diff --git a/pubs/plugs/alias/alias.py b/pubs/plugs/alias/alias.py
index 131b716..1543717 100644
--- a/pubs/plugs/alias/alias.py
+++ b/pubs/plugs/alias/alias.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import subprocess
 import shlex
 
 from ...plugins import PapersPlugin
-from ...configs import config
 from ...pubs_cmd import execute
 
 
@@ -16,7 +15,7 @@ class Alias(object):
         self.parser = parser
         p = parser.add_parser(self.name, help='user defined command')
         p.add_argument('arguments', nargs='*',
-                help="arguments to be passed to the user defined command")
+            help="arguments to be passed to the user defined command")
 
     def command(self, conf, args):
         raise NotImplementedError
@@ -61,8 +60,9 @@ class AliasPlugin(PapersPlugin):
 
     def __init__(self, conf):
         self.aliases = []
-        for name, definition in conf['alias'].items():
-            self.aliases.append(Alias.create_alias(name, definition))
+        if 'alias' in conf['plugins']:
+            for name, definition in conf['plugins']['alias'].items():
+                self.aliases.append(Alias.create_alias(name, definition))
 
     def update_parser(self, subparsers):
         """Add subcommand to the provided subparser"""
diff --git a/tests/test_plug_alias.py b/tests/test_plug_alias.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c15b986
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_plug_alias.py
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+import unittest
+
+import dotdot
+
+import pubs
+from pubs import config
+from pubs.plugs.alias.alias import (Alias, AliasPlugin, CommandAlias,
+                                    ShellAlias)
+
+
+def to_args(arg_str):
+    o = lambda: None  # Dirty hack
+    o.prog = 'pubs'
+    o.arguments = arg_str.split(' ')
+    return o
+
+
+class FakeExecuter(object):
+
+    called = None
+    executed = None
+
+    def call(self, obj, shell=None):
+        self.called = obj
+
+    def execute(self, obj):
+        self.executed = obj
+
+
+class AliasTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.subprocess = FakeExecuter()
+        pubs.plugs.alias.alias.subprocess = self.subprocess
+        self.cmd_execute = FakeExecuter()
+        pubs.plugs.alias.alias.execute = self.cmd_execute.execute
+
+    def testAlias(self):
+        alias = Alias.create_alias('print', 'open -w lpppp')
+        alias.command(None, to_args('CiteKey'))
+        self.assertIsNone(self.subprocess.called)
+        self.assertEqual(self.cmd_execute.executed,
+                         ['pubs', 'open', '-w', 'lpppp', 'CiteKey'])
+
+    def testShellAlias(self):
+        """This actually just test that subprocess.call is called.
+        """
+        alias = Alias.create_alias('count', '!pubs list -k | wc -l')
+        alias.command(None, to_args(''))
+        self.assertIsNone(self.cmd_execute.executed)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(self.subprocess.called)
+
+
+class AliasPluginTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.conf = config.load_default_conf()
+        self.conf['plugins']['active'] = ['alias']
+
+    def testAliasPluginCreated(self):
+        self.plugin = AliasPlugin(self.conf)
+
+    def testAliasPluginOneCommnand(self):
+        self.conf['plugins']['alias'] = {'print': 'open -w lpppp'}
+        self.plugin = AliasPlugin(self.conf)
+        self.assertEqual(len(self.plugin.aliases), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(type(self.plugin.aliases[0]), CommandAlias)
+        self.assertEqual(self.plugin.aliases[0].name, 'print')
+        self.assertEqual(self.plugin.aliases[0].definition, 'open -w lpppp')
+
+    def testAliasPluginOneShell(self):
+        self.conf['plugins']['alias'] = {'count': '!pubs list -k | wc -l'}
+        self.plugin = AliasPlugin(self.conf)
+        self.assertEqual(len(self.plugin.aliases), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(type(self.plugin.aliases[0]), ShellAlias)
+        self.assertEqual(self.plugin.aliases[0].name, 'count')
+        self.assertEqual(self.plugin.aliases[0].definition,
+                         'pubs list -k | wc -l')
+
+    def testAliasPluginTwoCommnands(self):
+        self.conf['plugins']['alias'] = {'print': 'open -w lpppp',
+                                         'count': '!pubs list -k | wc -l'}
+        self.plugin = AliasPlugin(self.conf)
+        self.assertEqual(len(self.plugin.aliases), 2)