diff --git a/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/nakamura/api/lite/authorizable/Authorizable.java b/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/nakamura/api/lite/authorizable/Authorizable.java
index 8330eb5b..81fc71c7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/nakamura/api/lite/authorizable/Authorizable.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/nakamura/api/lite/authorizable/Authorizable.java
@@ -272,9 +272,9 @@ public Object getProperty(String name) {
      * remove the property.
      * @param name 
      */
-    public void removeProperty(String name) {
-        if (!readOnly && authorizableMap.containsKey(name)) {
-            modifiedMap.put(name, new RemoveProperty());
+    public void removeProperty(String key) {
+        if (!readOnly && (authorizableMap.containsKey(key) || modifiedMap.containsKey(key))) {
+            modifiedMap.put(key, new RemoveProperty());
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/sakaiproject/nakamura/api/lite/authorizable/AuthorizableTest.java b/src/test/java/org/sakaiproject/nakamura/api/lite/authorizable/AuthorizableTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d86a4c58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/sakaiproject/nakamura/api/lite/authorizable/AuthorizableTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+package org.sakaiproject.nakamura.api.lite.authorizable;
+
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+public class AuthorizableTest {
+	
+	protected Authorizable u;
+	
+	@Before
+	public void setup(){
+		u = new User(new HashMap<String, Object>()); 
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * A non-anonymous user has the EVERYONE principal.
+	 */
+	@Test 
+	public void testInitEmpty(){
+		Assert.assertEquals(1, u.getPrincipals().length);
+		Assert.assertEquals(Group.EVERYONE, u.getPrincipals()[0]);
+	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * The anonymous user has no principals.
+	 */
+	@Test 
+	public void testInitAnonymous(){
+		Map<String,Object> props = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+		props.put(Authorizable.ID_FIELD, User.ANON_USER);
+		Authorizable a = new User(props);
+		Assert.assertEquals(0, a.getPrincipals().length);
+	}
+	
+	@Test 
+	public void testInitPrincipals(){
+		Map<String,Object> props = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+		props.put(Authorizable.PRINCIPALS_FIELD, "principal1-managers;principal2");
+		Authorizable a = new User(props);
+		// principal1-managers, principal2, Group.EVERYONE
+		Assert.assertEquals(3, a.getPrincipals().length);
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testHasProperty(){
+		Assert.assertFalse(u.hasProperty("anykey"));
+		u.setProperty("anykey", "where's the any key?");
+		Assert.assertTrue(u.hasProperty("anykey"));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Reset the {@link Authorizable} properties with new ones.
+	 * Old properties should no longer be present.
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testReset(){
+		u.setProperty("anykey", "where's the any key?");
+
+		Map<String, Object> newProps = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+		newProps.put("tab", "No time for that the computer's starting!");
+		u.reset(newProps);
+
+		Assert.assertFalse(u.hasProperty("anykey"));
+		Assert.assertTrue(u.hasProperty("tab"));
+		Assert.assertEquals(0, u.modifiedMap.size());
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Reset the {@link Authorizable} properties with an empty {@link HashMap}.
+	 * No properties should be present.
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testResetEmpty(){
+		u.setProperty("anykey", "where's the any key?");
+		u.reset(new HashMap<String, Object>());
+		Assert.assertFalse(u.hasProperty("anykey"));
+		Assert.assertEquals(0, u.modifiedMap.size());
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testRemoveProperty(){
+		Authorizable u = new User(new HashMap<String, Object>());
+		u.setProperty("anykey", "where's the any key?");
+		Assert.assertTrue(u.hasProperty("anykey"));
+		u.removeProperty("anykey");
+		Assert.assertFalse(u.hasProperty("anykey"));
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/sakaiproject/nakamura/lite/authorizable/AuthorizableTest.java b/src/test/java/org/sakaiproject/nakamura/lite/authorizable/AuthorizableTest.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 3990531b..00000000
--- a/src/test/java/org/sakaiproject/nakamura/lite/authorizable/AuthorizableTest.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-package org.sakaiproject.nakamura.lite.authorizable;
-
-import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.Map;
-
-import org.junit.Assert;
-import org.junit.Test;
-import org.sakaiproject.nakamura.api.lite.authorizable.Authorizable;
-import org.sakaiproject.nakamura.api.lite.authorizable.User;
-
-public class AuthorizableTest {
-
-	@Test
-	public void testHasProperty(){
-		Authorizable a = new User(new HashMap<String, Object>());
-		Assert.assertFalse(a.hasProperty("anykey"));
-
-		a.setProperty("anykey", "where's the any key?");
-		Assert.assertTrue(a.hasProperty("anykey"));
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	public void testReset(){
-		Authorizable a = new User(new HashMap<String, Object>());
-		a.setProperty("anykey", "where's the any key?");
-
-		Map<String, Object> newProps = new HashMap<String, Object>();
-		newProps.put("tab", "No time for that the computer's starting!");
-		a.reset(newProps);
-
-		Assert.assertFalse(a.hasProperty("anykey"));
-		Assert.assertTrue(a.hasProperty("tab"));
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	public void testResetEmpty(){
-		Authorizable a = new User(new HashMap<String, Object>());
-		a.setProperty("anykey", "where's the any key?");
-		a.reset(new HashMap<String, Object>());
-		Assert.assertFalse(a.hasProperty("anykey"));
-	}
-}