diff --git a/src/issue.rs b/src/issue.rs
index 6dde005..7171380 100644
--- a/src/issue.rs
+++ b/src/issue.rs
@@ -5,16 +5,20 @@ use std::str::FromStr;
 pub enum State {
     New,
     Backlog,
+    Blocked,
     InProgress,
     Done,
     WontDo,
 }
 
+pub type IssueHandle = String;
+
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Issue {
     pub title: String,
     pub description: Option<String>,
     pub state: State,
+    pub dependencies: Option<Vec<IssueHandle>>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
@@ -33,6 +37,8 @@ impl FromStr for State {
             Ok(State::New)
         } else if s == "backlog" {
             Ok(State::Backlog)
+        } else if s == "blocked" {
+            Ok(State::Blocked)
         } else if s == "inprogress" {
             Ok(State::InProgress)
         } else if s == "done" {
@@ -50,6 +56,7 @@ impl Issue {
         let mut title: Option<String> = None;
         let mut description: Option<String> = None;
         let mut state = State::New; // default state, if not specified in the issue
+        let mut dependencies: Option<Vec<String>> = None;
 
         for direntry in dir.read_dir()? {
             if let Ok(direntry) = direntry {
@@ -60,7 +67,13 @@ impl Issue {
                     description = Some(std::fs::read_to_string(direntry.path())?);
                 } else if file_name == "state" {
                     let state_string = std::fs::read_to_string(direntry.path())?;
-                    state = State::from_str(state_string.trim())?;
+                    state = State::from_str(state_string.trim())?; 
+                } else if file_name == "dependencies" {
+                    let dep_strings = std::fs::read_to_string(direntry.path())?;
+                    let deps: Vec<IssueHandle> = dep_strings.lines().map(|dep|{IssueHandle::from(dep)}).collect();
+                    if deps.len() > 0 {
+                        dependencies = Some(deps);
+                    }
                 } else {
                     println!("ignoring unknown file in issue directory: {:?}", file_name);
                 }
@@ -75,6 +88,7 @@ impl Issue {
             title: title.unwrap(),
             description: description,
             state: state,
+            dependencies,
         })
     }
 }
@@ -91,6 +105,7 @@ mod tests {
             title: String::from("this is the title of my issue"),
             description: Some(String::from("This is the description of my issue.\nIt is multiple lines.\n* Arbitrary contents\n* But let's use markdown by convention\n")),
             state: State::New,
+            dependencies: None,
         };
         assert_eq!(issue, expected);
     }
@@ -103,6 +118,7 @@ mod tests {
             title: String::from("minimal"),
             description: None,
             state: State::InProgress,
+            dependencies: None,
         };
         assert_eq!(issue, expected);
     }
diff --git a/src/issues.rs b/src/issues.rs
index b5c1c87..35116e7 100644
--- a/src/issues.rs
+++ b/src/issues.rs
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ mod tests {
                 title: String::from("minimal"),
                 description: None,
                 state: crate::issue::State::InProgress,
+                dependencies: None,
             },
         );
         expected.add_issue(
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ mod tests {
                 title: String::from("this is the title of my issue"),
                 description: Some(String::from("This is the description of my issue.\nIt is multiple lines.\n* Arbitrary contents\n* But let's use markdown by convention\n")),
                 state: crate::issue::State::New,
+                dependencies: None,
             }
         );
         assert_eq!(issues, expected);
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ mod tests {
                 title: String::from("oh yeah we got titles"),
                 description: None,
                 state: crate::issue::State::Done,
+                dependencies: None,
             },
         );
         expected.add_issue(
@@ -118,8 +121,50 @@ mod tests {
                     "Lots of words\nthat don't say much\nbecause this is just\na test\n",
                 )),
                 state: crate::issue::State::WontDo,
+                dependencies: None,
+            },
+        );
+        assert_eq!(issues, expected);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn read_issues_0002() {
+        let issues_dir = std::path::Path::new("test/0002/");
+        let issues = Issues::new_from_dir(issues_dir).unwrap();
+
+        let mut expected = Issues::new();
+        expected.add_issue(
+            String::from("3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f"),
+            crate::issue::Issue {
+                title: String::from("oh yeah we got titles"),
+                description: None,
+                state: crate::issue::State::Done,
+                dependencies: None,
+            },
+        );
+        expected.add_issue(
+            String::from("dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561"),
+            crate::issue::Issue {
+                title: String::from("issues out the wazoo"),
+                description: Some(String::from(
+                    "Lots of words\nthat don't say much\nbecause this is just\na test\n",
+                )),
+                state: crate::issue::State::WontDo,
+                dependencies: None,
+            },
+        );
+        expected.add_issue(
+            String::from("a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7"),
+            crate::issue::Issue {
+                title: String::from("issue with dependencies"),
+                description: Some(String::from(
+                    "a test has begun\nfor dependencies we seek\nintertwining life",
+                )),
+                state: crate::issue::State::WontDo,
+                dependencies: Some(vec![crate::issue::IssueHandle::from("3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f"), crate::issue::IssueHandle::from("dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561")]),
             },
         );
         assert_eq!(issues, expected);
     }
 }
+
diff --git a/test/0002/3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f/state b/test/0002/3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f/state
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..19f86f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/0002/3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f/state
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+done
diff --git a/test/0002/3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f/title b/test/0002/3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f/title
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..18a1926
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/0002/3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f/title
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+oh yeah we got titles
diff --git a/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/dependencies b/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/dependencies
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..71e4ee3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/dependencies
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+3fa5bfd93317ad25772680071d5ac3259cd2384f
+dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/description b/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/description
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..049c15f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/description
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+a test has begun
+for dependencies we seek
+intertwining life
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/state b/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/state
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f19192
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/state
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+wontdo
diff --git a/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/title b/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/title
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c150e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/0002/a85f81fc5f14cb5d4851dd445dc9744c7f16ccc7/title
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+issue with dependencies
diff --git a/test/0002/config.toml b/test/0002/config.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dfc15f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/0002/config.toml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+states = [ "open", "closed" ]
diff --git a/test/0002/dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561/description b/test/0002/dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561/description
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..010156b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/0002/dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561/description
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Lots of words
+that don't say much
+because this is just
+a test
diff --git a/test/0002/dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561/state b/test/0002/dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561/state
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f19192
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/0002/dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561/state
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+wontdo
diff --git a/test/0002/dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561/title b/test/0002/dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561/title
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab5b4a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/0002/dd79c8cfb8beeacd0460429944b4ecbe95a31561/title
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+issues out the wazoo