diff --git a/compiler/tests/30_openram_test.py b/compiler/tests/30_openram_back_end_test.py
similarity index 96%
rename from compiler/tests/30_openram_test.py
rename to compiler/tests/30_openram_back_end_test.py
index 6f1b24fc..414c4a62 100755
--- a/compiler/tests/30_openram_test.py
+++ b/compiler/tests/30_openram_back_end_test.py
@@ -27,10 +27,9 @@ class openram_test(openram_test):
     def runTest(self):
         OPENRAM_HOME = os.path.abspath(os.environ.get("OPENRAM_HOME"))
         globals.init_openram("{0}/tests/config_{1}".format(OPENRAM_HOME,OPTS.tech_name))
-        
-        debug.info(1, "Testing top-level openram.py with 2-bit, 16 word SRAM.")
+
+        debug.info(1, "Testing top-level back-end openram.py with 2-bit, 16 word SRAM.")
         out_file = "testsram"
-        # make a temp directory for output
         out_path = "/tmp/testsram_{0}_{1}_{2}/".format(OPTS.tech_name,getpass.getuser(),os.getpid())
 
         # make sure we start without the files existing
@@ -48,7 +47,6 @@ class openram_test(openram_test):
         verbosity = ""
         for i in range(OPTS.debug_level):
             verbosity += " -v"
-
             
         # Always perform code coverage
         if OPTS.coverage == 0:
diff --git a/compiler/tests/30_openram_front_end_test.py b/compiler/tests/30_openram_front_end_test.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..006d1bf3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/tests/30_openram_front_end_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+This tests the top-level executable. It checks that it generates the
+appropriate files: .lef, .lib, .sp, .gds, .v. It DOES NOT, however,
+check that these files are right.
+"""
+
+import unittest
+from testutils import header,openram_test
+import sys,os,re,shutil
+sys.path.append(os.path.join(sys.path[0],".."))
+import globals
+from globals import OPTS
+from sram_factory import factory
+import debug
+import getpass
+
+class openram_test(openram_test):
+
+    def runTest(self):
+        OPENRAM_HOME = os.path.abspath(os.environ.get("OPENRAM_HOME"))
+        globals.init_openram("{0}/tests/config_{1}".format(OPENRAM_HOME,OPTS.tech_name))
+
+        debug.info(1, "Testing top-level front-end openram.py with 2-bit, 16 word SRAM.")
+        out_file = "testsram"
+        out_path = "/tmp/testsram_{0}_{1}_{2}".format(OPTS.tech_name,getpass.getuser(),os.getpid())
+
+        # make sure we start without the files existing
+        if os.path.exists(out_path):
+            shutil.rmtree(out_path, ignore_errors=True)
+        self.assertEqual(os.path.exists(out_path),False)
+
+        try:
+            os.makedirs(out_path, 0o0750)
+        except OSError as e:
+            if e.errno == 17:  # errno.EEXIST
+                os.chmod(out_path, 0o0750)
+
+        # specify the same verbosity for the system call
+        verbosity = ""
+        for i in range(OPTS.debug_level):
+            verbosity += " -v"
+
+            
+        # Always perform code coverage
+        if OPTS.coverage == 0:
+            debug.warning("Failed to find coverage installation. This can be installed with pip3 install coverage")
+            exe_name = "{0}/openram.py ".format(OPENRAM_HOME)
+        else:
+            exe_name = "coverage run -p {0}/openram.py ".format(OPENRAM_HOME) 
+        config_name = "{0}config_{1}_front_end.py".format(OPENRAM_HOME + "/tests/",OPTS.tech_name)
+        cmd = "{0} -n -o {1} -p {2} {3} {4} 2>&1 > {5}/output.log".format(exe_name,
+                                                                          out_file,
+                                                                          out_path,
+                                                                          verbosity,
+                                                                          config_name,
+                                                                          out_path)
+        debug.info(1, cmd)
+        os.system(cmd)
+        
+        # assert an error until we actually check a result
+        for extension in ["v", "lef", "sp"]:
+            filename = "{0}/{1}.{2}".format(out_path,out_file,extension)
+            debug.info(1,"Checking for file: " + filename)
+            self.assertEqual(os.path.exists(filename),True)
+        # assert an error if we output the incomplete gds!
+        for extension in ["gds"]:
+            filename = "{0}/{1}.{2}".format(out_path,out_file,extension)
+            debug.info(1,"Checking file does NOT exist: " + filename)
+            self.assertEqual(os.path.exists(filename),False)
+
+        # Make sure there is any .lib file
+        import glob
+        files = glob.glob('{0}/*.lib'.format(out_path))
+        self.assertTrue(len(files)>0)
+        
+        # Make sure there is any .html file 
+        if os.path.exists(out_path):
+            datasheets = glob.glob('{0}/*html'.format(out_path))
+            self.assertTrue(len(datasheets)>0)
+        
+        # grep any errors from the output
+        output_log = open("{0}/output.log".format(out_path),"r")
+        output = output_log.read()
+        output_log.close()
+        self.assertEqual(len(re.findall('ERROR',output)),0)
+        self.assertEqual(len(re.findall('WARNING',output)),0)
+
+
+        # now clean up the directory
+        if os.path.exists(out_path):
+            shutil.rmtree(out_path, ignore_errors=True)
+        self.assertEqual(os.path.exists(out_path),False)
+
+        globals.end_openram()
+
+# run the test from the command line
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    (OPTS, args) = globals.parse_args()
+    del sys.argv[1:]
+    header(__file__, OPTS.tech_name)
+    unittest.main()