diff --git a/scripts/db-export.test.ts b/scripts/db-export.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..939537d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/db-export.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import { assertEquals, assertThrows } from '@std/assert';
+import { buildFilter } from './db-export.ts';
+
+Deno.test('buildFilter should return an empty filter when no arguments are provided', () => {
+  const filter = buildFilter({});
+  assertEquals(Object.keys(filter).length, 0);
+});
+
+Deno.test('buildFilter should correctly handle valid authors', () => {
+  const filter = buildFilter({
+    authors: ['a'.repeat(64)],
+  });
+
+  assertEquals(filter.authors, ['a'.repeat(64)]);
+});
+
+Deno.test('buildFilter throws on invalid author pubkey', () => {
+  assertThrows(
+    () => {
+      buildFilter({
+        authors: ['invalid_pubkey'],
+      });
+    },
+    Error,
+    'ERROR: Invalid pubkey invalid_pubkey supplied.',
+  );
+});
+
+Deno.test('buildFilter should correctly handle valid ids', () => {
+  const filter = buildFilter({
+    ids: ['b'.repeat(64)],
+  });
+
+  assertEquals(filter.ids, ['b'.repeat(64)]);
+});
+
+Deno.test('buildFilter should throw on invalid event IDs', () => {
+  assertThrows(
+    () => {
+      buildFilter({
+        ids: ['invalid_id'],
+      });
+    },
+    Error,
+    'ERROR: Invalid event ID invalid_id supplied.',
+  );
+});
+
+Deno.test('buildFilter should correctly handle tag shortcuts', () => {
+  const filter = buildFilter({
+    d: 'value1',
+    e: 'a'.repeat(64),
+    p: 'b'.repeat(64),
+  });
+
+  assertEquals(filter['#d'], ['value1']);
+  assertEquals(filter['#e'], ['a'.repeat(64)]);
+  assertEquals(filter['#p'], ['b'.repeat(64)]);
+});
+
+Deno.test('buildFilter should correctly handle since and until args', () => {
+  const filter = buildFilter({
+    since: 1000,
+    until: 2000,
+  });
+
+  assertEquals(filter.since, 1000);
+  assertEquals(filter.until, 2000);
+});
+
+Deno.test('buildFilter should correctly handle search field', () => {
+  const filter = buildFilter({
+    search: 'search_term',
+  });
+
+  assertEquals(filter.search, 'search_term');
+});
+
+Deno.test('buildFilter should correctly handle tag k-v pairs', () => {
+  const filter = buildFilter({
+    tags: ['tag1=value1', 'tag2=value2'],
+  });
+
+  assertEquals(filter['#tag1'], ['value1']);
+  assertEquals(filter['#tag2'], ['value2']);
+});
+
+Deno.test('buildFilter should correctly handle limit specifier', () => {
+  const filter = buildFilter({
+    limit: 10,
+  });
+
+  assertEquals(filter.limit, 10);
+});
diff --git a/scripts/db-export.ts b/scripts/db-export.ts
index 1120a190..71939105 100644
--- a/scripts/db-export.ts
+++ b/scripts/db-export.ts
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ import { Storages } from '@/storages.ts';
 import { NostrFilter } from '@nostrify/nostrify';
 import { Command, InvalidOptionArgumentError } from 'commander';
 
-const store = await Storages.db();
-
 interface ExportFilter {
   authors?: string[];
   ids?: string[];
@@ -47,11 +45,11 @@ function die(code: number, ...args: any[]) {
 
 function tagFilterShortcut(name: 'd' | 'e' | 'p', value: string) {
   const val = [value];
-  if (findInvalid(val)) die(1, `ERROR: Invalid value supplied for ${name}-tag.`);
+  if (findInvalid(val)) throw new Error(`ERROR: Invalid value supplied for ${name}-tag.`);
   return val;
 }
 
-async function exportEvents(args: ExportFilter) {
+export function buildFilter(args: ExportFilter) {
   const filter: NostrFilter = {};
   const { authors, ids, kinds, d, e, limit, p, search, since, until, tags } = args;
   if (since) {
@@ -62,18 +60,19 @@ async function exportEvents(args: ExportFilter) {
   }
   if (authors && authors.length) {
     const invalid = findInvalid(authors);
-    if (invalid) die(1, `ERROR: Invalid pubkey ${invalid} supplied.`);
+    if (invalid) throw new Error(`ERROR: Invalid pubkey ${invalid} supplied.`);
     filter.authors = authors;
   }
   if (ids) {
     const invalid = findInvalid(ids);
-    if (invalid) die(1, `ERROR: Invalid event ID ${invalid} supplied.`);
+    if (invalid) throw new Error(`ERROR: Invalid event ID ${invalid} supplied.`);
+    filter.ids = ids;
   }
   if (kinds && kinds.length) {
     filter.kinds = kinds;
   }
   if (d) {
-    filter['#d'] = tagFilterShortcut('d', d);
+    filter['#d'] = [d];
   }
   if (e) {
     filter['#e'] = tagFilterShortcut('e', e);
@@ -94,6 +93,19 @@ async function exportEvents(args: ExportFilter) {
     }
   }
 
+  return filter;
+}
+
+async function exportEvents(args: ExportFilter) {
+  const store = await Storages.db();
+
+  let filter: NostrFilter = {};
+  try {
+    filter = buildFilter(args);
+  } catch (e) {
+    die(1, e.message || e.toString());
+  }
+
   let count = 0;
   for await (const msg of store.req([filter])) {
     if (msg[0] === 'EOSE') {
@@ -144,5 +156,3 @@ if (import.meta.main) {
 
   await exporter.parseAsync(Deno.args, { from: 'user' });
 }
-
-Deno.exit();