diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index 284de066..b01e37bf 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -114,8 +114,10 @@ exports.escapeXML.toString = function () {
  */
 exports.shallowCopy = function (to, from) {
   from = from || {};
-  for (var p in from) {
-    to[p] = from[p];
+  if ((to !== null) && (to !== undefined)) {
+    for (var p in from) {
+      to[p] = from[p];
+    }
   }
   return to;
 };
@@ -133,10 +135,14 @@ exports.shallowCopy = function (to, from) {
  * @private
  */
 exports.shallowCopyFromList = function (to, from, list) {
-  for (var i = 0; i < list.length; i++) {
-    var p = list[i];
-    if (typeof from[p] != 'undefined') {
-      to[p] = from[p];
+  list = list || [];
+  from = from || {};
+  if ((to !== null) && (to !== undefined)) {
+    for (var i = 0; i < list.length; i++) {
+      var p = list[i];
+      if (typeof from[p] != 'undefined') {
+        to[p] = from[p];
+      }
     }
   }
   return to;
diff --git a/test/utils.js b/test/utils.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35c02057
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/utils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,251 @@
+/* jshint mocha: true */
+/* eslint-env node, mocha */
+
+/**
+ * Module dependencies.
+ */
+
+var assert = require('assert');
+var utils = require('../lib/utils');
+
+/**
+ *  Make sure utils exports all it is expected to export...
+ */
+suite('unit testing for completeness of module \'utils.js\' exports', function () {
+  test('expect \'escapeRegExpChars\' to be exported', function () {
+    assert.ok(typeof(utils.escapeRegExpChars)==='function');
+  });
+  test('expect \'escapeXML\' to be exported', function () {
+    assert.ok(typeof(utils.escapeXML)==='function');
+  });
+  test('expect \'escapeXML.toString\' to be exported', function () {
+    assert.ok(typeof(utils.escapeXML.toString)==='function');
+  });
+  test('expect \'shallowCopy\' to be exported', function () {
+    assert.ok(typeof(utils.shallowCopy)==='function');
+  });
+  test('expect \'shallowCopyFromList\' to be exported', function () {
+    assert.ok(typeof(utils.shallowCopyFromList)==='function');
+  });
+  test('expect \'cache\' to be exported', function () {
+    assert.ok(typeof(utils.cache)==='object');
+  });
+  test('expect \'hyphenToCamel\' to be exported', function () {
+    assert.ok(typeof(utils.hyphenToCamel)==='function');
+  });
+});
+
+/**
+ *  Make sure all exported properties behave like they should
+ */
+suite('unit testing exported functions of module \'utils.js\'', function () {
+  /**
+   *  Unit testing of exported function 'escapeRegExpChars'
+   */
+  suite('unit testing function \'escapeRegExpChars\' of module \'utils.js\'', function () {
+    test('it should be callable without parameters', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.escapeRegExpChars(); });
+      assert.ok(utils.escapeRegExpChars()==='');
+    });
+    test('it should be callable with parameter \'string\' {null}', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.escapeRegExpChars(null); });
+      assert.ok(utils.escapeRegExpChars(null)==='');
+    });
+    test('it should be callable with parameter \'string\' {string}', function () {
+      const str = 'fun()';
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.escapeRegExpChars(str); });
+      assert.ok(utils.escapeRegExpChars(str)==='fun\\(\\)');
+    });
+  });
+
+  /**
+   *  Unit testing of exported function 'escapeXML'
+   */
+  suite('unit testing function \'escapeXML\' of module \'utils.js\'', function () {
+    test('it should be callable without parameters', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.escapeXML(); });
+      assert.ok(utils.escapeXML()==='');
+    });
+    test('it should be callable with parameter \'markup\' {null}', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.escapeXML(null); });
+      assert.ok(utils.escapeXML(null)==='');
+    });
+    test('it should be callable with parameter \'markup\' {string}', function () {
+      const markup  = '<a href="http://fun.org">fun.org</a>';
+      const escaped = '&lt;a href=&#34;http://fun.org&#34;&gt;fun.org&lt;/a&gt;';
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.escapeXML(markup); });
+      assert.ok(utils.escapeXML(markup)===escaped);
+    });
+  });
+
+  /**
+   *  Unit testing of exported function 'escapeXML.toString'
