diff --git a/src/common.sh b/src/common.sh
index f721136..aa2af42 100644
--- a/src/common.sh
+++ b/src/common.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ __desc_case=
 # stderr file
 __desc_errpath="$(mktemp)"
 
+# env file
+__desc_envpath="$(mktemp)"
+
 # most recent expect result and its exit code
 __desc_result=
 __desc_rexit=0
@@ -162,9 +165,16 @@ bail()
 expect()
 {
   __desc-assert-within it expect $(caller)
-  __desc_result="$($@ 2>"$__desc_errpath")"
   __desc_rexit=$?
   __desc-push ":expect $(caller) $@"
+
+  # stdout remains on stdout; stderr to a tmp file; environment to a tmp
+  # file (note that we use declare instead of env to ensure that
+  # non-exported variables are also included)
+  __desc_result="$(
+    $@ 2>"$__desc_errpath"
+    declare -p >"$__desc_envpath"
+  )"
 }
 
 to()
diff --git a/src/expect.sh b/src/expect.sh
index 2d44875..56db94e 100644
--- a/src/expect.sh
+++ b/src/expect.sh
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 __INC_EXPECT_CORE=1
 
 source expect/output.sh
+source expect/env.sh
 
 
 ##
diff --git a/src/expect/env.sh b/src/expect/env.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..771d0c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/expect/env.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Environment expectations
+#
+#  Copyright (C) 2014 Mike Gewitz
+#
+#  This file is part of shspec.
+#
+#  shspec is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+#  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+#  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+#  (at your option) any later version.
+#
+#  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+#  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+#  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+#  GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+#  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+#  along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+##
+
+[ -z $__INC_EXPECT_ENV ] || return
+__INC_EXPECT_ENV=1
+
+
+##
+# Expect that an environment variable is set to a particular value
+#
+# The variable need not be exported.
+#
+_expect--set()
+{
+  local -ri shiftn="$2"
+  local -r  envpath="$4"
+  shift "$shiftn"
+
+  # ensure envpath is available
+  __chk-shiftn 4 "$shiftn"
+
+  local -r var="$1" cmp="$2"
+  shift 2
+  local -r expect="$@"
+
+  # TODO: support escaped newlines; use awk (do not source the file)
+  local -r line="$( grep "^declare \.*-- $var=" "$envpath" )"
+  local -r valq="${line##*=\"}"
+  local -r val="${valq%%\"}"
+
+  # cannot quote regex without causing problems, and [[ syntax does not
+  # allow a variable comparison operator; further, argument order varies
+  # with certain operators; whitelist to explicitly document support and
+  # prevent oddities
+  case "$cmp" in
+    =~)
+      [[ "$val" =~ $expect ]];;
+
+    -[nz])
+      test "$cmp" "$val";;
+
+    =|==|!=|-eq|-ne|-lt|-le|-gt|-ge)
+      test "$val" $cmp "$expect";;
+
+    *) false;;
+  esac
+}
+
diff --git a/src/spec.sh b/src/spec.sh
index 16cce58..3d898a7 100644
--- a/src/spec.sh
+++ b/src/spec.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ source specstack.sh
 source expect.sh
 
 # number of internal arguments before remainder clause
-declare -ir __SHIFTN=3
+declare -ir __SHIFTN=4
 
 
 ##
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ mktemp-shm()
 # stderr file
 declare -r __spec_errpath="$(mktemp-shm)"
 
+# env dump file
+declare -r __spec_envpath="$(mktemp-shm)"
+
 # most recent expect result and its exit code
 declare __spec_result=
 declare -i __spec_rexit=0
@@ -162,7 +165,8 @@ to()
   _sstack-assert-follow :expect to $(caller)
   _sstack-pop
 
-  __handle-to "$__spec_rexit" $__SHIFTN "$__spec_errpath" "$@" \
+  __handle-to "$__spec_rexit" $__SHIFTN \
+    "$__spec_errpath" "$__spec_envpath" "$@" \
     || fail "$*"
 
