diff --git a/exercises/run-length-encoding/run_length_encoding_test.py b/exercises/run-length-encoding/run_length_encoding_test.py
index efd06cdb5b..0a2263cc1f 100644
--- a/exercises/run-length-encoding/run_length_encoding_test.py
+++ b/exercises/run-length-encoding/run_length_encoding_test.py
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-from __future__ import unicode_literals
-
 import unittest
 
 from run_length_encoding import encode, decode
@@ -8,30 +5,48 @@
 
 class WordCountTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
-    def test_encode(self):
-        self.assertMultiLineEqual('2A3B4C', encode('AABBBCCCC'))
+    def test_encode_empty_string(self):
+        self.assertMultiLineEqual('', encode(''))
 
-    def test_decode(self):
-        self.assertMultiLineEqual('AABBBCCCC', decode('2A3B4C'))
+    def test_encode_single_characters_only_are_encoded_without_count(self):
+        self.assertMultiLineEqual('XYZ', encode('XYZ'))
+
+    def test_encode_string_with_no_single_characters(self):
+        self.assertMultiLineEqual('2A3B4C', encode('AABBBCCCC'))
 
-    def test_encode_with_single(self):
+    def test_encode_single_characters_mixed_with_repeated_characters(self):
         self.assertMultiLineEqual(
             '12WB12W3B24WB',
             encode('WWWWWWWWWWWWBWWWWWWWWWWWWBBBWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWB'))
 
-    def test_decode_with_single(self):
+    def test_encode_multiple_whitespace_mixed_in_string(self):
+        self.assertMultiLineEqual('2 hs2q q2w2 ', encode('  hsqq qww  '))
+
+    def test_encode_lowercase_characters(self):
+        self.assertMultiLineEqual('2a3b4c', encode('aabbbcccc'))
+
+    def test_decode_empty_string(self):
+        self.assertMultiLineEqual('', decode(''))
+
+    def test_decode_single_characters_only(self):
+        self.assertMultiLineEqual('XYZ', decode('XYZ'))
+
+    def test_decode_string_with_no_single_characters(self):
+        self.assertMultiLineEqual('AABBBCCCC', decode('2A3B4C'))
+
+    def test_decode_single_characters_with_repeated_characters(self):
         self.assertMultiLineEqual(
             'WWWWWWWWWWWWBWWWWWWWWWWWWBBBWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWB',
             decode('12WB12W3B24WB'))
 
-    def test_combination(self):
-        self.assertMultiLineEqual('zzz ZZ  zZ', decode(encode('zzz ZZ  zZ')))
+    def test_decode_multiple_whitespace_mixed_in_string(self):
+        self.assertMultiLineEqual('  hsqq qww  ', decode('2 hs2q q2w2 '))
 
-    def test_encode_unicode_s(self):
-        self.assertMultiLineEqual('⏰3⚽2⭐⏰', encode('⏰⚽⚽⚽⭐⭐⏰'))
+    def test_decode_lower_case_string(self):
+        self.assertMultiLineEqual('aabbbcccc', decode('2a3b4c'))
 
-    def test_decode_unicode(self):
-        self.assertMultiLineEqual('⏰⚽⚽⚽⭐⭐⏰', decode('⏰3⚽2⭐⏰'))
+    def test_combination(self):
+        self.assertMultiLineEqual('zzz ZZ  zZ', decode(encode('zzz ZZ  zZ')))
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':