+   */
+  suite('unit testing function \'escapeXML\' of module \'utils.js\'', function () {
+    test('it should be callable without parameters', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.escapeXML.toString(); });
+      assert.ok(typeof(utils.escapeXML.toString())==='string');
+    });
+  });
+
+  /**
+   *  Unit testing of exported function 'shallowCopy'
+   */
+  suite('unit testing function \'shallowCopy\' of module \'utils.js\'', function () {
+    test('it should be callable without parameters', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopy(); });
+      assert.ok(utils.shallowCopy()===undefined);
+    });
+    test('should be callable with parameters \'to\' {undefined} and \'from\' {null}', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopy(undefined, null); });
+      assert.ok(utils.shallowCopy(undefined, null)===undefined);
+    });
+    test('should be callable with parameters \'to\' {null} and \'from\' {null}', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopy(null, null); });
+      assert.ok(utils.shallowCopy(null, null)===null);
+    });
+    test('should be callable with parameters \'to\' {undefined} and \'from\' {...}', function () {
+      const to = undefined;
+      const from = { 'foo': 'bar', 'baz': [ '1', '2' ], 'bah': { 'hurz': 'gnarf' }};
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopy(to, from); });
+      assert.ok(utils.shallowCopy(to, from)===undefined);
+    });
+    test('should be callable with parameters \'to\' {undefined} and \'from\' {...}', function () {
+      const to = null;
+      const from = { 'foo': 'bar', 'baz': [ '1', '2' ], 'bah': { 'hurz': 'gnarf' }};
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopy(to, from); });
+      assert.ok(utils.shallowCopy(to, from)===null);
+    });
+    test('should be callable with parameters \'to\' { } and \'from\' {...}', function () {
+      const to = {};
+      const from = { 'foo': 'bar', 'baz': [ '1', '2' ], 'bah': { 'hurz': 'gnarf' }};
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopy(to, from); });
+      assert.ok(JSON.stringify(utils.shallowCopy(to, from))===JSON.stringify(from));
+    });
+  });
+
+  /**
+   *  Unit testing of exported function 'shallowCopyFromList'
+   */
+  suite('unit testing function \'shallowCopyFromList\' of module \'utils.js\'', function () {
+    test('it should be callable without parameters', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopyFromList(); });
+      assert.ok(utils.shallowCopyFromList()===undefined);
+    });
+    test('it should be callable parameters \'to\' {undefined} and \'from\' {null}', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopyFromList(undefined, null); });
+      assert.ok(utils.shallowCopyFromList(undefined, null)===undefined);
+    });
+    test('it should be callable parameters \'to\' {undefined}, \'from\' {null} and \'list\' {null}', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopyFromList(undefined, null, null); });
+      assert.ok(utils.shallowCopyFromList(undefined, null, null)===undefined);
+    });
+    test('it should be callable parameters \'to\' {undefined}, \'from\' {null} and \'list\' {Array}', function () {
+      const list = [ 'foo', 'bar' ];
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopyFromList(undefined, null, list); });
+      assert.ok(utils.shallowCopyFromList(undefined, null, list)===undefined);
+    });
+    test('it should be callable parameters \'to\' {null} and \'from\' {null}', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopyFromList(null, null); });
+      assert.ok(utils.shallowCopyFromList(null, null)===null);
+    });
+    test('it should be callable parameters \'to\' {undefined}, \'from\' {null} and \'list\' {null}', function () {
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopyFromList(null, null, null); });
+      assert.ok(utils.shallowCopyFromList(null, null, null)===null);
+    });
+    test('it should be callable parameters \'to\' {null}, \'from\' {null} and \'list\' {Array}', function () {
+      const list = [ 'foo', 'bar' ];
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopyFromList(null, null, list); });
+      assert.ok(utils.shallowCopyFromList(null, null, list)===null);
+    });
+    test('it should be callable parameters \'to\' { }, \'from\' {...} and \'list\' {Array}', function () {
+      const list = [ 'foo', 'bar' ];
+      const to = {};
