diff --git a/Gruntfile.js b/Gruntfile.js
index af3aaa8..bad9066 100644
--- a/Gruntfile.js
+++ b/Gruntfile.js
@@ -44,12 +44,10 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
           baseUrl: "src",
           out: 'dist/<%= bower.name %>.js',
           paths: {
-            almond: 'lib/almond/almond',
             requirejs: 'lib/requirejs/require',
             domReady: 'lib/requirejs-domready/domReady',
           },
           include: ['requirejs', 'sqwidget'],
-          // Wrapper for AMD
           wrap: {
             startFile: 'src/_wrapper/top.js',
             endFile: 'src/_wrapper/bottom.js'
@@ -63,20 +61,35 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
         }
       }
     },
+    karma: {
+      options: {
+        configFile: './karma.conf.js',
+        browsers: ['Chrome', 'Firefox']
+      },
+      unit: {
+        background: true
+      },
+      //continuous integration mode: run tests once in PhantomJS browser.
+      continuous: {
+        singleRun: true,
+        browsers: ['PhantomJS']
+      },
+    },
 
     shell: {
       build_example: {
         command: "./build_example.sh"
-      },
-      test: {
-        command: "npm test"
       }
     },
 
     watch: {
+      test: {
+        files: ["test/fixture/*.js", "src/*.js", "test/spec/*.js"],
+        tasks: ["karma:unit:run"]
+      },
       sqwidget: {
-        files: ["src/*.js"],
-        tasks: ["shell:test", "build"]
+        files: ["src/*.js", "test/spec/*.js"],
+        tasks: ["karma:unit:run", "build"]
       },
       scaffold: {
         files: ["grunt-scaffold/root/main.js", "grunt-scaffold/root/app/**/*.js", "grunt-scaffold/**/*.tmpl"],
@@ -100,6 +113,7 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
   });
   grunt.registerTask("build", ["requirejs:compile"]);
   grunt.registerTask("default", ["clean", "build", "connect", "watch"]);
-  grunt.registerTask("dist", ["clean", "build"]);
+  grunt.registerTask("dist", ["clean", "build", "karma:unit"]);
+  grunt.registerTask("test", ["clean", "karma:unit", "watch:test"]);
   grunt.registerTask("release", ["dist", "bowerRelease:stable"]);
 };
diff --git a/karma.conf.js b/karma.conf.js
index 42069ab..c75e3aa 100644
--- a/karma.conf.js
+++ b/karma.conf.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ module.exports = function(config) {
     browsers: ['PhantomJS'],
     // If singleRun is set to true, Karma will start and capture all
     // configured browsers, run tests and then exit with an exit code of 0 or 1.
-    singleRun: false
+    singleRun: false,
+    reporters: 'dots'
   });
 };
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2d7b582..9652dd3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
   "scripts": {
     "prepublish": "make dist",
     "postinstall": "./grunt-scaffold/install.sh",
-    "test": "./node_modules/.bin/karma start --single-run --browsers PhantomJS"
+    "test": "grunt test:continuous"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "grunt-bower-release": "0.0.2"
diff --git a/src/core.js b/src/core.js
index 1f19189..e6eb64d 100644
--- a/src/core.js
+++ b/src/core.js
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ define(['require', 'lib/bonzo/bonzo', 'lib/qwery/qwery', 'lib/bean/bean', 'domRe
       });
 
       //bus events
-      bean.fire(this, "rendered:" + pkg.url);
-      bean.fire(this, "rendered:" + pkg.id);
-      bean.fire(pkg, "rendered");
+      bean.fire(this, "rendered:" + pkg.url, [bundle]);
+      bean.fire(this, "rendered:" + pkg.id,[bundle]);
+      bean.fire(pkg, "rendered", [bundle]);
     } else {
       throw("controller not found for " + bundle.location);
     }
@@ -84,13 +84,10 @@ define(['require', 'lib/bonzo/bonzo', 'lib/qwery/qwery', 'lib/bean/bean', 'domRe
   };
 
   SqwidgetCore.prototype.initialize = function() {
-    var names = [],
-        _this = this;
 
-    for(var id in _this.packages) {
-      var pkg = _this.packages[id];
+    for(var id in this.packages) {
 
-      (function(pkg,id) {
+      (function(pkg, id, _this) {
         //parse out script name from path
         var parts = pkg.url.split("/");
         var name = "./" + parts.pop();
@@ -105,14 +102,15 @@ define(['require', 'lib/bonzo/bonzo', 'lib/qwery/qwery', 'lib/bean/bean', 'domRe
           //the outer bundle can define some config, like packages it would like
           //loading before running its 'main' function
 
-          //todo fix dumb closing out on vars here
-          var loadMain = function(require,pkg,_this) {
+          //load the 'main' function inside the widget bundle when we have
+          //finished with dependencies
+          var loadMain = function() {
             require(["main"], function(loaded) {
               //if the bundle is a promise, wait for it to resolve, otherwise handle
               //immediately
               if("then" in loaded) {
                 var resolve = function(bundle) {
-                  return _this.initializeWidget.apply(_this, [pkg, bundle]); };
+                  _this.initialiseWidget.apply(_this, [pkg, bundle]); };
                 loaded.then(resolve);
               } else {
                 _this.initialiseWidget(pkg, loaded);
@@ -120,6 +118,7 @@ define(['require', 'lib/bonzo/bonzo', 'lib/qwery/qwery', 'lib/bean/bean', 'domRe
             }, function(err) { throw err; } );
           };
 
