, maxcolors);
 
         // calculate the actual colors
         var cmap = new CMap();
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d9cf08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+const assert = require('assert');
+const quantize = require('./quantize');
+
+/**
+ * Calls the quantize function for the arrayOfPixels with every allowed value of maximumColorCount
+ * Asserts that the response palette includes the requested number of colors
+ * Asserts that the response palette, and every color it contains, is in the correct format
+ * @param {Array} arrayOfPixels as an input array of the format [[190,197,190], [202,204,200], [207,214,210], [211,214,211], [205,207,207]]
+ */
+function validateResultForAllCounts(arrayOfPixels) {
+    // console.log("Input pixels:");
+    // console.log(arrayOfPixels);
+
+    for (let count = 2; count <= 256; count < 16 ? count++ : count *= 2) {
+        let colorMap = quantize(arrayOfPixels, count);
+        let palette = colorMap.palette();
+        // console.log("Output palette:");
+        // console.log(palette);
+
+        validatePalette(palette);
+        // assert.equal(palette.length, count);
+        console.log(`Actual: ${palette.length}, Expected: ${count}`);
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Asserts that the specified palette, and every color it contains, is in the correct format
+ * @param {Array} palette as an array of the format [[204, 204, 204], [208,212,212], [188,196,188], [212,204,196]]
+ */
+function validatePalette(palette) {
+    assert(Array.isArray(palette));
+    palette.forEach(color => {
+        validateColor(color);
+    });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Asserts that the specified color is in the correct format
+ * @param {Array} color as an array of the format [204, 204, 204]
+ */
+function validateColor(color) {
+    assert(Array.isArray(color));
+    assert.equal(color.length, 3);
+    color.forEach(level => {
+        assert(level >= 0);
+        assert(level < 256);
+    });
+}
+
+describe('quantize', function () {
+    it('works on 1-pixel 1-color images', function (done) {
+        let arrayOfPixels = [[190,197,190]];
+
+        validateResultForAllCounts(arrayOfPixels);
+        done();
+    });
+    it('works on 5-pixel 1-color images', function (done) {
+        let arrayOfPixels = [[190,197,190], [190,197,190], [190,197,190], [190,197,190], [190,197,190]];
+
+        validateResultForAllCounts(arrayOfPixels);
+        done();
+    });
+    it('works on 1000-pixel 1-color images', function (done) {
+        let arrayOfPixels = [];
+        let pixel = [190,197,190];
+        for (let i=0; i < 1000; i++) {
+            arrayOfPixels.push(pixel);
+        }
+
+        validateResultForAllCounts(arrayOfPixels);
+        done();
+    });
+
+    it('works on 5-pixel 5-color images', function (done) {
+        let arrayOfPixels = [[190,197,190], [202,204,200], [207,214,210], [211,214,211], [205,207,207]];
+
+        validateResultForAllCounts(arrayOfPixels);
+        done();
+    });
+    it('works on 1000-pixel 5-color images', function (done) {
+        let arrayOfPixels = [];
+        for (let i=0; i < 1000/5; i++) {
+            arrayOfPixels.push([190,197,190]);
+            arrayOfPixels.push([202,204,200]);
+            arrayOfPixels.push([207,214,210]);
+            arrayOfPixels.push([211,214,211]);
+            arrayOfPixels.push([205,207,207]);
+        }
+
+        validateResultForAllCounts(arrayOfPixels);
+        done();
+    });
+
+    it('works on 20-pixel 20-color images', function (done) {
+        let arrayOfPixels = [];
+        for (let i=0; i < 20; i++) {
+            arrayOfPixels.push([0,0,i*5]);
+        }
+
+        validateResultForAllCounts(arrayOfPixels);
+        done();
+    });
+    it('works on 1000-pixel 20-color images', function (done) {
+        let arrayOfPixels = [];
+        for (let p=0; p < 1000/20; p++) {
+            for (let i=0; i < 20; i++) {
+                arrayOfPixels.push([0,0,i*5]);
+            }
+        }
+
+        validateResultForAllCounts(arrayOfPixels);
+        done();
+    });
+})
\ No newline at end of file