diff --git a/src/ergogen.js b/src/ergogen.js
index c77919b..b2c8690 100644
--- a/src/ergogen.js
+++ b/src/ergogen.js
@@ -37,9 +37,12 @@ const process = async (raw, debug=false, logger=()=>{}) => {
     
     logger('Parsing points...')
     if (!config.points) {
-        throw new Error('Input does not contain any points!')
+        throw new Error('Input does not contain a points clause!')
     }
     const points = points_lib.parse(config.points, units)
+    if (!Object.keys(points).length) {
+        throw new Error('Input does not contain any points!')
+    }
     if (debug) {
         results.points = points
         results.demo = io.twodee(points_lib.visualize(points), debug)
diff --git a/src/points.js b/src/points.js
index fcc5168..cd44c44 100644
--- a/src/points.js
+++ b/src/points.js
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ const render_zone = exports._render_zone = (zone_name, zone, anchor, global_key,
 
     // column layout
 
+    if (!Object.keys(cols).length) {
+        cols.default = {}
+    }
     let first_col = true
     for (let [col_name, col] of Object.entries(cols)) {
 
@@ -218,8 +221,8 @@ const perform_mirror = exports._perform_mirror = (point, axis) => {
 exports.parse = (config, units) => {
 
     // config sanitization
-    a.unexpected(config, 'points', ['units', 'zones', 'key', 'rotate', 'mirror'])
-    const zones = a.sane(config.zones || {}, 'points.zones', 'object')()
+    a.unexpected(config, 'points', ['zones', 'key', 'rotate', 'mirror'])
+    const zones = a.sane(config.zones, 'points.zones', 'object')()
     const global_key = a.sane(config.key || {}, 'points.key', 'object')()
     const global_rotate = a.sane(config.rotate || 0, 'points.rotate', 'number')(units)
     const global_mirror = config.mirror
diff --git a/test/points/002_adjustments.yaml b/test/points/adjustments.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from test/points/002_adjustments.yaml
rename to test/points/adjustments.yaml
diff --git a/test/points/adjustments___points.json b/test/points/adjustments___points.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..82b843b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/points/adjustments___points.json
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+{
+    "matrix_left_bottom": {
+        "x": 0,
+        "y": 0,
+        "r": 0,
+        "meta": {
+            "shift": [
+                0,
+                0
+            ],
+            "rotate": 0,
+            "padding": 19,
+            "width": 1,
+            "height": 1,
+            "skip": false,
+            "asym": "both",
+            "name": "matrix_left_bottom",
+            "colrow": "left_bottom",
+            "col": {
+                "stagger": 0,
+                "spread": 0,
+                "rotate": 0,
+                "origin": [
+                    0,
+                    0
+                ],
+                "rows": {},
+                "key": {},
+                "name": "left"
+            },
+            "row": "bottom"
+        }
+    },
+    "matrix_left_top": {
+        "x": 0,
+        "y": 19,
+        "r": 0,
+        "meta": {
+            "shift": [
+                0,
+                0
+            ],
+            "rotate": 0,
+            "padding": 19,
+            "width": 1,
+            "height": 1,
+            "skip": false,
+            "asym": "both",
+            "name": "matrix_left_top",
+            "colrow": "left_top",
+            "col": {
+                "stagger": 0,
+                "spread": 0,
+                "rotate": 0,
+                "origin": [
+                    0,
+                    0
+                ],
+                "rows": {},
+                "key": {},
+                "name": "left"
+            },
+            "row": "top"
+        }
+    },
+    "matrix_right_bottom": {
+        "x": 24.181350600000002,
+        "y": 5.750154,
+        "r": 5,
+        "meta": {
+            "shift": [
+                0,
+                0
+            ],
+            "rotate": 0,
+            "padding": 19,
+            "width": 1,
+            "height": 1,
+            "skip": false,
+            "asym": "both",
+            "name": "matrix_right_bottom",
+            "colrow": "right_bottom",
+            "col": {
+                "stagger": 5,
+                "spread": 25,
+                "rotate": 5,
+                "origin": [
+                    -9,
+                    -9
+                ],
+                "rows": {},
+                "key": {},
+                "name": "right"
+            },
+            "row": "bottom"
+        }
+    },
+    "matrix_right_top": {
+        "x": 22.525391499999998,
+        "y": 24.6778532,
+        "r": 5,
+        "meta": {
+            "shift": [
+                0,
+                0
+            ],
+            "rotate": 0,
+            "padding": 19,
+            "width": 1,
+            "height": 1,
+            "skip": false,
+            "asym": "both",
+            "name": "matrix_right_top",
+            "colrow": "right_top",
+            "col": {
