diff --git a/db.class.php b/db.class.php
index 938a434..09d2a1f 100644
--- a/db.class.php
+++ b/db.class.php
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class DB
     return $mysql;
   }
   
-  protected static function nonSQLError($message) {
+  public static function nonSQLError($message) {
     if (DB::$throw_exception_on_nonsql_error) {
       $e = new MeekroDBException($message);
       throw $e;
@@ -564,7 +564,9 @@ class WhereClause {
   public $clauses = array();
   
   function __construct($type) {
-    $this->type = strtolower($type);
+    $type = strtolower($type);
+    if ($type != 'or' && $type != 'and') DB::nonSQLError('you must use either WhereClause(and) or WhereClause(or)');
+    $this->type = $type;
   }
   
   function add() {
@@ -598,11 +600,8 @@ class WhereClause {
     return count($this->clauses);
   }
   
-  function text($minimal = false) {
-    if (count($this->clauses) == 0) {
-      if ($minimal) return '(1)';
-      else return '';
-    }
+  function text() {
+    if (count($this->clauses) == 0) return '(1)';
     
     $A = array();
     foreach ($this->clauses as $clause) {
diff --git a/simpletest/WhereClauseTest.php b/simpletest/WhereClauseTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c3169da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/simpletest/WhereClauseTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+<?
+class WhereClauseTest extends SimpleTest {
+  function test_1_basic_where() {
+    $where = new WhereClause('and');
+    $where->add('username=%s', 'Bart');
+    $where->add('password=%s', 'hello');
+    
+    $result = DB::query("SELECT * FROM accounts WHERE %l", $where->text());
+    $this->assert(count($result) === 1);
+    $this->assert($result[0]['age'] === '15');
+  }
+  
+  function test_2_simple_grouping() {
+    $where = new WhereClause('and');
+    $where->add('password=%s', 'hello');
+    $subclause = $where->addClause('or');
+    $subclause->add('age=%i', 15);
+    $subclause->add('age=%i', 14);
+    
+    $result = DB::query("SELECT * FROM accounts WHERE %l", $where->text());
+    $this->assert(count($result) === 1);
+    $this->assert($result[0]['age'] === '15');
+  }
+  
+
+}
+
+?>
diff --git a/simpletest/test.php b/simpletest/test.php
index 17dfd72..80a797c 100755
--- a/simpletest/test.php
+++ b/simpletest/test.php
@@ -27,10 +27,12 @@ DB::$dbName = $set_db;
 DB::$host = $set_host;
 
 require_once 'BasicTest.php';
+require_once 'WhereClauseTest.php';
 require_once 'ErrorTest.php';
 
 $classes_to_test = array(
   'BasicTest',
+  'WhereClauseTest',
   'ErrorTest',
 );