diff --git a/server/handlers/default.go b/server/handlers/default.go
index 98ff720077..7b56bc774a 100644
--- a/server/handlers/default.go
+++ b/server/handlers/default.go
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ func MainHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) er
 // backend is atomically updated with all the new records.
 func AtomicUpdateHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
 	defer r.Body.Close()
+	vars := mux.Vars(r)
+	return atomicUpdateHandler(ctx, w, r, vars)
+}
+
+func atomicUpdateHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, vars map[string]string) error {
+	gun := vars["imageName"]
 	s := ctx.Value("metaStore")
 	store, ok := s.(storage.MetaStore)
 	if !ok {
@@ -48,8 +54,6 @@ func AtomicUpdateHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Req
 		return errors.ErrNoCryptoService.WithDetail(nil)
 	}
 
-	vars := mux.Vars(r)
-	gun := vars["imageName"]
 	reader, err := r.MultipartReader()
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.ErrMalformedUpload.WithDetail(nil)
@@ -94,14 +98,19 @@ func AtomicUpdateHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Req
 
 // GetHandler returns the json for a specified role and GUN.
 func GetHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
+	defer r.Body.Close()
+	vars := mux.Vars(r)
+	return getHandler(ctx, w, r, vars)
+}
+
+func getHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, vars map[string]string) error {
+	gun := vars["imageName"]
+	tufRole := vars["tufRole"]
 	s := ctx.Value("metaStore")
 	store, ok := s.(storage.MetaStore)
 	if !ok {
 		return errors.ErrNoStorage.WithDetail(nil)
 	}
-	vars := mux.Vars(r)
-	gun := vars["imageName"]
-	tufRole := vars["tufRole"]
 
 	logger := ctxu.GetLoggerWithFields(ctx, map[string]interface{}{"gun": gun, "tufRole": tufRole})
 
diff --git a/server/handlers/default_test.go b/server/handlers/default_test.go
index 91c104af74..b4d1652cea 100644
--- a/server/handlers/default_test.go
+++ b/server/handlers/default_test.go
@@ -1,15 +1,22 @@
 package handlers
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"testing"
 
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 
+	"github.com/docker/notary/server/storage"
+	"github.com/docker/notary/tuf/data"
 	"github.com/docker/notary/tuf/signed"
 
+	"github.com/docker/notary/tuf/testutils"
 	"github.com/docker/notary/utils"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
 func TestMainHandlerGet(t *testing.T) {
@@ -38,3 +45,145 @@ func TestMainHandlerNotGet(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected 404, received %d", res.StatusCode)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestGetHandlerRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	store := storage.NewMemStorage()
+	_, repo, _ := testutils.EmptyRepo()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "metaStore", store)
+
+	root, err := repo.SignRoot(data.DefaultExpires("root"))
+	rootJSON, err := json.Marshal(root)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	store.UpdateCurrent("gun", storage.MetaUpdate{Role: "root", Version: 1, Data: rootJSON})
+
+	req := &http.Request{
+		Body: ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBuffer(nil)),
+	}
+
+	vars := map[string]string{
+		"imageName": "gun",
+		"tufRole":   "root",
+	}
+
+	rw := httptest.NewRecorder()
+
+	err = getHandler(ctx, rw, req, vars)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestGetHandlerTimestamp(t *testing.T) {
+	store := storage.NewMemStorage()
+	_, repo, crypto := testutils.EmptyRepo()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "metaStore", store)
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "cryptoService", crypto)
+
+	sn, err := repo.SignSnapshot(data.DefaultExpires("snapshot"))
+	snJSON, err := json.Marshal(sn)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	store.UpdateCurrent("gun", storage.MetaUpdate{Role: "snapshot", Version: 1, Data: snJSON})
+
+	ts, err := repo.SignTimestamp(data.DefaultExpires("timestamp"))
+	tsJSON, err := json.Marshal(ts)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	store.UpdateCurrent("gun", storage.MetaUpdate{Role: "timestamp", Version: 1, Data: tsJSON})
+
+	req := &http.Request{
+		Body: ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBuffer(nil)),
+	}
+
+	vars := map[string]string{
+		"imageName": "gun",
+		"tufRole":   "timestamp",
+	}
+
+	rw := httptest.NewRecorder()
+
+	err = getHandler(ctx, rw, req, vars)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestGetHandlerSnapshot(t *testing.T) {
+	store := storage.NewMemStorage()
+	_, repo, crypto := testutils.EmptyRepo()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "metaStore", store)
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "cryptoService", crypto)
+
+	sn, err := repo.SignSnapshot(data.DefaultExpires("snapshot"))
+	snJSON, err := json.Marshal(sn)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	store.UpdateCurrent("gun", storage.MetaUpdate{Role: "snapshot", Version: 1, Data: snJSON})
+
+	req := &http.Request{
+		Body: ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBuffer(nil)),
+	}
+
+	vars := map[string]string{
+		"imageName": "gun",
+		"tufRole":   "snapshot",
+	}
+
+	rw := httptest.NewRecorder()
+
+	err = getHandler(ctx, rw, req, vars)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestGetHandler404(t *testing.T) {
+	store := storage.NewMemStorage()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "metaStore", store)
+
+	req := &http.Request{
+		Body: ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBuffer(nil)),
+	}
+
+	vars := map[string]string{
+		"imageName": "gun",
+		"tufRole":   "root",
+	}
+
+	rw := httptest.NewRecorder()
+
+	err := getHandler(ctx, rw, req, vars)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestGetHandlerNilData(t *testing.T) {
+	store := storage.NewMemStorage()
+	store.UpdateCurrent("gun", storage.MetaUpdate{Role: "root", Version: 1, Data: nil})
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "metaStore", store)
+
+	req := &http.Request{
+		Body: ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBuffer(nil)),
+	}
+
+	vars := map[string]string{
+		"imageName": "gun",
+		"tufRole":   "root",
+	}
+
+	rw := httptest.NewRecorder()
+
+	err := getHandler(ctx, rw, req, vars)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestGetHandlerNoStorage(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	req := &http.Request{
+		Body: ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBuffer(nil)),
+	}
+
+	err := GetHandler(ctx, nil, req)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}