diff --git a/caddyhttp/markdown/markdown_test.go b/caddyhttp/markdown/markdown_test.go
index 4da39a7f5..658da51e9 100644
--- a/caddyhttp/markdown/markdown_test.go
+++ b/caddyhttp/markdown/markdown_test.go
@@ -1,16 +1,12 @@
 package markdown
 
 import (
-	"bufio"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
-	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"text/template"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/mholt/caddy/caddyhttp/httpserver"
 	"github.com/russross/blackfriday"
@@ -79,19 +75,23 @@ func TestMarkdown(t *testing.T) {
 		}),
 	}
 
-	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", "/blog/test.md", nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Could not create HTTP request: %v", err)
+	get := func(url string) string {
+		req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", url, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Could not create HTTP request: %v", err)
+		}
+		rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		code, err := md.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if code != http.StatusOK {
+			t.Fatalf("Wrong status, expected: %d and got %d", http.StatusOK, code)
+		}
+		return rec.Body.String()
 	}
 
-	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
-
-	md.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
-	if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
-		t.Fatalf("Wrong status, expected: %d and got %d", http.StatusOK, rec.Code)
-	}
-
-	respBody := rec.Body.String()
+	respBody := get("/blog/test.md")
 	expectedBody := `<!DOCTYPE html>
 <html>
 <head>
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ func TestMarkdown(t *testing.T) {
 </head>
 <body>
 <h1>Header for: Markdown test 1</h1>
-
 Welcome to A Caddy website!
 <h2>Welcome on the blog</h2>
 
@@ -113,46 +112,22 @@ Welcome to A Caddy website!
 </body>
 </html>
 `
-	if !equalStrings(respBody, expectedBody) {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected body: %v got: %v", expectedBody, respBody)
-	}
-
-	req, err = http.NewRequest("GET", "/docflags/test.md", nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Could not create HTTP request: %v", err)
-	}
-	rec = httptest.NewRecorder()
-
-	md.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
-	if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
-		t.Fatalf("Wrong status, expected: %d and got %d", http.StatusOK, rec.Code)
-	}
-	respBody = rec.Body.String()
+	respBody = get("/docflags/test.md")
 	expectedBody = `Doc.var_string hello
-Doc.var_bool <no value>
-DocFlags.var_string <no value>
-DocFlags.var_bool true`
+Doc.var_bool true
+`
 
-	if !equalStrings(respBody, expectedBody) {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected body: %v got: %v", expectedBody, respBody)
+	if respBody != expectedBody {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected body:\n%q\ngot:\n%q", expectedBody, respBody)
 	}
 
-	req, err = http.NewRequest("GET", "/log/test.md", nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Could not create HTTP request: %v", err)
-	}
-	rec = httptest.NewRecorder()
-
-	md.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
-	if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
-		t.Fatalf("Wrong status, expected: %d and got %d", http.StatusOK, rec.Code)
-	}
-	respBody = rec.Body.String()
+	respBody = get("/log/test.md")
 	expectedBody = `<!DOCTYPE html>
 <html>
 	<head>
 		<title>Markdown test 2</title>
 		<meta charset="utf-8">
+
 		<link rel="stylesheet" href="/resources/css/log.css">
 		<link rel="stylesheet" href="/resources/css/default.css">
 		<script src="/resources/js/log.js"></script>
@@ -171,26 +146,11 @@ DocFlags.var_bool true`
 	</body>
 </html>`
 
-	if !equalStrings(respBody, expectedBody) {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected body: %v got: %v", expectedBody, respBody)
+	if respBody != expectedBody {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected body:\n%q\ngot:\n%q", expectedBody, respBody)
 	}
 
-	req, err = http.NewRequest("GET", "/og/first.md", nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Could not create HTTP request: %v", err)
-	}
-	rec = httptest.NewRecorder()
-	currenttime := time.Now().Local().Add(-time.Second)
-	_ = os.Chtimes("testdata/og/first.md", currenttime, currenttime)
-	currenttime = time.Now().Local()
-	_ = os.Chtimes("testdata/og_static/og/first.md/index.html", currenttime, currenttime)
-	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 200)
-
-	md.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
-	if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
-		t.Fatalf("Wrong status, expected: %d and got %d", http.StatusOK, rec.Code)
-	}
-	respBody = rec.Body.String()
+	respBody = get("/og/first.md")
 	expectedBody = `<!DOCTYPE html>
 <html>
 <head>
@@ -198,32 +158,18 @@ DocFlags.var_bool true`
 </head>
 <body>
 <h1>Header for: first_post</h1>
-
 Welcome to title!
 <h1>Test h1</h1>
 
 </body>
-</html>`
+</html>
+`
 
-	if !equalStrings(respBody, expectedBody) {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected body: %v got: %v", expectedBody, respBody)
+	if respBody != expectedBody {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected body:\n%q\ngot:\n%q", expectedBody, respBody)
 	}
 }
 
