diff --git a/tuf/builder.go b/tuf/builder.go
index 3230ddbb2f..111223a276 100644
--- a/tuf/builder.go
+++ b/tuf/builder.go
@@ -199,8 +199,11 @@ func (rb *repoBuilder) GetConsistentInfo(roleName string) ConsistentInfo {
 			info.fileMeta = rb.repo.Timestamp.Signed.Meta[roleName]
 		}
 	case data.CanonicalRootRole:
-		if rb.bootstrappedRootChecksum != nil {
+		switch {
+		case rb.bootstrappedRootChecksum != nil:
 			info.fileMeta = *rb.bootstrappedRootChecksum
+		case rb.repo.Snapshot != nil:
+			info.fileMeta = rb.repo.Snapshot.Signed.Meta[roleName]
 		}
 	default:
 		if rb.repo.Snapshot != nil {
diff --git a/tuf/builder_test.go b/tuf/builder_test.go
index 8186630fb4..01bfe623fb 100644
--- a/tuf/builder_test.go
+++ b/tuf/builder_test.go
@@ -1,15 +1,22 @@
 package tuf_test
 
-// package tuf_test to avoid an import cycle since we are using testutils.EmptyRepo
+// tests for builder that live in an external package, tuf_test, so that we can use
+// the testutils without causing an import cycle
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
+	"crypto/sha512"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/docker/notary"
 	"github.com/docker/notary/trustpinning"
 	"github.com/docker/notary/tuf"
 	"github.com/docker/notary/tuf/data"
 	"github.com/docker/notary/tuf/signed"
 	"github.com/docker/notary/tuf/testutils"
+	"github.com/docker/notary/tuf/utils"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
@@ -344,3 +351,325 @@ func TestGenerateTimestampInvalidOperations(t *testing.T) {
 	require.IsType(t, data.ErrInvalidMetadata{}, err)
 	require.False(t, builder.IsLoaded(data.CanonicalTimestampRole))
 }
+
+func TestGetConsistentInfo(t *testing.T) {
+	gun := "docker.com/notary"
+	repo, _, err := testutils.EmptyRepo(gun)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// add some hashes for items in the snapshot that don't correspond to real metadata, but that
+	// will cause ConsistentInfo to behave differently
+	realSha512Sum := sha512.Sum512([]byte("stuff"))
+	repo.Snapshot.Signed.Meta["only512"] = data.FileMeta{Hashes: data.Hashes{notary.SHA512: realSha512Sum[:]}}
+	repo.Snapshot.Signed.Meta["targets/random"] = data.FileMeta{Hashes: data.Hashes{"randomsha": []byte("12345")}}
+	repo.Snapshot.Signed.Meta["targets/nohashes"] = data.FileMeta{Length: 1}
+
+	extraMeta := []string{"only512", "targets/random", "targets/nohashes"}
+
+	meta, err := testutils.SignAndSerialize(repo)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	builder := tuf.NewRepoBuilder(nil, gun, nil, trustpinning.TrustPinConfig{})
+	// if neither snapshot nor timestamp are loaded, no matter how much other data is loaded, consistent info
+	// is empty except for timestamp: timestamps have no checksums, and the length is always -1
+	for _, roleToLoad := range []string{data.CanonicalRootRole, data.CanonicalTargetsRole} {
+		require.NoError(t, builder.Load(roleToLoad, meta[roleToLoad], 0, false))
+		for _, checkName := range append(data.BaseRoles, extraMeta...) {
+			ci := builder.GetConsistentInfo(checkName)
+			require.Equal(t, checkName, ci.ConsistentName())
+
+			switch checkName {
+			case data.CanonicalTimestampRole:
+				// timestamp's size is always the max timestamp size
+				require.True(t, ci.ChecksumKnown())
+				require.Equal(t, notary.MaxTimestampSize, ci.Length())
+			default:
+				require.False(t, ci.ChecksumKnown())
+				require.Equal(t, int64(-1), ci.Length())
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// once timestamp is loaded, we can get the consistent info for snapshot but nothing else
+	require.NoError(t, builder.Load(data.CanonicalTimestampRole, meta[data.CanonicalTimestampRole], 0, false))
+	for _, checkName := range append(data.BaseRoles, extraMeta...) {
+		ci := builder.GetConsistentInfo(checkName)
+
+		switch checkName {
+		case data.CanonicalSnapshotRole:
