diff --git a/editor.go b/editor.go
index 1a6522a..bdfe93f 100644
--- a/editor.go
+++ b/editor.go
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ type Editor struct {
 }
 
 func NewEditor(args []string) (*Editor, error) {
+	var err error
+	if len(args) == 0 {
+		args, err = setupDefaultEditorArgs()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
 	return &Editor{
 		Args: args,
 	}, nil
diff --git a/editor_test.go b/editor_test.go
index bbda8cd..b43be4a 100644
--- a/editor_test.go
+++ b/editor_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,27 @@
 package main
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
 
 func TestEditor(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("creates a new editor with args", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r := require.New(t)
+		edit, err := NewEditor([]string{defaultEditor})
+		r.NoError(err)
+		r.Equal(defaultEditor, edit.Args[0])
+	})
+
+	t.Run("creates a new editor with default args", func(t *testing.T) {
+		testDefaultShell := os.Getenv("SHELL")
+		r := require.New(t)
+		edit, err := NewEditor([]string{})
+		r.NoError(err)
+		r.Equal(testDefaultShell, edit.Args[0])
+		r.Equal("-c", edit.Args[1])
+		r.Equal("EDITOR", edit.Args[2])
+	})
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 699d223..884c6f6 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -2,9 +2,15 @@ module github.com/briancain/editor-cli
 
 go 1.21
 
-require github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.0
+require (
+	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.0
+	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.4
+)
 
 require (
+	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.1.0 // indirect
+	github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5 // indirect
+	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 // indirect
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index d0e8c2c..8236a26 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,10 +1,18 @@
 github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.3/go.mod h1:tgQtvFlXSQOSOSIRvRPT7W67SCa46tRHOmNcaadrF8o=
+github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c=
+github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.1.0 h1:wN+x4NVGpMsO7ErUn/mUI3vEoE6Jt13X2s0bqwp9tc8=
 github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.1.0/go.mod h1:vpF70FUmC8bwa3OWnCshd2FqLfsEA9PFc4w1p2J65bw=
+github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZbAQM=
+github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
 github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0/go.mod h1:+Rmxgy9KzJVeS9/2gXHxylqXiyQDYRxCVz55jmeOWTM=
 github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.0 h1:7aJaZx1B85qltLMc546zn58BxxfZdR/W22ej9CFoEf0=
 github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.0/go.mod h1:WXLWApfZ71AjXPya3WOlMsY9yMs7YeiHhFVlvLyhcho=
 github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5 h1:iy+VFUOCP1a+8yFto/drg2CJ5u0yRoB7fZw3DKv/JXA=
 github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5/go.mod h1:McXfInJRrz4CZXVZOBLb0bTZqETkiAhM9Iw0y3An2Bg=
+github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.4 h1:CcVxjf3Q8PM0mHUKJCdn+eZZtm5yQwehR5yeSVQQcUk=
+github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.4/go.mod h1:sz/lmYIOXD/1dqDmKjjqLyZ2RngseejIcXlSw2iwfAo=
+gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405 h1:yhCVgyC4o1eVCa2tZl7eS0r+SDo693bJlVdllGtEeKM=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8huTwlJQCZ016jof/cbN4VW5Yz0=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=