diff --git a/cmd/bd/graph_test.go b/cmd/bd/graph_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f60c870b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/bd/graph_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,265 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/steveyegge/beads/internal/types"
+)
+
+func TestTruncateTitle(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name   string
+		title  string
+		maxLen int
+		want   string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:   "no truncation needed",
+			title:  "Short title",
+			maxLen: 20,
+			want:   "Short title",
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "exact length",
+			title:  "Exact",
+			maxLen: 5,
+			want:   "Exact",
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "needs truncation",
+			title:  "This is a very long title that needs to be truncated",
+			maxLen: 20,
+			want:   "This is a very long…",
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "unicode safe",
+			title:  "日本語タイトル",
+			maxLen: 5,
+			want:   "日本語タ…",
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "empty string",
+			title:  "",
+			maxLen: 10,
+			want:   "",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := truncateTitle(tt.title, tt.maxLen)
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("truncateTitle(%q, %d) = %q, want %q", tt.title, tt.maxLen, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPadRight(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name  string
+		s     string
+		width int
+		want  string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:  "needs padding",
+			s:     "abc",
+			width: 6,
+			want:  "abc   ",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "exact width",
+			s:     "exact",
+			width: 5,
+			want:  "exact",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "truncates when too long",
+			s:     "toolong",
+			width: 4,
+			want:  "tool",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "empty string",
+			s:     "",
+			width: 3,
+			want:   "   ",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "unicode safe",
+			s:     "日本",
+			width: 5,
+			want:  "日本   ",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := padRight(tt.s, tt.width)
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("padRight(%q, %d) = %q, want %q", tt.s, tt.width, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRenderNodeBox(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name   string
+		node   *GraphNode
+		width  int
+		notEmpty bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "open status",
+			node: &GraphNode{
+				Issue: &types.Issue{
+					ID:     "test-1",
+					Title:  "Test Issue",
+					Status: types.StatusOpen,
+				},
+			},
+			width:    20,
+			notEmpty: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "in progress status",
+			node: &GraphNode{
+				Issue: &types.Issue{
+					ID:     "test-2",
+					Title:  "In Progress Issue",
+					Status: types.StatusInProgress,
+				},
+			},
+			width:    25,
+			notEmpty: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "blocked status",
+			node: &GraphNode{
+				Issue: &types.Issue{
+					ID:     "test-3",
+					Title:  "Blocked Issue",
+					Status: types.StatusBlocked,
+				},
+			},
+			width:    20,
+			notEmpty: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "closed status",
+			node: &GraphNode{
+				Issue: &types.Issue{
+					ID:     "test-4",
+					Title:  "Closed Issue",
+					Status: types.StatusClosed,
+				},
+			},
+			width:    20,
+			notEmpty: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "unknown status",
+			node: &GraphNode{
+				Issue: &types.Issue{
+					ID:     "test-5",
+					Title:  "Unknown Status",
+					Status: "unknown",
+				},
+			},
+			width:    20,
+			notEmpty: true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := renderNodeBox(tt.node, tt.width)
+			if tt.notEmpty && len(got) == 0 {
+				t.Error("renderNodeBox() returned empty string")
+			}
+			// Verify the output contains expected elements
+			if !contains(got, tt.node.Issue.ID) {
+				t.Errorf("renderNodeBox() output missing issue ID %s", tt.node.Issue.ID)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func contains(s, substr string) bool {
+	return len(s) >= len(substr) && (s == substr || len(substr) == 0 ||
+		(len(s) > 0 && len(substr) > 0 && stringContains(s, substr)))
+}
+
+func stringContains(s, substr string) bool {
+	for i := 0; i <= len(s)-len(substr); i++ {
+		if s[i:i+len(substr)] == substr {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func TestComputeLayout(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("empty subgraph", func(t *testing.T) {
+		subgraph := &TemplateSubgraph{
+			Root:         &types.Issue{ID: "root-1", Title: "Root"},
+			Issues:       []*types.Issue{},
+			Dependencies: []*types.Dependency{},
+			IssueMap:     make(map[string]*types.Issue),
+		}
+		layout := computeLayout(subgraph)
+		if layout == nil {
+			t.Fatal("computeLayout returned nil")
+		}
+		if layout.RootID != "root-1" {
+			t.Errorf("RootID = %q, want %q", layout.RootID, "root-1")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("single issue", func(t *testing.T) {
+		issue := &types.Issue{ID: "test-1", Title: "Test Issue"}
+		subgraph := &TemplateSubgraph{
+			Root:         issue,
+			Issues:       []*types.Issue{issue},
+			Dependencies: []*types.Dependency{},
+			IssueMap:     map[string]*types.Issue{"test-1": issue},
+		}
+		layout := computeLayout(subgraph)
+		if len(layout.Nodes) != 1 {
+			t.Errorf("len(Nodes) = %d, want 1", len(layout.Nodes))
+		}
+		if layout.Nodes["test-1"].Layer != 0 {
+			t.Errorf("Node layer = %d, want 0", layout.Nodes["test-1"].Layer)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("with dependencies", func(t *testing.T) {
+		issue1 := &types.Issue{ID: "test-1", Title: "First"}
+		issue2 := &types.Issue{ID: "test-2", Title: "Second"}
+		dep := &types.Dependency{
+			IssueID:     "test-2",
+			DependsOnID: "test-1",
+			Type:        types.DepBlocks,
+		}
+		subgraph := &TemplateSubgraph{
+			Root:         issue1,
+			Issues:       []*types.Issue{issue1, issue2},
+			Dependencies: []*types.Dependency{dep},
+			IssueMap:     map[string]*types.Issue{"test-1": issue1, "test-2": issue2},
+		}
+		layout := computeLayout(subgraph)
+		if len(layout.Nodes) != 2 {
+			t.Errorf("len(Nodes) = %d, want 2", len(layout.Nodes))
+		}
+		// test-1 has no dependencies, should be layer 0
+		if layout.Nodes["test-1"].Layer != 0 {
+			t.Errorf("test-1 layer = %d, want 0", layout.Nodes["test-1"].Layer)
+		}
+		// test-2 depends on test-1, should be layer 1
+		if layout.Nodes["test-2"].Layer != 1 {
+			t.Errorf("test-2 layer = %d, want 1", layout.Nodes["test-2"].Layer)
+		}
+	})
+}