diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index be22d7c..44a5ed3 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -9,44 +9,11 @@ var trigger = require("./lib/events/trigger.js")
 var Pjax = function(options) {
     this.firstrun = true
 
-    this.options = options
-    this.options.elements = this.options.elements || "a[href], form[action]"
-    this.options.selectors = this.options.selectors || ["title", ".js-Pjax"]
-    this.options.switches = this.options.switches || {}
-    this.options.switchesOptions = this.options.switchesOptions || {}
-    this.options.history = this.options.history || true
-    this.options.analytics = this.options.analytics || function(options) {
-      // options.backward or options.foward can be true or undefined
-      // by default, we do track back/foward hit
-      // https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/analytics/WVwMDjLhXYk
-      if (window._gaq) {
-        _gaq.push(["_trackPageview"])
-      }
-      if (window.ga) {
-        ga("send", "pageview", {page: options.url, title: options.title})
-      }
-    }
-    this.options.scrollTo = (typeof this.options.scrollTo === 'undefined') ? 0 : this.options.scrollTo;
-    this.options.debug = this.options.debug || false
-
-    this.maxUid = this.lastUid = newUid()
-
-    // we can’t replace body.outerHTML or head.outerHTML
-    // it create a bug where new body or new head are created in the dom
-    // if you set head.outerHTML, a new body tag is appended, so the dom get 2 body
-    // & it break the switchFallback which replace head & body
-    if (!this.options.switches.head) {
-      this.options.switches.head = this.switchElementsAlt
-    }
-    if (!this.options.switches.body) {
-      this.options.switches.body = this.switchElementsAlt
-    }
-
+    var parseOptions = require("./lib/proto/parse-options.js");
+    parseOptions.apply(this,options)
     this.log("Pjax options", this.options)
 
-    if (typeof options.analytics !== "function") {
-      options.analytics = function() {}
-    }
+    this.maxUid = this.lastUid = newUid()
 
     this.parseDOM(document)
 
diff --git a/lib/proto/parse-options.js b/lib/proto/parse-options.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76df548
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/proto/parse-options.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+module.exports = function parseOptions(options){
+  this.options = options
+  this.options.elements = this.options.elements || "a[href], form[action]"
+  this.options.selectors = this.options.selectors || ["title", ".js-Pjax"]
+  this.options.switches = this.options.switches || {}
+  this.options.switchesOptions = this.options.switchesOptions || {}
+  this.options.history = this.options.history || true
+  this.options.analytics = this.options.analytics || function(options) {
+    // options.backward or options.foward can be true or undefined
+    // by default, we do track back/foward hit
+    // https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/analytics/WVwMDjLhXYk
+    if (window._gaq) {
+      _gaq.push(["_trackPageview"])
+    }
+    if (window.ga) {
+      ga("send", "pageview", {page: options.url, title: options.title})
+    }
+  }
+  this.options.scrollTo = (typeof this.options.scrollTo === 'undefined') ? 0 : this.options.scrollTo;
+  this.options.debug = this.options.debug || false
+
+  // we can’t replace body.outerHTML or head.outerHTML
+  // it create a bug where new body or new head are created in the dom
+  // if you set head.outerHTML, a new body tag is appended, so the dom get 2 body
+  // & it break the switchFallback which replace head & body
+  if (!this.options.switches.head) {
+    this.options.switches.head = this.switchElementsAlt
+  }
+  if (!this.options.switches.body) {
+    this.options.switches.body = this.switchElementsAlt
+  }
+  if (typeof options.analytics !== "function") {
+    options.analytics = function() {}
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/lib/proto/parse-options.js b/tests/lib/proto/parse-options.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b7b2a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lib/proto/parse-options.js
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+var tape = require("tape")
+
+var parseOptions = require("../../../lib/proto/parse-options")
+tape("test parse initalization options function", function(t) {
+  // via http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1173549/how-to-determine-if-an-object-is-an-object-literal-in-javascript
+  function isObjLiteral(_obj) {
+  var _test  = _obj;
+  return (  typeof _obj !== 'object' || _obj === null ?
+      false :  
+      (
+        (function () {
+          while (!false) {
+            if (  Object.getPrototypeOf( _test = Object.getPrototypeOf(_test)  ) === null) {
+              break;
+            }      
+          }
+          return Object.getPrototypeOf(_obj) === _test;
+        })()
+      )
+    );
+  }
+  function enumerableKeys(_obj) {
+    var c = 0;
+    for(var n in _obj){ c++; }
+    return cl
+  }
+  
+  var body_1 = {};
+  var options_1 = {};
+  parseOptions.apply(body_1,options_1);
+
+  t.deepEqual(body_1.options.elements,"a[href], form[action]");
+  t.deepEqual(body_1.options.selectors.length,2);
+  t.deepEqual(body_1.options.selectors[0],"title");
+  t.deepEqual(body_1.options.selectors[0],".js-Pjax");
+  
+  t.deepEqual(isObjLiteral(body_1.options.switches),true);
+  t.deepEqual(enumerableKeys(body_1.options.switches),0);
+
+  t.deepEqual(isObjLiteral(body_1.options.switchesOptions),true);
+  t.deepEqual(enumerableKeys(body_1.options.switchesOptions),0);
+
+  t.deepEqual(body_1.options.history,true);
+
+  //TODO analytics is a little weird right now
+  t.deepEqual(typeof body_1.options.analytics,"function");
+
+  t.deepEqual(body_1.options.scrollTo,0);
+  t.deepEqual(body_1.options.debug,false);
+
+  //verify analytics always ends up as a function even when passed not a function
+  var body_2 = {};
+  var options_2 = {analytics:"some string"};
+  parseOptions.apply(body_2,options_2);
+
+  t.deepEqual(typeof body_2.options.analytics,"function");
+
+  //verify that the value false for scrollTo is not squashed
+  var body_3 = {};
+  var options_3 = {scrollTo:false};
+  parseOptions.apply(body_3,options_3);
+
+  t.deepEqual( body_2.options.scrollTo,false);
+
+  t.end()
+})
\ No newline at end of file