+			cName := utils.ConsistentName(data.CanonicalSnapshotRole,
+				repo.Timestamp.Signed.Meta[data.CanonicalSnapshotRole].Hashes[notary.SHA256])
+			require.Equal(t, cName, ci.ConsistentName())
+			require.True(t, ci.ChecksumKnown())
+			require.True(t, ci.Length() > -1)
+		case data.CanonicalTimestampRole:
+			// timestamp's canonical name is always "timestamp" and its size is always the max
+			// timestamp size
+			require.Equal(t, data.CanonicalTimestampRole, ci.ConsistentName())
+			require.True(t, ci.ChecksumKnown())
+			require.Equal(t, notary.MaxTimestampSize, ci.Length())
+		default:
+			require.Equal(t, checkName, ci.ConsistentName())
+			require.False(t, ci.ChecksumKnown())
+			require.Equal(t, int64(-1), ci.Length())
+		}
+	}
+
+	// once the snapshot is loaded, we can get real consistent info for all loaded roles
+	require.NoError(t, builder.Load(data.CanonicalSnapshotRole, meta[data.CanonicalSnapshotRole], 0, false))
+	for _, checkName := range data.BaseRoles {
+		ci := builder.GetConsistentInfo(checkName)
+		require.True(t, ci.ChecksumKnown(), "%s's checksum is not known", checkName)
+
+		switch checkName {
+		case data.CanonicalTimestampRole:
+			// timestamp's canonical name is always "timestamp" and its size is always -1
+			require.Equal(t, data.CanonicalTimestampRole, ci.ConsistentName())
+			require.Equal(t, notary.MaxTimestampSize, ci.Length())
+		default:
+			fileInfo := repo.Snapshot.Signed.Meta
+			if checkName == data.CanonicalSnapshotRole {
+				fileInfo = repo.Timestamp.Signed.Meta
+			}
+
+			cName := utils.ConsistentName(checkName, fileInfo[checkName].Hashes[notary.SHA256])
+			require.Equal(t, cName, ci.ConsistentName())
+			require.True(t, ci.Length() > -1)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// the fake roles have invalid-ish checksums: the ConsistentInfos for those will return
+	// non-consistent names but non -1 sizes
+	for _, checkName := range extraMeta {
+		ci := builder.GetConsistentInfo(checkName)
+		require.Equal(t, checkName, ci.ConsistentName()) // because no sha256 hash
+		require.True(t, ci.ChecksumKnown())
+		require.True(t, ci.Length() > -1)
+	}
+
+	// a non-existent role's ConsistentInfo is empty
+	ci := builder.GetConsistentInfo("nonExistent")
+	require.Equal(t, "nonExistent", ci.ConsistentName())
+	require.False(t, ci.ChecksumKnown())
+	require.Equal(t, int64(-1), ci.Length())
+
+	// when we bootstrap a new builder, the root has consistent info because the checksum is provided,
+	// but nothing else does
+	builder = builder.BootstrapNewBuilder()
+	for _, checkName := range append(data.BaseRoles, extraMeta...) {
+		ci := builder.GetConsistentInfo(checkName)
+
+		switch checkName {
+		case data.CanonicalTimestampRole:
+			// timestamp's size is always the max timestamp size
+			require.Equal(t, checkName, ci.ConsistentName())
+			require.True(t, ci.ChecksumKnown())
+			require.Equal(t, notary.MaxTimestampSize, ci.Length())
+
+		case data.CanonicalRootRole:
+			cName := utils.ConsistentName(data.CanonicalRootRole,
+				repo.Snapshot.Signed.Meta[data.CanonicalRootRole].Hashes[notary.SHA256])
+
+			require.Equal(t, cName, ci.ConsistentName())
+			require.True(t, ci.ChecksumKnown())
+			require.True(t, ci.Length() > -1)
+
+		default:
+			require.Equal(t, checkName, ci.ConsistentName())
+			require.False(t, ci.ChecksumKnown())
+			require.Equal(t, int64(-1), ci.Length())
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// No matter what order timestamp and snapshot is loaded, if the snapshot's checksum doesn't match
+// what's in the timestamp, the builder will error and refuse to load the latest piece of metadata
+// whether that is snapshot (because it was loaded after timestamp) or timestamp (because builder
+// retroactive checks the loaded snapshot's checksum).  Timestamp ONLY checks the snapshot checksum.
