diff --git a/core/coreapi/coreapi.go b/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
index 9426e63aeb2..bc6aa8ce267 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func (api *CoreAPI) Unixfs() coreiface.UnixfsAPI {
 }
 
 func (api *CoreAPI) Dag() coreiface.DagAPI {
-	return (*DagAPI)(api)
+	return (*dagAPI)(api)
 }
 
 func (api *CoreAPI) ResolveNode(ctx context.Context, p coreiface.Path) (coreiface.Node, error) {
diff --git a/core/coreapi/dag.go b/core/coreapi/dag.go
index f32cf0b7390..f50fe6877f9 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/dag.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/dag.go
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ import (
 	mh "gx/ipfs/QmU9a9NV9RdPNwZQDYd5uKsm6N6LJLSvLbywDDYFbaaC6P/go-multihash"
 )
 
-type DagAPI CoreAPI
+type dagAPI CoreAPI
 
-func (api *DagAPI) Put(ctx context.Context, src io.Reader, inputEnc string, format *cid.Prefix) ([]coreiface.Node, error) {
+func (api *dagAPI) Put(ctx context.Context, src io.Reader, inputEnc string, format *cid.Prefix) ([]coreiface.Node, error) {
 	if format == nil {
 		format = &cid.Prefix{
 			Version:  1,
@@ -51,11 +51,11 @@ func (api *DagAPI) Put(ctx context.Context, src io.Reader, inputEnc string, form
 	return out, nil
 }
 
-func (api *DagAPI) Get(ctx context.Context, path coreiface.Path) (coreiface.Node, error) {
+func (api *dagAPI) Get(ctx context.Context, path coreiface.Path) (coreiface.Node, error) {
 	return api.core().ResolveNode(ctx, path)
 }
 
-func (api *DagAPI) Tree(ctx context.Context, p coreiface.Path, depth int) ([]coreiface.Path, error) {
+func (api *dagAPI) Tree(ctx context.Context, p coreiface.Path, depth int) ([]coreiface.Path, error) {
 	n, err := api.Get(ctx, p)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -72,6 +72,6 @@ func (api *DagAPI) Tree(ctx context.Context, p coreiface.Path, depth int) ([]cor
 	return out, nil
 }
 
-func (api *DagAPI) core() coreiface.CoreAPI {
+func (api *dagAPI) core() coreiface.CoreAPI {
 	return (*CoreAPI)(api)
 }
diff --git a/core/coreapi/dag_test.go b/core/coreapi/dag_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ee2d8ee22c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/coreapi/dag_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+package coreapi_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"path"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	coreapi "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreapi"
+)
+
+var (
+	treeExpected = map[string]struct{}{
+		"a":   {},
+		"b":   {},
+		"c":   {},
+		"c/d": {},
+		"c/e": {},
+	}
+)
+
+func TestPut(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	res, err := api.Dag().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`"Hello"`), "json", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	if res[0].Cid().String() != "zdpuAqckYF3ToF3gcJNxPZXmnmGuXd3gxHCXhq81HGxBejEvv" {
+		t.Errorf("got wrong cid: %s", res[0].Cid().String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPath(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	sub, err := api.Dag().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`"foo"`), "json", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	res, err := api.Dag().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"lnk": {"/": "`+sub[0].Cid().String()+`"}}`), "json", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	p, err := coreapi.ParsePath(path.Join(res[0].Cid().String(), "lnk"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	nd, err := api.Dag().Get(ctx, p)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	if nd.Cid().String() != sub[0].Cid().String() {
+		t.Errorf("got unexpected cid %s, expected %s", nd.Cid().String(), sub[0].Cid().String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTree(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	res, err := api.Dag().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"a": 123, "b": "foo", "c": {"d": 321, "e": 111}}`), "json", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	lst := res[0].Tree("", -1)
+	if len(lst) != len(treeExpected) {
+		t.Errorf("tree length of %d doesn't match expected %d", len(lst), len(treeExpected))
+	}
+
+	for _, ent := range lst {
+		if _, ok := treeExpected[ent]; !ok {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected tree entry %s", ent)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go b/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
index d774b65bd47..55d63693b52 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ type CoreAPI interface {
 	Dag() DagAPI
 
 	ResolvePath(context.Context, Path) (Path, error)
-	ResolveNode(context.Context, Path) (Node, error) //TODO: should this get dropped in favor of DagAPI.Get?
+	ResolveNode(context.Context, Path) (Node, error)
 }
 
 type UnixfsAPI interface {
@@ -40,9 +40,17 @@ type UnixfsAPI interface {
 	Ls(context.Context, Path) ([]*Link, error)
 }
 
