diff --git a/core/lib/patternlab.js b/core/lib/patternlab.js
index f8e99e96b..3a5c03f75 100644
--- a/core/lib/patternlab.js
+++ b/core/lib/patternlab.js
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ var diveSync = require('diveSync'),
   packageInfo = require('../../package.json'),
   plutils = require('./utilities'),
   jsonCopy = require('./json_copy'),
+  ui = require('./ui_builder'),
+  ui_builder = new ui(),
+  pe = require('./pattern_exporter'),
+  pattern_exporter = new pe(),
   PatternGraph = require('./pattern_graph').PatternGraph;
 
 //register our log events
@@ -148,9 +152,7 @@ var patternlab_engine = function (config) {
   'use strict';
 
   var pa = require('./pattern_assembler'),
-    pe = require('./pattern_exporter'),
     lh = require('./lineage_hunter'),
-    ui = require('./ui_builder'),
     sm = require('./starterkit_manager'),
     Pattern = require('./object_factory').Pattern,
     CompileState = require('./object_factory').CompileState,
@@ -159,7 +161,6 @@ var patternlab_engine = function (config) {
   patternlab.engines = patternEngines;
 
   var pattern_assembler = new pa(),
-    pattern_exporter = new pe(),
     lineage_hunter = new lh();
 
   patternlab.package = fs.readJSONSync(path.resolve(__dirname, '../../package.json'));
@@ -580,7 +581,6 @@ var patternlab_engine = function (config) {
       }
     }
 
-
     //render all patterns last, so lineageR works
     patternsToBuild.forEach(pattern => renderSinglePattern(pattern, head));
 
@@ -606,7 +606,7 @@ var patternlab_engine = function (config) {
       }
       patternlab.isBusy = true;
       buildPatterns(deletePatternDir);
-      new ui().buildFrontend(patternlab);
+      ui_builder.buildFrontend(patternlab);
       printDebug();
       patternlab.isBusy = false;
       callback();
diff --git a/test/files/_data/listitems.json b/test/files/_data/listitems.json
index efcd8b4f1..3187a7a8d 100644
--- a/test/files/_data/listitems.json
+++ b/test/files/_data/listitems.json
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
 {
-  "test_list_item" : "izzn thizzle"
+  "1": {
+    "title": "Nullizzle shizznit velizzle, hizzle, suscipit own yo', gravida vizzle, arcu."
+  },
+  "2": {
+    "title": "Veggies sunt bona vobis, proinde vos postulo"
+  },
+  "3": {
+    "title": "Bacon ipsum dolor sit amet turducken strip steak beef ribs shank"
+  }
 }
-
diff --git a/test/files/_meta/_00-head.mustache b/test/files/_meta/_00-head.mustache
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/test/files/_meta/_01-foot.mustache b/test/files/_meta/_01-foot.mustache
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/test/files/_patterns/00-test/paramMiddle.mustache b/test/files/_patterns/00-test/paramMiddle.mustache
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..31169fb7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/files/_patterns/00-test/paramMiddle.mustache
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<div class="{{styleModifier}}">
+  {{> test-link }}
+</div>
diff --git a/test/files/_patterns/00-test/paramParent.json b/test/files/_patterns/00-test/paramParent.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d913cc535
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/files/_patterns/00-test/paramParent.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "url" : "link.test-foo"
+}
diff --git a/test/files/_patterns/00-test/paramParent.mustache b/test/files/_patterns/00-test/paramParent.mustache
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bf4e84562
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/files/_patterns/00-test/paramParent.mustache
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{{> test-paramMiddle(styleModifier: "foo") }}
diff --git a/test/files/partials/general-footer.mustache b/test/files/partials/general-footer.mustache
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/test/files/partials/general-header.mustache b/test/files/partials/general-header.mustache
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/test/files/partials/patternSection.mustache b/test/files/partials/patternSection.mustache
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/test/files/partials/patternSectionSubtype.mustache b/test/files/partials/patternSectionSubtype.mustache
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/test/files/viewall.mustache b/test/files/viewall.mustache
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/test/patternlab_tests.js b/test/patternlab_tests.js
index 84eb81d2f..0ea02de9b 100644
--- a/test/patternlab_tests.js
+++ b/test/patternlab_tests.js
@@ -1,15 +1,73 @@
 'use strict';
 