+func TestTimestampPreAndPostChecksumming(t *testing.T) {
+	gun := "docker.com/notary"
+	repo, _, err := testutils.EmptyRepo(gun, "targets/other", "targets/other/other")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// add invalid checkums for all the other roles to timestamp too, and show that
+	// cached items aren't checksummed against this
+	fakeChecksum, err := data.NewFileMeta(bytes.NewBuffer([]byte("fake")), notary.SHA256, notary.SHA512)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	for _, roleName := range append(data.BaseRoles, "targets/other") {
+		// add a wrong checksum for every role, including timestamp itself
+		repo.Timestamp.Signed.Meta[roleName] = fakeChecksum
+	}
+	// this will overwrite the snapshot checksum with the right one
+	meta, err := testutils.SignAndSerialize(repo)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	// ensure that the fake meta for other roles weren't destroyed by signing the timestamp
+	require.Len(t, repo.Timestamp.Signed.Meta, 5)
+
+	snapJSON := append(meta[data.CanonicalSnapshotRole], ' ')
+
+	// --- load timestamp first
+	builder := tuf.NewRepoBuilder(nil, gun, nil, trustpinning.TrustPinConfig{})
+	require.NoError(t, builder.Load(data.CanonicalRootRole, meta[data.CanonicalRootRole], 0, false))
+	// timestamp doesn't fail, even though its checksum for root is wrong according to timestamp
+	require.NoError(t, builder.Load(data.CanonicalTimestampRole, meta[data.CanonicalTimestampRole], 0, false))
+	// loading the snapshot in fails, because of the checksum the timestamp has
+	err = builder.Load(data.CanonicalSnapshotRole, snapJSON, 0, false)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.IsType(t, data.ErrMismatchedChecksum{}, err)
+	require.True(t, builder.IsLoaded(data.CanonicalTimestampRole))
+	require.False(t, builder.IsLoaded(data.CanonicalSnapshotRole))
+	// all the other metadata can be loaded in, even though the checksums are wrong according to timestamp
+	for _, roleName := range []string{data.CanonicalTargetsRole, "targets/other"} {
+		require.NoError(t, builder.Load(roleName, meta[roleName], 0, false))
+	}
+
+	// --- load snapshot first
+	builder = tuf.NewRepoBuilder(nil, gun, nil, trustpinning.TrustPinConfig{})
+	for _, roleName := range append(data.BaseRoles, "targets/other") {
+		switch roleName {
+		case data.CanonicalTimestampRole:
+			continue
+		case data.CanonicalSnapshotRole:
+			require.NoError(t, builder.Load(roleName, snapJSON, 0, false))
+		default:
+			require.NoError(t, builder.Load(roleName, meta[roleName], 0, false))
+		}
+	}
+	// timestamp fails because the snapshot checksum is wrong
+	err = builder.Load(data.CanonicalTimestampRole, meta[data.CanonicalTimestampRole], 0, false)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	checksumErr, ok := err.(data.ErrMismatchedChecksum)
+	require.True(t, ok)
+	require.Contains(t, checksumErr.Error(), "checksum for snapshot did not match")
+	require.False(t, builder.IsLoaded(data.CanonicalTimestampRole))
+	require.True(t, builder.IsLoaded(data.CanonicalSnapshotRole))
+}
+
+// Creates metadata in the following manner:
+// - the snapshot has bad checksums for itself and for timestamp, to show that those aren't checked
+// - snapshot has valid checksums for root, targets, and targets/other
+// - snapshot doesn't have a checksum for targets/other/other, but targets/other/other is a valid
+//   delegation role in targets/other and there is metadata for targets/other/other that is correctly
+//   signed
+func setupSnapshotChecksumming(t *testing.T, gun string) map[string][]byte {
+	repo, _, err := testutils.EmptyRepo(gun, "targets/other", "targets/other/other")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// add invalid checkums for all the other roles to timestamp too, and show that
+	// cached items aren't checksummed against this
+	fakeChecksum, err := data.NewFileMeta(bytes.NewBuffer([]byte("fake")), notary.SHA256, notary.SHA512)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	// fake the snapshot and timestamp checksums
+	repo.Snapshot.Signed.Meta[data.CanonicalSnapshotRole] = fakeChecksum
+	repo.Snapshot.Signed.Meta[data.CanonicalTimestampRole] = fakeChecksum
+
+	meta, err := testutils.SignAndSerialize(repo)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	// ensure that the fake metadata for other roles wasn't destroyed by signing
+	require.Len(t, repo.Snapshot.Signed.Meta, 5)
+
+	// create delegation metadata that should not be in snapshot, but has a valid role and signature
+	_, err = repo.InitTargets("targets/other/other")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	s, err := repo.SignTargets("targets/other/other", data.DefaultExpires(data.CanonicalTargetsRole))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	meta["targets/other/other"], err = json.Marshal(s)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	return meta
+}
+
+// If the snapshot is loaded first (-ish, because really root has to be loaded first)
+// it will be used to validate the checksums of all other metadata that gets loaded.
+// If the checksum doesn't match, or if there is no checksum, then the other metadata
+// cannot be loaded.