   __spec_caller=
@@ -182,6 +186,7 @@ __handle-to()
   local -ri rexit="$1"
   local -ri shiftn="$2"
   local -r errpath="$( [ $shiftn -gt 2 ] && echo "$3" )"
+  local -r envpath="$( [ $shiftn -gt 3 ] && echo "$4" )"
   shift "$shiftn"
 
   local -r type="$1"
@@ -196,7 +201,7 @@ __handle-to()
   # output file, and all remaining arguments are said remainder clause; the
   # shift argument allows the implementation to vary without breaking BC so
   # long as the meaning of the shifted arguments do not change
-  $assert $rexit $__SHIFTN "$errpath" "$@" \
+  $assert $rexit $__SHIFTN "$errpath" "$envpath" "$@" \
     < <( echo -n "$__spec_result" )
 }
 
diff --git a/test/test-expect-core b/test/test-expect-core
index a57f786..1b222e8 100644
--- a/test/test-expect-core
+++ b/test/test-expect-core
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ describe silent
 
   # no arguments within context of the DSL, that is
   it accepts no arguments
-  expect _expect--silent 0 2 foo < <(:)
+    expect _expect--silent 0 2 foo < <(:)
       to fail
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/test-expect-env b/test/test-expect-env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5fb3be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-expect-env
@@ -0,0 +1,207 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Environment expectation tests
+#
+#  Copyright (C) 2014 Mike Gewitz
+#
+#  This file is part of shspec.
+#
+#  shspec is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+#  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+#  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+#  (at your option) any later version.
+#
+#  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+#  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+#  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+#  GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+#  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+#  along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+##
+
+declare -r stubenv='
+declare -- var="val"
+declare -- long="foo bar baz"
+declare -- empty=""
+declare -- one="1"'
+
+
+function setchk()
+{
+  _expect--set 0 4 <(:) <( echo "$stubenv" ) "$@"
+}
+
+
+describe set
+  describe = and == operators
+    it succeeds on string equality
+      expect setchk var = val
+        to succeed
+
+      expect setchk var == val
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    it fails on string inequality
+      expect setchk var = unval
+        to fail
+
+      expect setchk var == unval
+        to fail
+    end
+  end
+
+
+  describe != operator
+    it succeeds on string inequality
+      expect setchk var != foo
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    it fails on string equality
+      expect setchk var != val
+        to fail
+    end
+  end
+
+
+  describe =~ operator
+    it succeeds on a match
+      expect setchk \
+        long =~ fo+ ba. baz\$
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    # note that this also ensures that *all* arguments are part of the match
+    it fails on a mismatch
+      expect setchk \
+        long =~ fo+ baX baz\$
+        to fail
+    end
+  end
+
+
+  describe -n operator
+    it succeeds when string is non-empty
+      expect setchk var -n
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    it fails when string is empty
+      expect setchk empty -n
+        to fail
+    end
+  end
+
+
+  describe -z operator
+    it succeeds when string is empty
+      expect setchk empty -z
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    it fails when string is non-empty
+      expect setchk var -z
+        to fail
+    end
+  end
+
+
+  describe -eq operator
+    it succeeds on numeric equality
+      expect setchk one -eq 1
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    it fails on numeric inequality
+      expect setchk one -eq 2
+        to fail
+    end
+  end
+
+
+  describe -gt operator
+    it succeeds when numerically greater
+      expect setchk one -gt 0
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    it fails when not numerically greater
+      expect setchk one -gt 1
+        to fail
+    end
+  end
+
+
+  describe -ge operator
+    it succeeds when numerically greater
+      expect setchk one -ge 0
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    it succeeds when numerically equal
+      expect setchk one -ge 1
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    it fails when numerically less than
+      expect setchk one -ge 2
+        to fail
+    end
+  end
+
+
+  describe -lt operator
+    it succeeds when numerically less than
+      expect setchk one -lt 2
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    it fails when not numerically less than
+      expect setchk one -lt 1
+        to fail
+    end
+  end
+
+
+  describe -le operator
+    it succeeds when numerically less than
+      expect setchk one -le 2
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    it succeeds when numerically equal
+      expect setchk one -le 1
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    it fails when numerically greater than
+      expect setchk one -le 0
+        to fail
+    end
+  end
+
+
+  describe -ne operator
+    it succeeds when numerically unequal
+      expect setchk one -ne 2
+        to succeed
+    end
+
+    it fails when numerically equal
+      expect setchk one -ne 1
+        to fail
+    end
+  end
+
+
+  # primarily for safety and strict documentation, but no other tests make
+  # sense at the moment
+  it fails on unrecognized operators
+    # shell injection (not that this is realistically a problem, because we
+    # can execute arbitrary shell code anyway)
+    expect setchk var "!= foo -a 1 -eq" 1
+      to fail
+  end
+end
+