+// DagAPI specifies the interface to IPLD
 type DagAPI interface {
+	// Put inserts data using specified format and input encoding. If format is
+	// not specified (nil), default dag-cbor/sha256 is used
 	Put(ctx context.Context, src io.Reader, inputEnc string, format *cid.Prefix) ([]Node, error)
+
+	// Get attempts to resolve and get the node specified by the path
 	Get(ctx context.Context, path Path) (Node, error)
+
+	// Tree returns list of paths within a node specified by the path.
+	// To get all paths in a tree, set depth to -1
 	Tree(ctx context.Context, path Path, depth int) ([]Path, error)
 }
 
diff --git a/core/coreapi/unixfs_test.go b/core/coreapi/unixfs_test.go
index 49f8815b91f..114785f5810 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/unixfs_test.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/unixfs_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	cbor "gx/ipfs/QmWCs8kMecJwCPK8JThue8TjgM2ieJ2HjTLDu7Cv2NEmZi/go-ipld-cbor"
+
 	core "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core"
 	coreapi "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreapi"
 	coreiface "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreapi/interface"
@@ -17,7 +19,6 @@ import (
 	config "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/repo/config"
 	ds2 "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/thirdparty/datastore2"
 	unixfs "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/unixfs"
-	cbor "gx/ipfs/QmWCs8kMecJwCPK8JThue8TjgM2ieJ2HjTLDu7Cv2NEmZi/go-ipld-cbor"
 )
 
 // `echo -n 'hello, world!' | ipfs add`
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ var emptyDir = coreapi.ResolvedPath("/ipfs/QmUNLLsPACCz1vLxQVkXqqLX5R1X345qqfHbs
 // `echo -n | ipfs add`
 var emptyFile = coreapi.ResolvedPath("/ipfs/QmbFMke1KXqnYyBBWxB74N4c5SBnJMVAiMNRcGu6x1AwQH", nil, nil)
 
-func makeAPI(ctx context.Context) (*core.IpfsNode, coreiface.UnixfsAPI, error) {
+func makeAPI(ctx context.Context) (*core.IpfsNode, coreiface.CoreAPI, error) {
 	r := &repo.Mock{
 		C: config.Config{
 			Identity: config.Identity{
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ func makeAPI(ctx context.Context) (*core.IpfsNode, coreiface.UnixfsAPI, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	api := coreapi.NewCoreAPI(node).Unixfs()
+	api := coreapi.NewCoreAPI(node)
 	return node, api, nil
 }
 
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ func TestAdd(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	str := strings.NewReader(helloStr)
-	p, err := api.Add(ctx, str)
+	p, err := api.Unixfs().Add(ctx, str)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ func TestAdd(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected path %s, got: %s", hello, p)
 	}
 
-	r, err := api.Cat(ctx, hello)
+	r, err := api.Unixfs().Cat(ctx, hello)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ func TestAddEmptyFile(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	str := strings.NewReader("")
-	p, err := api.Add(ctx, str)
+	p, err := api.Unixfs().Add(ctx, str)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ func TestCatBasic(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected CID %s, got: %s", hello, p)
 	}
 
-	r, err := api.Cat(ctx, hello)
+	r, err := api.Unixfs().Cat(ctx, hello)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ func TestCatEmptyFile(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	r, err := api.Cat(ctx, emptyFile)
+	r, err := api.Unixfs().Cat(ctx, emptyFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -174,7 +175,7 @@ func TestCatDir(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected path %s, got: %s", emptyDir, p)
 	}
 
-	_, err = api.Cat(ctx, emptyDir)
+	_, err = api.Unixfs().Cat(ctx, emptyDir)
 	if err != coreiface.ErrIsDir {
 		t.Fatalf("expected ErrIsDir, got: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -192,7 +193,7 @@ func TestCatNonUnixfs(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	_, err = api.Cat(ctx, coreapi.ParseCid(c))
+	_, err = api.Unixfs().Cat(ctx, coreapi.ParseCid(c))
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "proto: required field") {
 		t.Fatalf("expected protobuf error, got: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -205,7 +206,7 @@ func TestCatOffline(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	_, err = api.Cat(ctx, coreapi.ResolvedPath("/ipns/Qmfoobar", nil, nil))
+	_, err = api.Unixfs().Cat(ctx, coreapi.ResolvedPath("/ipns/Qmfoobar", nil, nil))
 	if err != coreiface.ErrOffline {
 		t.Fatalf("expected ErrOffline, got: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -229,7 +230,7 @@ func TestLs(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	p := coreapi.ResolvedPath("/ipfs/"+parts[0], nil, nil)
 
-	links, err := api.Ls(ctx, p)
+	links, err := api.Unixfs().Ls(ctx, p)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
@@ -260,7 +261,7 @@ func TestLsEmptyDir(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	links, err := api.Ls(ctx, emptyDir)
+	links, err := api.Unixfs().Ls(ctx, emptyDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
@@ -288,7 +289,7 @@ func TestLsNonUnixfs(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	links, err := api.Ls(ctx, coreapi.ParseCid(c))
+	links, err := api.Unixfs().Ls(ctx, coreapi.ParseCid(c))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}