diff --git a/generate/misc_test.go b/generate/misc_test.go
index acf86f4..11e1de3 100644
--- a/generate/misc_test.go
+++ b/generate/misc_test.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ func testGenerateRun(test *testing.T, protocol *Protocol, title, imports, testCa
 		import "reflect"
 		import "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/hopp/tape"
 		import tu "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/hopp/internal/testutil"
+		import "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/hopp/internal/testutil/snake"
 		` + imports
 	setup := `log.Println("*** BEGIN TEST CASE OUTPUT ***")`
 	teardown := `log.Println("--- END TEST CASE OUTPUT ---")`
@@ -61,8 +62,9 @@ func testGenerateRun(test *testing.T, protocol *Protocol, title, imports, testCa
 		func testDecode(correct Message, data any) {
 			var flat []byte
 			switch data := data.(type) {
-			case []byte:   flat = data
-			case tu.Snake: flat = data.Flatten()
+			case []byte:      flat = data
+			case tu.Snake:    flat = data.Flatten()
+			case snake.Snake: flat = data.Flatten()
 			}
 			message := reflect.New(reflect.ValueOf(correct).Elem().Type()).Interface().(Message)
 			log.Println("before: ", message)
@@ -79,9 +81,7 @@ func testGenerateRun(test *testing.T, protocol *Protocol, title, imports, testCa
 			}
 		}
 
-		// TODO: possibly combine the two above functions into this one,
-		// also take a data parameter here (snake)
-		func testEncodeDecode(message Message, data tu.Snake) {buffer := bytes.Buffer { }
+		func testEncodeDecode(message Message, data any) {buffer := bytes.Buffer { }
 			log.Println("encoding:")
 			encoder := tape.NewEncoder(&buffer)
 			n, err := message.Encode(encoder)
@@ -93,13 +93,30 @@ func testGenerateRun(test *testing.T, protocol *Protocol, title, imports, testCa
 			if n != len(got) {
 				log.Fatalf("n incorrect: %d != %d\n", n, len(got))
 			}
-			if ok, n := data.Check(got); !ok {
-				log.Fatalln("not equal at", n)
+			
+			var flat []byte
+			switch data := data.(type) {
+			case []byte:
+				flat = data
+				if ok, n := snake.Check(snake.L(data...), got); !ok {
+					log.Fatalln("not equal at", n)
+				}
+			case tu.Snake:
+				flat = data.Flatten()
+				if ok, n := data.Check(got); !ok {
+					log.Fatalln("not equal at", n)
+				}
+			case snake.Node:
+				flat = data.Flatten()
+				if ok, n := snake.Check(data, got); !ok {
+					log.Fatalln("not equal at", n)
+				}
+			default:
+				panic("AUSIAUGH AAAUUGUHGHGHH OUHGHGJDSGK")
 			}
 		
 			log.Println("decoding:")
 			destination := reflect.New(reflect.ValueOf(message).Elem().Type()).Interface().(Message)
-			flat := data.Flatten()
 			log.Println("before: ", tu.Describe(destination))
 			decoder := tape.NewDecoder(bytes.NewBuffer(flat))
 			n, err = destination.Decode(decoder)