+func TestSnapshotLoadedFirstChecksumsOthers(t *testing.T) {
+	gun := "docker.com/notary"
+	meta := setupSnapshotChecksumming(t, gun)
+	// --- load root then snapshot
+	builder := tuf.NewRepoBuilder(nil, gun, nil, trustpinning.TrustPinConfig{})
+	require.NoError(t, builder.Load(data.CanonicalRootRole, meta[data.CanonicalRootRole], 0, false))
+	require.NoError(t, builder.Load(data.CanonicalSnapshotRole, meta[data.CanonicalSnapshotRole], 0, false))
+
+	// loading timestamp is fine, even though the timestamp metadata has the wrong checksum because
+	// we don't check timestamp checksums
+	require.NoError(t, builder.Load(data.CanonicalTimestampRole, meta[data.CanonicalTimestampRole], 0, false))
+
+	// loading the other roles' metadata with a space will fail because of a checksum failure (builder
+	// checks right away if the snapshot is loaded) - in the case of targets/other/other, which should
+	// not be in snapshot at all, loading should fail even without a space because there is no checksum
+	// for it
+	for _, roleNameToLoad := range []string{data.CanonicalTargetsRole, "targets/other"} {
+		err := builder.Load(roleNameToLoad, append(meta[roleNameToLoad], ' '), 0, false)
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		checksumErr, ok := err.(data.ErrMismatchedChecksum)
+		require.True(t, ok)
+		require.Contains(t, checksumErr.Error(), fmt.Sprintf("checksum for %s did not match", roleNameToLoad))
+		require.False(t, builder.IsLoaded(roleNameToLoad))
+
+		// now load it for real (since we need targets loaded before trying to load "targets/other")
+		require.NoError(t, builder.Load(roleNameToLoad, meta[roleNameToLoad], 0, false))
+	}
+	// loading the non-existent role wil fail
+	err := builder.Load("targets/other/other", meta["targets/other/other"], 0, false)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.IsType(t, data.ErrMissingMeta{}, err)
+	require.False(t, builder.IsLoaded("targets/other/other"))
+}
+
+// If any other metadata is loaded first, when the snapshot is loaded it will retroactively go back
+// and validate that metadata.  If anything fails to validate, or there is metadata for which this
+// snapshot has no checksums for, the snapshot will fail to validate.
+func TestSnapshotLoadedAfterChecksumsOthersRetroactively(t *testing.T) {
+	gun := "docker.com/notary"
+	meta := setupSnapshotChecksumming(t, gun)
+
+	// --- load all the other metadata first, but with an extra space at the end which should
+	// --- validate fine, except for the checksum.
+	for _, roleNameToPermute := range append(data.BaseRoles, "targets/other") {
+		builder := tuf.NewRepoBuilder(nil, gun, nil, trustpinning.TrustPinConfig{})
+		if roleNameToPermute == data.CanonicalSnapshotRole {
+			continue
+		}
+		// load all the roles normally, except for roleToPermute, which has one space added
+		// to the end, thus changing the checksum
+		for _, roleNameToLoad := range append(data.BaseRoles, "targets/other") {
+			switch roleNameToLoad {
+			case data.CanonicalSnapshotRole:
+				continue // we load this later
+			case roleNameToPermute:
+				// having a space added at the end should not affect any validity check except checksum
+				require.NoError(t, builder.Load(roleNameToLoad, append(meta[roleNameToLoad], ' '), 0, false))
+			default:
+				require.NoError(t, builder.Load(roleNameToLoad, meta[roleNameToLoad], 0, false))
+			}
+			require.True(t, builder.IsLoaded(roleNameToLoad))
+		}
+		// now load the snapshot - it should fail with the checksum failure for the permuted role
+		err := builder.Load(data.CanonicalSnapshotRole, meta[data.CanonicalSnapshotRole], 0, false)
+		switch roleNameToPermute {
+		case data.CanonicalTimestampRole:
+			require.NoError(t, err) // we don't check the timestamp's checksum
+		default:
+			require.Error(t, err)
+			checksumErr, ok := err.(data.ErrMismatchedChecksum)
+			require.True(t, ok)
+			require.Contains(t, checksumErr.Error(), fmt.Sprintf("checksum for %s did not match", roleNameToPermute))
+			require.False(t, builder.IsLoaded(data.CanonicalSnapshotRole))
+		}
+	}
+
+	// load all the metadata as is without alteration (so they should validate all checksums)
+	// but also load the metadata that is not contained in the snapshot.  Then when the snapshot
+	// is loaded it will fail validation, because it doesn't have target/other/other's checksum
+	builder := tuf.NewRepoBuilder(nil, gun, nil, trustpinning.TrustPinConfig{})
+	for _, roleNameToLoad := range append(data.BaseRoles, "targets/other", "targets/other/other") {
+		if roleNameToLoad == data.CanonicalSnapshotRole {
+			continue
+		}
+		require.NoError(t, builder.Load(roleNameToLoad, meta[roleNameToLoad], 0, false))
+	}
+	err := builder.Load(data.CanonicalSnapshotRole, meta[data.CanonicalSnapshotRole], 0, false)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.IsType(t, data.ErrMissingMeta{}, err)
+}