diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 6b18bb37db..e3ca9d5fc2 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@ endif()
 set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_TESTCOV "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage")
 set(ALL_LIBS ${LEAN_LIBS} ${EXTRA_LIBS})
 add_subdirectory(shell)
+set(LEAN_LIBS ${LEAN_LIBS} shell)
 add_subdirectory(emacs)
 add_subdirectory(tests/util)
 add_subdirectory(tests/util/numerics)
@@ -338,6 +339,7 @@ add_subdirectory(tests/kernel)
 add_subdirectory(tests/library)
 add_subdirectory(tests/library/blast)
 add_subdirectory(tests/frontends/lean)
+add_subdirectory(tests/shell)
 
 # Include style check
 include(StyleCheck)
diff --git a/src/shell/CMakeLists.txt b/src/shell/CMakeLists.txt
index 4e2f3c884e..62eb1b05d4 100644
--- a/src/shell/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/shell/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ else()
   install(TARGETS lean DESTINATION bin)
 endif()
 
+add_library(shell emscripten.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(shell ${LEAN_LIBS})
+
 # add_test(example1_stdin1 ${LEAN_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/redirect.sh ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/lean "${LEAN_SOURCE_DIR}/../tests/lean/single.lean")
 # add_test(example1_stdin2 ${LEAN_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/redirect.sh ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/lean "-l" "${LEAN_SOURCE_DIR}/../tests/lean/single.lean")
 # add_test(example1_stdin3 ${LEAN_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/redirect.sh ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/lean "--lean" "${LEAN_SOURCE_DIR}/../tests/lean/single.lean")
diff --git a/src/shell/emscripten.cpp b/src/shell/emscripten.cpp
index f5e020f017..9765fc2ca5 100644
--- a/src/shell/emscripten.cpp
+++ b/src/shell/emscripten.cpp
@@ -66,14 +66,19 @@ public:
 };
 }
 
-lean::initializer* g_init;
-lean::emscripten_shell* g_shell;
+static lean::initializer * g_init = nullptr;
+static lean::emscripten_shell * g_shell = nullptr;
 
-void emscripten_init() {
+void initialize_emscripten() {
     g_init  = new lean::initializer();
     g_shell = new lean::emscripten_shell();
 }
 
+void finalize_emscripten() {
+    delete g_shell;
+    delete g_init;
+}
+
 int emscripten_import_module(std::string mname) {
     return g_shell->import_module(mname);
 }
diff --git a/src/shell/emscripten.h b/src/shell/emscripten.h
index ce0a18ae45..7f5fea9830 100644
--- a/src/shell/emscripten.h
+++ b/src/shell/emscripten.h
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ Author: Leonardo de Moura
 */
 #pragma once
 #include <string>
-namespace lean {
-void emscripten_init();
+void initialize_emscripten();
+void finalize_emscripten();
 int emscripten_import_module(std::string mname);
 int emscripten_process_file(std::string input_filename);
-}
diff --git a/src/shell/lean.cpp b/src/shell/lean.cpp
index c8f0476051..d21aa6e9cf 100644
--- a/src/shell/lean.cpp
+++ b/src/shell/lean.cpp
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ options set_config_option(options const & opts, char const * in) {
 #if defined(LEAN_EMSCRIPTEN)
 #include <emscripten/bind.h>
 EMSCRIPTEN_BINDINGS(LEAN_JS) {
-    emscripten::function("lean_init", &emscripten_init);
+    emscripten::function("lean_init", &initialize_emscripten);
     emscripten::function("lean_import_module", &emscripten_import_module);
     emscripten::function("lean_process_file", &emscripten_process_file);
 }
diff --git a/src/tests/shell/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tests/shell/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1312b9b416
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/shell/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+add_executable(shell_test shell.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(shell_test "init" "lean_frontend" "library" "kernel" "util" "shell" ${EXTRA_LIBS})
+
+add_test(NAME "emscripten_test"
+         WORKING_DIRECTORY "${LEAN_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/shell"
+         COMMAND bash "${LEAN_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/shell/test.sh" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/shell_test")
diff --git a/src/tests/shell/file1.lean b/src/tests/shell/file1.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b66f5b9399
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/shell/file1.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+check nat
+check nat.add_zero
+check nat.zero_add
+check finset
+inductive foo : Type :=
+mk : foo → foo
diff --git a/src/tests/shell/file2.lean b/src/tests/shell/file2.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e05aeb57f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/shell/file2.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+check nat
+check nat.add_zero
+check nat.zero_add
+check finset
+
+open nat
+example (a b : nat) : a = 0 → b = 0 → a = b :=
+begin
+  intros, substvars
+end
diff --git a/src/tests/shell/shell.cpp b/src/tests/shell/shell.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..30db9992d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/shell/shell.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2015 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
+
+Author: Leonardo de Moura
+*/
+#include <vector>
+#include "util/test.h"
+#include "shell/emscripten.h"
+using namespace lean;
+
+int main() {
+    save_stack_info();
+    initialize_emscripten();
+    emscripten_import_module("standard");
+    int r = emscripten_process_file("file1.lean");
+    if (r != 0)
+        return r;
+    r = emscripten_process_file("file2.lean");
+    if (r != 0)
+        return r;
+    r = has_violations() ? 1 : 0;
+    finalize_emscripten();
+    return r;
+}
diff --git a/src/tests/shell/test.sh b/src/tests/shell/test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a61abdd5ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/shell/test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -e
+if [ $# -ne 1 ]; then
+    echo "Usage: test.sh [shell_test-path]"
+    exit 1
+fi
+SHELL_TEST=$1
+
+export LEAN_PATH=../../../library:.
+if ! $SHELL_TEST; then
+    echo "FAILED"
+    exit 1
+fi