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..8523efa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/expect/env.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+#!/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, or
+# assert on flags
+#
+__expect-env()
+{
+  local -r expflags="$1" var="$2" cmp="$3"
+  shift 3
+  local -r expect="$@"
+
+  # TODO: support escaped newlines
+  local flags val
+  __read-env-line "$var" flags val < "$envpath"
+
+  # perform flag assertion if requested
+  test -n "$expflags" && {
+    [[ "$flags" =~ [$expflags] ]] || return 1
+  }
+
+  # cannot quote regex without causing problems, and [[ syntax does not
+  # allow a variable comparison operator; further, argument order varies
+  # with certain operators; whitelist to explicitly document support and
+  # prevent oddities
+  case "$cmp" in
+    =~)
+      [[ "$val" =~ $expect ]];;
+
+    -[nz])
+      test "$cmp" "$val";;
+
+    =|==|!=|-eq|-ne|-lt|-le|-gt|-ge)
+      test "$val" $cmp "$expect";;
+
+    # at this point, if we have succeeded in performing flag tests, then we
+    # will always pass; otherwise, if no such tests were performed, then we
+    # fall back to the conventional non-empty check
+    '')
+      test -n "$expflags" -o -n "$val";;
+
+    # TODO: provide error description
+    *) false;;
+  esac
+}
+
+
+##
+# Parse environment line (from `declare`) into flag and value variables
+#
+# Expected output is of the form:
+#   declare -flags? -- var="val"
+#
+__read-env-line()
+{
+  local -r var="$1" destflag="$2" destval="$3"
+
+  read $destflag $destval < <(
+    awk '
+      match( $0, /^declare (-([a-z]+) )?-- '$var'="(.*)"$/, m ) {
+        print "-" m[2], m[3]
+    }'
+  )
+}
+
+
+##
+# Expect that an environment variable has been set to a certain value
+#
+_expect--set()
+{
+  local -ri shiftn="$2"
+  local -r  envpath="$4"
+  shift "$shiftn"
+
+  # ensure envpath is available
+  __chk-shiftn 4 "$shiftn"
+
+  # no flag expectation
+  __expect-env '' "$@"
+}
+
+
+##
+# Alias for `set`
+#
+_expect--declare()
+{
+  _expect--set "$@"
+}
+
+
+##
+# Checks that a variable is exported with the given value
+#
+# Same syntax as `set`
+#
+_expect--export()
+{
+  local -ri shiftn="$2"
+  local -r  envpath="$4"
+  shift "$shiftn"
+
+  # ensure envpath is available
+  __chk-shiftn 4 "$shiftn"
+
+  # expect the -x flag, which denotes export
+  __expect-env x "$@"
+}
+
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..e0f7d7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-expect-env
@@ -0,0 +1,257 @@
+#!/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 -x -- var="val"
+declare -x -- long="foo bar baz"
+declare -x -- empty=""
+declare -x -- one="1"
+declare -- nonexport="moo"
+declare -- nonexport_empty=""'
+
+
+declare curchk
+function setchk()
+{
+  _expect--$curchk 0 4 <(:) <( echo "$stubenv" ) "$@"
+}
+
+
+# we have a few different expectations that have the same syntax
+for name in set declare export; do
+  curchk=$name
+
+  describe "$name"
+    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
+
+    if [ "$name" == export ]; then
+      it fails when variable is not exported
+        expect setchk nonexport
+          to fail
+      end
+
+      describe in absence of any operator
+        it succeeds on exported, non-empty var
+          expect setchk var
+            to succeed
+        end
+
+        it succeeds on exported empty var
+          expect setchk empty
+            to succeed
+        end
+
+        it fails on non-exported, non-empty var
+          expect setchk nonexport
+            to fail
+        end
+
+        it fails on non-exported empty var
+          expect setchk nonexport_empty
+            to fail
+        end
+      end
+    else
+      describe in absence of any operator
+        it succeeds on non-empty string
+          expect setchk var
+            to succeed
+        end
+
+        it fails on empty string
+          expect setchk empty
+            to fail
+        end
+      end
+    fi
+  end
+done
+