+      const from = { 'foo': 'bar', 'baz': [ '1', '2' ], 'bah': { 'hurz': 'gnarf' }};
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.shallowCopyFromList(to, from, list); });
+      assert.ok(JSON.stringify(utils.shallowCopyFromList(to, from, list))===JSON.stringify({ 'foo': 'bar' }));
+    });
+  });
+
+  /**
+   *  Unit testing of exported object 'cache'
+   */
+  suite('unit testing object \'cache\' of module \'utils.js\'', function () {
+    suite('unit testing function \'set\' of object \'cache\'', function () {
+      test('it should be callable without parameters', function () {
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.set(); });
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.set(undefined, null); });
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.set(null, undefined); });
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.set(null, null); });
+      });
+      test('it should be callable without parameter \'key\' {string}', function () {
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.set('key', null); });
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.set('key', undefined); });
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.set('key', { 'foo': 'bar' }); });
+      });
+    });
+    suite('unit testing function \'get\' of object \'cache\'', function () {
+      test('it should be callable without parameters', function () {
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.get(); });
+        // note this depends on setting key {undefined} to {null} - s.a.
+        assert.ok(utils.cache.get()===null);
+      });
+      test('it should be callable parameter \'key\' {undefined}', function () {
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.get(); });
+        // note this depends on setting key {undefined} to {null} - s.a.
+        assert.ok(utils.cache.get()===null);
+      });
+      test('it should be callable parameter \'key\' {null}', function () {
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.get(null); });
+        // note this depends on setting key {null} to {null} - s.a.
+        assert.ok(utils.cache.get(null)===null);
+      });
+      test('it should be callable parameter \'key\' {string}', function () {
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.get('key'); });
+        // note this depends on setting key {string} to {...} - s.a.
+        assert.ok(JSON.stringify(utils.cache.get('key'))===JSON.stringify({ 'foo': 'bar' }));
+      });
+    });
+    suite('unit testing function \'remove\' of object \'cache\'', function () {
+      test('it should be callable without parameters', function () {
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.remove(); });
+        assert.ok(utils.cache.get()===undefined);
+      });
+      test('it should be callable with parameter \'key\' {null}', function () {
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.remove(null); });
+        assert.ok(utils.cache.get(null)===undefined);
+      });
+      test('it should be callable with parameter \'key\' {string}', function () {
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.remove('key'); });
+        assert.ok(utils.cache.get('key')===undefined);
+      });
+    });
+    suite('unit testing function \'reset\' of object \'cache\'', function () {
+      test('it should be callable without parameters', function () {
+        assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.cache.reset(); });
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  /**
+   *  Unit testing of exported function 'hyphenToCamel'
+   */
+  suite('unit testing function \'hyphenToCamel\' of module \'utils.js\'', function () {
+    test('it should be callable without parameters', function () {
+      const message = 'Cannot read property \'replace\' of undefined';
+      assert.throws(() => { utils.hyphenToCamel(); }, { name: 'TypeError', message });
+    });
+    test('it should be callable with parameter \'str\' {string}', function () {
+      const str = 'some string';
+      const strCamel = str;
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.hyphenToCamel(str); });
+      assert.ok(utils.hyphenToCamel(str)===strCamel);
+
+      const other = 'some-string';
+      const otherCamel = 'someString';
+      assert.doesNotThrow(() => { utils.hyphenToCamel(other); });
+      assert.ok(utils.hyphenToCamel(other)===otherCamel);
+    });
+  });
+
+});