diff --git a/smtpd/retention.go b/smtpd/retention.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..89e8b60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smtpd/retention.go
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+package smtpd
+
+import (
+	//"github.com/jhillyerd/inbucket/config"
+	//"github.com/jhillyerd/inbucket/log"
+//	"io/ioutil"
+)
+
+// retentionScan does a single pass of all mailboxes looking for messages that can be purged
+func retentionScan(ds *DataStore) {
+
+}
diff --git a/smtpd/retention_test.go b/smtpd/retention_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c842472
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smtpd/retention_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+package smtpd
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/stretchrcom/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchrcom/testify/mock"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+type MockDataStore struct {
+	mock.Mock
+	path     string
+	mailPath string
+}
+
+var names = []string{"abby", "bill", "christa", "donald", "evelyn"}
+
+func TestSometing(t *testing.T) {
+	ds := setupDataStore()
+	fmt.Println(ds)
+	//defer teardownDataStore(ds)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, true, true)
+}
+
+// setupDataStore will build the following structure in a temporary
+// directory:
+//
+// /tmp/inbucket?????????
+// └── mail
+//     ├── 53e
+//     │   └── 53e11e
+//     │       └── 53e11eb7b24cc39e33733a0ff06640f1b39425ea
+//     │           ├── 20121024T164239-0000.gob
+//     │           ├── 20121024T164239-0000.raw
+//     │           ├── 20121025T164239-0000.gob
+//     │           └── 20121025T164239-0000.raw
+//     ├── 60c
+//     │   └── 60c596
+//     │       └── 60c5963a56da1425f133d28166ca4fe70dcb25f5
+//     │           ├── 20121024T164239-0000.gob
+//     │           ├── 20121024T164239-0000.raw
+//     │           ├── 20121025T164239-0000.gob
+//     │           └── 20121025T164239-0000.raw
+//     ├── 88d
+//     │   └── 88db92
+//     │       └── 88db9292c772b38311e1778f6f6b18216443abf0
+//     │           ├── 20121024T164239-0000.gob
+//     │           ├── 20121024T164239-0000.raw
+//     │           ├── 20121025T164239-0000.gob
+//     │           └── 20121025T164239-0000.raw
+//     ├── c69
+//     │   └── c692d6
+//     │       └── c692d6a10598e0a801576fdd4ecf3c37e45bfbc4
+//     │           ├── 20121024T164239-0000.gob
+//     │           ├── 20121024T164239-0000.raw
+//     │           ├── 20121025T164239-0000.gob
+//     │           └── 20121025T164239-0000.raw
+//     └── e76
+//         └── e76cef
+//             └── e76ceff3c47adb10f62b1acd7109f88fbd5e9ca7
+//                 ├── 20121024T164239-0000.gob
+//                 ├── 20121024T164239-0000.raw
+//                 ├── 20121025T164239-0000.gob
+//                 └── 20121025T164239-0000.raw
+func setupDataStore() *FileDataStore {
+	// Build fake SMTP message for delivery
+	testMsg := make([]byte, 0, 300)
+	testMsg = append(testMsg, []byte("To: somebody@host\r\n")...)
+	testMsg = append(testMsg, []byte("From: somebodyelse@host\r\n")...)
+	testMsg = append(testMsg, []byte("Subject: test message\r\n")...)
+	testMsg = append(testMsg, []byte("\r\n")...)
+	testMsg = append(testMsg, []byte("Test Body\r\n")...)
+
+	path, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "inbucket")
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	mailPath := filepath.Join(path, "mail")
+	ds := &FileDataStore{path: path, mailPath: mailPath}
+
+	for _, name := range names {
+		mb, err := ds.MailboxFor(name)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		// Create day old message
+		date := time.Now().Add(-24 * time.Hour)
+		msg := &FileMessage{
+			mailbox: mb.(*FileMailbox),
+			writable: true,
+			Fdate: date,
+			Fid: generatePrefix(date) + "-0000",
+		}
+		msg.Append(testMsg)
+		if err = msg.Close(); err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+
+		// Create current message
+		date = time.Now()
+		msg = &FileMessage{
+			mailbox: mb.(*FileMailbox),
+			writable: true,
+			Fdate: date,
+			Fid: generatePrefix(date) + "-0000",
+		}
+		msg.Append(testMsg)
+		if err = msg.Close(); err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+	}
+	return ds
+}
+
+func teardownDataStore(ds *FileDataStore) {
+	if err := os.RemoveAll(ds.path); err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+}