-func equalStrings(s1, s2 string) bool {
-	s1 = strings.TrimSpace(s1)
-	s2 = strings.TrimSpace(s2)
-	in := bufio.NewScanner(strings.NewReader(s1))
-	for in.Scan() {
-		txt := strings.TrimSpace(in.Text())
-		if !strings.HasPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(s2), txt) {
-			return false
-		}
-		s2 = strings.Replace(s2, txt, "", 1)
-	}
-	return true
-}
-
 func setDefaultTemplate(filename string) *template.Template {
 	buf, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filename)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/caddyhttp/markdown/setup.go b/caddyhttp/markdown/setup.go
index 2424abf61..3117062c1 100644
--- a/caddyhttp/markdown/setup.go
+++ b/caddyhttp/markdown/setup.go
@@ -115,15 +115,17 @@ func loadParams(c *caddy.Controller, mdc *Config) error {
 			fpath := filepath.ToSlash(filepath.Clean(cfg.Root + string(filepath.Separator) + tArgs[0]))
 
 			if err := SetTemplate(mdc.Template, "", fpath); err != nil {
-				c.Errf("default template parse error: %v", err)
+				return c.Errf("default template parse error: %v", err)
 			}
+
 			return nil
 		case 2:
 			fpath := filepath.ToSlash(filepath.Clean(cfg.Root + string(filepath.Separator) + tArgs[1]))
 
 			if err := SetTemplate(mdc.Template, tArgs[0], fpath); err != nil {
-				c.Errf("template parse error: %v", err)
+				return c.Errf("template parse error: %v", err)
 			}
+
 			return nil
 		}
 	case "templatedir":
@@ -132,11 +134,12 @@ func loadParams(c *caddy.Controller, mdc *Config) error {
 		}
 		_, err := mdc.Template.ParseGlob(c.Val())
 		if err != nil {
-			c.Errf("template load error: %v", err)
+			return c.Errf("template load error: %v", err)
 		}
 		if c.NextArg() {
 			return c.ArgErr()
 		}
+
 		return nil
 	default:
 		return c.Err("Expected valid markdown configuration property")
diff --git a/caddyhttp/markdown/setup_test.go b/caddyhttp/markdown/setup_test.go
index a86f95e54..745337b63 100644
--- a/caddyhttp/markdown/setup_test.go
+++ b/caddyhttp/markdown/setup_test.go
@@ -71,12 +71,9 @@ func TestMarkdownParse(t *testing.T) {
 			Extensions: map[string]struct{}{
 				".md": {},
 			},
-			Template: GetDefaultTemplate(),
+			Template: setDefaultTemplate("./testdata/tpl_with_include.html"),
 		}}},
 	}
-	// Setup the extra template
-	tmpl := tests[1].expectedMarkdownConfig[0].Template
-	SetTemplate(tmpl, "", "./testdata/tpl_with_include.html")
 
 	for i, test := range tests {
 		c := caddy.NewTestController("http", test.inputMarkdownConfig)
diff --git a/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/blog/test.md b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/blog/test.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..93f07a493
--- /dev/null
+++ b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/blog/test.md
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+title: Markdown test 1
+sitename: A Caddy website
+---
+
+## Welcome on the blog
+
+Body
+
+``` go
+func getTrue() bool {
+    return true
+}
+```
diff --git a/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/docflags/template.txt b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/docflags/template.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b001388f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/docflags/template.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Doc.var_string {{.Doc.var_string}}
+Doc.var_bool {{.Doc.var_bool}}
diff --git a/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/docflags/test.md b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/docflags/test.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..64ca7f78d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/docflags/test.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+var_string: hello
+var_bool: true
+---
diff --git a/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/header.html b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/header.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cfbdc75b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/header.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<h1>Header for: {{.Doc.title}}</h1>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/log/test.md b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/log/test.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..476ab3015
--- /dev/null
+++ b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/log/test.md
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+title: Markdown test 2
+sitename: A Caddy website
+---
+
+## Welcome on the blog
+
+Body
+
+``` go
+func getTrue() bool {
+    return true
+}
+```
diff --git a/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/markdown_tpl.html b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/markdown_tpl.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7c6978500
--- /dev/null
+++ b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/markdown_tpl.html
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+<head>
+<title>{{.Doc.title}}</title>
+</head>
+<body>
+{{.Include "header.html"}}
+Welcome to {{.Doc.sitename}}!
+{{.Doc.body}}
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/og/first.md b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/og/first.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4d7a4251f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/og/first.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: first_post
+sitename: title
+---
+# Test h1
diff --git a/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/tpl_with_include.html b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/tpl_with_include.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..68cc986cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/caddyhttp/markdown/testdata/tpl_with_include.html
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+	<head>
+		<title>{{.Doc.title}}</title>
+	</head>
+	<body>
+		Welcome to {{.Doc.sitename}}!
+		<br><br>
+		{{.Doc.body}}
+	</body>
+</html>