diff --git a/esgd.py b/esgd.py
index 64cf15c..9c0545d 100644
--- a/esgd.py
+++ b/esgd.py
@@ -188,14 +188,18 @@ class GopherHandler(socketserver.BaseRequestHandler, GopherServerLogic):
 
 log = Logger()
 
-if __name__ == "__main__":
+def parseArgs():
     parse = argparse.ArgumentParser()
     parse.add_argument("-u", "--user", default="nobody", help="user to change to on startup")
     parse.add_argument("-g", "--group", default="nobody", help="group to change to on startup")
     parse.add_argument("-s", "--host", default="localhost", help="host to host on")
     parse.add_argument("-p", "--port", default=70, type=int, help="port to host on")
     parse.add_argument("-d", "--dir", default="/var/gopher", help="directory to host from")
-    args = parse.parse_args()
+    return parse.parse_args()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    args = parseArgs()
     log.log("arguments parsed")
 
     switchgrp = grp.getgrnam(args.group).gr_gid