-var tap = require('tap');
+const tap = require('tap');
+const rewire = require("rewire");
+const _ = require('lodash');
+const fs = require('fs-extra');
+var config = require('./util/patternlab-config.json');
+
+var plEngineModule = rewire('../core/lib/patternlab');
+
+//set up a global mocks - we don't want to be writing/rendering any files right now
+const uiBuilderMock = {
+  buildFrontend: function (patternlab) { }
+};
+
+const fsMock = {
+  outputFileSync: function (path, content) { /* INTENTIONAL NOOP */},
+  readJSONSync: function(path, encoding) {
+    return fs.readJSONSync(path, encoding);
+  },
+  removeSync: function(path) { fs.removeSync(path); },
+  emptyDirSync: function(path) { fs.emptyDirSync(path); },
+  readFileSync: function(path, encoding) { return fs.readFileSync(path, encoding); },
+}
+
+//set our mocks in place of usual require()
+plEngineModule.__set__({
+  'ui_builder': uiBuilderMock,
+  'fs': fsMock
+});
 
 tap.test('buildPatternData - should merge all JSON files in the data folder except listitems', function(test){
-  var fs = require('fs-extra');
-        var plMain = require('../core/lib/patternlab');
   var data_dir = './test/files/_data/';
 
-  var dataResult = plMain.build_pattern_data(data_dir, fs);
+  var dataResult = plEngineModule.build_pattern_data(data_dir, fs);
   test.equals(dataResult.data, "test");
   test.equals(dataResult.foo, "bar");
   test.equals(dataResult.test_list_item, undefined);
   test.end();
 });
+
+tap.test('buildPatterns - should replace data link even when pattern parameter present', function(test) {
+  //arrange
+
+  var patternExporterMock = {
+    /*
+     In this test, we actually take advantage of the pattern export functionality post-build to inspect what
+     the contents of the patterns look like. This, coupled with a mocking of fs and the ui_builder, allow us to focus
+     only on the order of events within build.
+     */
+    export_patterns: function (patternlab) {
+      var pattern = _.find(patternlab.patterns, (pattern) => {
+        return pattern.patternPartial === 'test-paramParent';
+      });
+      //assert
+      test.equals(pattern.patternPartialCode.indexOf('00-test-00-foo.rendered.html') > -1, true, 'data link should be replaced properly');
+    }
+  };
+
+  plEngineModule.__set__({
+    'pattern_exporter': patternExporterMock
+  });
+
+  config.patternExportPatternPartials = ['test-paramParent'];
+  var pl = new plEngineModule(config);
+
+  //act
+  pl.build(function() {
+    test.end();
+  }, true);
+
+
+});
diff --git a/test/util/patternlab-config.json b/test/util/patternlab-config.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d13f33508
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/util/patternlab-config.json
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+{
+  "paths" : {
+    "source" : {
+      "root": "./test/files/",
+      "patterns" : "./test/files/_patterns/",
+      "data" : "./test/files/_data/",
+      "meta": "./test/files/_meta/",
+      "styleguide" : "./test/files/styleguide/",
+      "patternlabFiles" : "./test/files/",
+      "js" : "./test/files/js",
+      "images" : "./test/files/images",
+      "fonts" : "./test/files/fonts",
+      "css" : "./test/files/css/"
+    },
+    "public" : {
+      "root" : "./test/public/",
+      "patterns" : "./test/public/patterns/",
+      "data" : "./test/public/data/",
+      "styleguide" : "./test/public/styleguide/",
+      "js" : "./test/public/js",
+      "images" : "./test/public/images",
+      "fonts" : "./test/public/fonts",
+      "css" : "./test/public/css"
+    }
+  },
+  "styleGuideExcludes": [
+    "templates",
+    "pages"
+  ],
+  "defaultPattern": "all",
+  "ignored-extensions" : ["scss", "DS_Store", "less"],
+  "ignored-directories" : ["scss"],
+  "debug": false,
+  "ishControlsHide": {
+    "s": false,
+    "m": false,
+    "l": false,
+    "full": false,
+    "random": false,
+    "disco": false,
+    "hay": true,
+    "mqs": false,
+    "find": false,
+    "views-all": false,
+    "views-annotations": false,
+    "views-code": false,
+    "views-new": false,
+    "tools-all": false,
+    "tools-docs": false
+  },
+  "ishMinimum": "240",
+  "ishMaximum": "2600",
+  "patternStateCascade": ["inprogress", "inreview", "complete"],
+  "patternStates": {
+  },
+  "patternExportPatternPartials": [],
+  "patternExportDirectory": "./pattern_exports/",
+  "cacheBust": true,
+  "outputFileSuffixes": {
+    "rendered": ".rendered",
+    "rawTemplate": "",
+    "markupOnly": ".markup-only"
+  },
+  "cleanOutputHtml": true,
+  "exportToGraphViz": false,
+  "cleanPublic": true
+}