diff --git a/orderer/ledger/ram/factory_test.go b/orderer/ledger/ram/factory_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d1e84c0c0eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/orderer/ledger/ram/factory_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/*
+Copyright IBM Corp. 2016 All Rights Reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+                 http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package ramledger
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/common/configtx/tool/provisional"
+
+	logging "github.com/op/go-logging"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	logging.SetLevel(logging.DEBUG, "")
+}
+
+func TestGetOrCreate(t *testing.T) {
+	rlf := New(3)
+	channel, err := rlf.GetOrCreate(provisional.TestChainID)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	channel2, err := rlf.GetOrCreate(provisional.TestChainID)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	if channel != channel2 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expecting already created channel.")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestChainIDs(t *testing.T) {
+	rlf := New(3)
+	rlf.GetOrCreate("channel1")
+	rlf.GetOrCreate("channel2")
+	rlf.GetOrCreate("channel3")
+	if len(rlf.ChainIDs()) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expecting three channels,")
+	}
+	rlf.Close()
+}
diff --git a/orderer/ledger/ram/impl_test.go b/orderer/ledger/ram/impl_test.go
index 8a8a5d5186f..9261e0c2b1b 100644
--- a/orderer/ledger/ram/impl_test.go
+++ b/orderer/ledger/ram/impl_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/common/configtx/tool/provisional"
+	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric/orderer/ledger"
 	cb "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/common"
+	ab "github.com/hyperledger/fabric/protos/orderer"
 
 	logging "github.com/op/go-logging"
 )
@@ -106,3 +108,103 @@ func TestTruncationSafety(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("The iterator should have found %d new blocks but found %d", newBlocks, count)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestRetrieval(t *testing.T) {
+	rl := newTestChain(3)
+	rl.Append(ledger.CreateNextBlock(rl, []*cb.Envelope{&cb.Envelope{Payload: []byte("My Data")}}))
+	it, num := rl.Iterator(&ab.SeekPosition{Type: &ab.SeekPosition_Oldest{}})
+	if num != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected genesis block iterator, but got %d", num)
+	}
+	signal := it.ReadyChan()
+	select {
+	case <-signal:
+	default:
+		t.Fatalf("Should be ready for block read")
+	}
+	block, status := it.Next()
+	if status != cb.Status_SUCCESS {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected to successfully read the genesis block")
+	}
+	if block.Header.Number != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected to successfully retrieve the genesis block")
+	}
+	signal = it.ReadyChan()
+	select {
+	case <-signal:
+	default:
+		t.Fatalf("Should still be ready for block read")
+	}
+	block, status = it.Next()
+	if status != cb.Status_SUCCESS {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected to successfully read the second block")
+	}
+	if block.Header.Number != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected to successfully retrieve the second block but got block number %d", block.Header.Number)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBlockedRetrieval(t *testing.T) {
+	rl := newTestChain(3)
+	it, num := rl.Iterator(&ab.SeekPosition{Type: &ab.SeekPosition_Specified{Specified: &ab.SeekSpecified{Number: 1}}})
+	if num != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected block iterator at 1, but got %d", num)
+	}
+	signal := it.ReadyChan()
+	select {
+	case <-signal:
+		t.Fatalf("Should not be ready for block read")
+	default:
+	}
+	rl.Append(ledger.CreateNextBlock(rl, []*cb.Envelope{&cb.Envelope{Payload: []byte("My Data")}}))
+	select {
+	case <-signal:
+	default:
+		t.Fatalf("Should now be ready for block read")
+	}
+	block, status := it.Next()
+	if status != cb.Status_SUCCESS {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected to successfully read the second block")
+	}
+	if block.Header.Number != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected to successfully retrieve the second block")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestIteratorPastEnd(t *testing.T) {
+	rl := newTestChain(3)
+	it, _ := rl.Iterator(&ab.SeekPosition{Type: &ab.SeekPosition_Specified{Specified: &ab.SeekSpecified{Number: 2}}})
+	if _, status := it.Next(); status != cb.Status_NOT_FOUND {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected block with status NOT_FOUND, but got %d", status)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestIteratorOldest(t *testing.T) {
+	rl := newTestChain(3)
+	// add enough block to roll off the genesis block
+	rl.Append(ledger.CreateNextBlock(rl, []*cb.Envelope{&cb.Envelope{Payload: []byte("My Data")}}))
+	rl.Append(ledger.CreateNextBlock(rl, []*cb.Envelope{&cb.Envelope{Payload: []byte("My Data")}}))
+	rl.Append(ledger.CreateNextBlock(rl, []*cb.Envelope{&cb.Envelope{Payload: []byte("My Data")}}))
+	_, num := rl.Iterator(&ab.SeekPosition{Type: &ab.SeekPosition_Specified{Specified: &ab.SeekSpecified{Number: 1}}})
+	if num != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected block iterator at 1, but got %d", num)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAppendBadBLock(t *testing.T) {
+	rl := newTestChain(3)
+	t.Run("BadBlockNumber", func(t *testing.T) {
+		nextBlock := ledger.CreateNextBlock(rl, []*cb.Envelope{&cb.Envelope{Payload: []byte("My Data")}})
+		nextBlock.Header.Number = nextBlock.Header.Number + 1
+		if err := rl.Append(nextBlock); err == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Expected Append to fail.")
+		}
+	})
+	t.Run("BadPreviousHash", func(t *testing.T) {
+		nextBlock := ledger.CreateNextBlock(rl, []*cb.Envelope{&cb.Envelope{Payload: []byte("My Data")}})
+		nextBlock.Header.PreviousHash = []byte("bad hash")
+		if err := rl.Append(nextBlock); err == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Expected Append to fail.")
+		}
+	})
+}