diff --git a/src/event/Evented.js b/src/event/Evented.js
index 814c094..cb85c1a 100644
--- a/src/event/Evented.js
+++ b/src/event/Evented.js
@@ -230,10 +230,14 @@ module.exports = Trait( 'Evented' )
      */
     on( ev, listener )
     {
-        if ( !( this._events[ ev ] ) ) {
+        if ( !( typeof ev === 'string' && ev ) ) {
+            throw TypeError( "Missing event identifier" );
+        }
+        else if ( !( this._events[ ev ] ) ) {
             throw ReferenceError( `Cannot hook undefined event \`${ev}'` );
         }
-        else if ( typeof listener !== 'function' ) {
+
+        if ( typeof listener !== 'function' ) {
             throw TypeError( "Event listener must be a function" );
         }
         else if ( this.hooksEvent( ev, listener ) )
diff --git a/test/event/EventableTestConform.js b/test/event/EventableTestConform.js
index 656f941..c461437 100644
--- a/test/event/EventableTestConform.js
+++ b/test/event/EventableTestConform.js
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@
  * function returning an instance of the SUT.
  */
 
-let expect = require( 'chai' ).expect,
+let Class     = require( 'easejs' ).Class,
+    Eventable = require( '../../' ).event.Eventable,
+    expect    = require( 'chai' ).expect,
     types     = require( '../../' ).util.types;
 
 let _fvoid = () => {},
@@ -65,6 +67,16 @@ module.exports = ctor =>
      */
     describe( 'conforming to Eventable', () =>
     {
+        /**
+         * As a general-purpose library, we would not want to restrict
+         * developers to a specific event implementation (for example, maybe the
+         * user would prefer to use Node.js' event system, or transparently
+         * integrate with libraries/systems that use it). Together with ease.js'
+         * interop support, this makes such a case trivial.
+         */
+        it( 'implements Eventable', () =>
+            expect( Class.isA( Eventable, meta_ctor() ) ).to.be.true );
+
         [ 'on', 'addListener' ].forEach( x =>
             _onTests( meta_ctor, x ) );
     } );
diff --git a/test/event/EventedTest.js b/test/event/EventedTest.js
index 1415565..31c9403 100644
--- a/test/event/EventedTest.js
+++ b/test/event/EventedTest.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ var Sut       = require( '../../' ).event.Evented,
     expect = require( 'chai' ).expect,
     common = require( '../lib' ),
 
+    Conform = require( './EventableTestConform' ),
 
     EvStub = Class.use( Sut ).extend(
     {
@@ -53,19 +54,8 @@ describe( 'event.Evented', () =>
     } );
 
 
-    /**
-     * As a general-purpose library, we would not want to restrict
-     * developers to a specific event implementation (for example, maybe the
-     * user would prefer to use Node.js' event system, or transparently
-     * integrate with libraries/systems that use it). Together with ease.js'
-     * interop support, this makes such a case trivial.
-     */
-    describe( 'interface', () =>
-    {
-        it( 'is Eventable', () =>
-            expect( Class.isA( Eventable, stub ) ).to.be.true
-        );
-    } );
+    // run Eventable conformance tests
+    Conform( events => EvStub().evDefineEvents( events ) );
 
 
     describe( '#defineEvents', () =>
@@ -183,32 +173,6 @@ describe( 'event.Evented', () =>
             } );
 
 
-            it( 'returns self', () =>
-            {
-                var name = 'testev';
-
-                var ret = stub.evDefineEvents( [ name ] )
-                    [ on ]( name, ()=>{} );
-
-                expect( ret ).to.equal( stub );
-            } );
-
-
-            it( 'requires that listener is a function', () =>
-            {
-                var ev = 'foo';
-                stub.evDefineEvents( [ ev ] );
-
-                // OK
-                expect( () => stub[ on ]( ev, ()=>{} ) )
-                    .to.not.throw( TypeError );
-
-                // bad
-                expect( () => stub[ on ]( ev, "kittens" ) )
-                    .to.throw( TypeError );
-            } );
-
-
             /**
              * It is highly suspect if the exact same listener is registered
              * for the same event---it is either a bug, or a questionable