+                "stagger": 5,
+                "spread": 25,
+                "rotate": 5,
+                "origin": [
+                    -9,
+                    -9
+                ],
+                "rows": {},
+                "key": {},
+                "name": "right"
+            },
+            "row": "top"
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/points/001_basic_2x2.yaml b/test/points/basic_2x2.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from test/points/001_basic_2x2.yaml
rename to test/points/basic_2x2.yaml
diff --git a/test/points/001_basic_2x2___points.json b/test/points/basic_2x2___points.json
similarity index 100%
rename from test/points/001_basic_2x2___points.json
rename to test/points/basic_2x2___points.json
diff --git a/test/points/default.yaml b/test/points/default.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e806d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/points/default.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+points:
+  zones:
+    matrix: {}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/points/default___points.json b/test/points/default___points.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c13be2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/points/default___points.json
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+{
+    "matrix_default_default": {
+        "x": 0,
+        "y": 0,
+        "r": 0,
+        "meta": {
+            "shift": [
+                0,
+                0
+            ],
+            "rotate": 0,
+            "padding": 19,
+            "width": 1,
+            "height": 1,
+            "skip": false,
+            "asym": "both",
+            "name": "matrix_default_default",
+            "colrow": "default_default",
+            "col": {
+                "stagger": 0,
+                "spread": 0,
+                "rotate": 0,
+                "origin": [
+                    0,
+                    0
+                ],
+                "rows": {},
+                "key": {},
+                "name": "default"
+            },
+            "row": "default"
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/points/overrides.yaml b/test/points/overrides.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c14031
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/points/overrides.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+points:
+  zones:
+    matrix:
+      columns:
+        left:
+        middle:
+          rows:
+            top:
+        right:
+          stagger: u
+          row_overrides:
+            home:
+            top:
+      rows:
+        bottom:
+        home:
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/points/overrides___points.json b/test/points/overrides___points.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aeff7d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/points/overrides___points.json
@@ -0,0 +1,246 @@
+{
+    "matrix_left_bottom": {
+        "x": 0,
+        "y": 0,
+        "r": 0,
+        "meta": {
+            "shift": [
+                0,
+                0
+            ],
+            "rotate": 0,
+            "padding": 19,
+            "width": 1,
+            "height": 1,
+            "skip": false,
+            "asym": "both",
+            "name": "matrix_left_bottom",
+            "colrow": "left_bottom",
+            "col": {
+                "stagger": 0,
+                "spread": 0,
+                "rotate": 0,
+                "origin": [
+                    0,
+                    0
+                ],
+                "rows": {},
+                "key": {},
+                "name": "left"
+            },
+            "row": "bottom"
+        }
+    },
+    "matrix_left_home": {
+        "x": 0,
+        "y": 19,
+        "r": 0,
+        "meta": {
+            "shift": [
+                0,
+                0
+            ],
+            "rotate": 0,
+            "padding": 19,
+            "width": 1,
+            "height": 1,
+            "skip": false,
+            "asym": "both",
+            "name": "matrix_left_home",
+            "colrow": "left_home",
+            "col": {
+                "stagger": 0,
+                "spread": 0,
+                "rotate": 0,
+                "origin": [
+                    0,
+                    0
+                ],
+                "rows": {},
+                "key": {},
+                "name": "left"
+            },
+            "row": "home"
+        }
+    },
+    "matrix_middle_bottom": {
+        "x": 19,
+        "y": 0,
+        "r": 0,
+        "meta": {
+            "shift": [
+                0,
+                0
+            ],
+            "rotate": 0,
+            "padding": 19,
+            "width": 1,
+            "height": 1,
+            "skip": false,
+            "asym": "both",
+            "name": "matrix_middle_bottom",
+            "colrow": "middle_bottom",
+            "col": {
+                "rows": {
+                    "top": {}
+                },
+                "stagger": 0,
+                "spread": 19,