+          // preload a library the widget bundle requires
           if(bundle_config && bundle_config.packages) {
 
             //create a new config for the lib loader
@@ -141,18 +140,20 @@ define(['require', 'lib/bonzo/bonzo', 'lib/qwery/qwery', 'lib/bean/bean', 'domRe
               //config allowing both to be loaded simultaneously
 
               var preloads = bundle_config.preloads || [];
-              //there must be a better way to do this... we could
-              //iterate context.registry() but that also seems insane.
-              require(preloads,function() {
-                loadMain(require,pkg,_this);
-              });
+              //at the moment the bundle config passes things we need to preload
+              //however, since its an optimized bundle they are *all* loaded
+              //already they are just sat inside registry()
+              //we could iterate context.registry() instead to force them into
+              //the current require context
+              require(preloads,function() { loadMain(); });
+
             }, function(err) { throw err; } );
           } else {
-            loadMain(require,pkg, _this);
+            loadMain();
           }
 
         }, function(err) { throw err; } );
-      })(pkg,id);
+      })(this.packages[id], id, this);
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/test/fixture/dep1.js b/test/fixture/dep1.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..001047c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixture/dep1.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+//outer define is namespaced and passed the contextualised require
+sqwidget.define(["require"], function(require) {
+  var define = sqwidget.define;
+
+  define("dep1/helper", function() {
+    return true;
+  });
+
+  define("dep1/helper2", function() {
+    return true;
+  });
+
+  return {};
+});
+
diff --git a/test/fixture/dep2.js b/test/fixture/dep2.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61a61fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixture/dep2.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+//outer define is namespaced and passed the contextualised require
+sqwidget.define(["require"], function(require) {
+  var define = sqwidget.define;
+
+  define("dep2/helper", function() {
+    return true;
+  });
+
+  define("dep2/helper2", function() {
+    return true;
+  });
+
+  return {};
+});
+
diff --git a/test/fixture/example.js b/test/fixture/example.js
index ea2e53d..458f6ef 100644
--- a/test/fixture/example.js
+++ b/test/fixture/example.js
@@ -5,10 +5,17 @@ sqwidget.define(["require"], function(require) {
     return {
       Controller: function (opts) {
         opts.config.el.append("<div>TEST</div>");
-      }
+      },
+      require: require
     };
   });
 
-  return {};
+  return {
+    packages: [
+      { name: "dep1", location: '/base/test/fixture', main:"dep1" },
+      { name: "dep2", location: '/base/test/fixture', main:"dep2" }
+    ],
+    preloads: ["dep1/helper", "dep1/helper2"]
+  };
 });
 
diff --git a/test/fixture/promise.js b/test/fixture/promise.js
index 50107b6..1bead56 100644
--- a/test/fixture/promise.js
+++ b/test/fixture/promise.js
@@ -7,14 +7,21 @@ sqwidget.define(['require', '../../src/lib/when/when'] ,function(require, when)
       var pkg = {
         Controller: function (opts) {
           opts.config.el.append("<div>PROMISE</div>");
-        }
+        },
+        require: require
       };
 
       deferred.resolve(pkg);
     });
     return deferred.promise;
   });
-  return {};
+
+  return {
+    packages: [
+      { name: "dep2", location: '/base/test/fixture', main:"dep2" }
+    ],
+    preloads: ["dep2/helper", "dep2/helper2"]
+  };
 });
 
 
diff --git a/test/spec/core.js b/test/spec/core.js
index addebec..ccc42a2 100644
--- a/test/spec/core.js
+++ b/test/spec/core.js
@@ -57,14 +57,25 @@ define(['chai', 'lib/async/lib/async', 'core', 'lib/bonzo/bonzo', 'lib/bean/bean
 
         async.parallel([
           function(cb) {
-            bean.on(widget, 'rendered', function() {
+            bean.on(widget, 'rendered', function(bundle) {
+              assert.isTrue(bundle.require("dep1/helper"));
+              assert.isTrue(bundle.require("dep1/helper2"));
+              try {
+                bundle.require("dep2/helper");
+                assert.fail(true, false, "loaded");
+              } catch (e) {
+                assert.ok(e, "failed to load");
+              }
+
               assert.ok("Triggered event on package");
+              //check we have mixed in plugin
+
               cb();
             });
           },
 
           function(cb) {
-            bean.on(sqwidgetCore, 'rendered:' + widget.id, function() {
+            bean.on(sqwidgetCore, 'rendered:' + widget.id, function(bundle) {
               assert.ok("Triggered event");
               assert.equal(bonzo(w1).html(), '<div>TEST</div>', 'Rendered correctly');
               cb();
@@ -72,7 +83,9 @@ define(['chai', 'lib/async/lib/async', 'core', 'lib/bonzo/bonzo', 'lib/bean/bean
           },
 
           function(cb) {
-            bean.on(sqwidgetCore, 'rendered:' + w2r.id, function() {
+            bean.on(sqwidgetCore, 'rendered:' + w2r.id, function(bundle) {
+              assert.isTrue(bundle.require("dep2/helper"));
+              assert.isTrue(bundle.require("dep2/helper2"));
               assert.ok("Triggered event");
               assert.equal(bonzo(w2).html(), '<div>PROMISE</div>', 'Rendered correctly');
               cb();