+                "rotate": 0,
+                "origin": [
+                    0,
+                    0
+                ],
+                "key": {},
+                "name": "middle"
+            },
+            "row": "bottom"
+        }
+    },
+    "matrix_middle_home": {
+        "x": 19,
+        "y": 19,
+        "r": 0,
+        "meta": {
+            "shift": [
+                0,
+                0
+            ],
+            "rotate": 0,
+            "padding": 19,
+            "width": 1,
+            "height": 1,
+            "skip": false,
+            "asym": "both",
+            "name": "matrix_middle_home",
+            "colrow": "middle_home",
+            "col": {
+                "rows": {
+                    "top": {}
+                },
+                "stagger": 0,
+                "spread": 19,
+                "rotate": 0,
+                "origin": [
+                    0,
+                    0
+                ],
+                "key": {},
+                "name": "middle"
+            },
+            "row": "home"
+        }
+    },
+    "matrix_middle_top": {
+        "x": 19,
+        "y": 38,
+        "r": 0,
+        "meta": {
+            "shift": [
+                0,
+                0
+            ],
+            "rotate": 0,
+            "padding": 19,
+            "width": 1,
+            "height": 1,
+            "skip": false,
+            "asym": "both",
+            "name": "matrix_middle_top",
+            "colrow": "middle_top",
+            "col": {
+                "rows": {
+                    "top": {}
+                },
+                "stagger": 0,
+                "spread": 19,
+                "rotate": 0,
+                "origin": [
+                    0,
+                    0
+                ],
+                "key": {},
+                "name": "middle"
+            },
+            "row": "top"
+        }
+    },
+    "matrix_right_home": {
+        "x": 38,
+        "y": 19,
+        "r": 0,
+        "meta": {
+            "shift": [
+                0,
+                0
+            ],
+            "rotate": 0,
+            "padding": 19,
+            "width": 1,
+            "height": 1,
+            "skip": false,
+            "asym": "both",
+            "name": "matrix_right_home",
+            "colrow": "right_home",
+            "col": {
+                "stagger": 19,
+                "row_overrides": {
+                    "home": {},
+                    "top": {}
+                },
+                "spread": 19,
+                "rotate": 0,
+                "origin": [
+                    0,
+                    0
+                ],
+                "rows": {
+                    "home": {},
+                    "top": {}
+                },
+                "key": {},
+                "name": "right"
+            },
+            "row": "home"
+        }
+    },
+    "matrix_right_top": {
+        "x": 38,
+        "y": 38,
+        "r": 0,
+        "meta": {
+            "shift": [
+                0,
+                0
+            ],
+            "rotate": 0,
+            "padding": 19,
+            "width": 1,
+            "height": 1,
+            "skip": false,
+            "asym": "both",
+            "name": "matrix_right_top",
+            "colrow": "right_top",
+            "col": {
+                "stagger": 19,
+                "row_overrides": {
+                    "home": {},
+                    "top": {}
+                },
+                "spread": 19,
+                "rotate": 0,
+                "origin": [
+                    0,
+                    0
+                ],
+                "rows": {
+                    "home": {},
+                    "top": {}
+                },
+                "key": {},
+                "name": "right"
+            },
+            "row": "top"
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/points/000_units.yaml b/test/points/units.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from test/points/000_units.yaml
rename to test/points/units.yaml
diff --git a/test/points/000_units___units.json b/test/points/units___units.json
similarity index 100%
rename from test/points/000_units___units.json
rename to test/points/units___units.json
diff --git a/test/unit/interface.js b/test/unit/interface.js
index 2cfb3e4..9cad04a 100644
--- a/test/unit/interface.js
+++ b/test/unit/interface.js
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ describe('Interface', function() {
             ergogen.process(kle, true, logger).should.be.rejectedWith('KLE'),
             ergogen.process('not an object', true, logger).should.be.rejectedWith('object'),
             ergogen.process({}, true, logger).should.be.rejectedWith('empty'),
-            ergogen.process({not_points: {}}, true, () => {}).should.be.rejectedWith('any points')
+            ergogen.process({not_points: {}}, true, () => {}).should.be.rejectedWith('points clause'),
+            ergogen.process({points: {zones: {}}}, true, () => {}).should.be.rejectedWith('any points')
         ])
     })