diff --git a/src/dodo.c b/src/dodo.c
index f669a87..30e6dbf 100644
--- a/src/dodo.c
+++ b/src/dodo.c
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ int gen_sql_update_stmt_v2(sqlite3 *db, sqlite3_stmt** out_stmt, filtered_tasks*
 	int rc = 0;
 
 	if (task->new_title != NULL && task->due_date != NULL){
-		// TODO: we might want to have a function that builds the final sql_query
 		snprintf(sql_query, SQLQUERY_MAX, "UPDATE tasks SET title='%s', due_date='%s' WHERE title='%s' OR active_id='%d'", task->new_title, task->due_date, task->title, task->active_id);
 	}
 	else if (task->new_title != NULL){
@@ -67,28 +66,72 @@ int gen_sql_update_stmt_v2(sqlite3 *db, sqlite3_stmt** out_stmt, filtered_tasks*
 
 }
 
-int gen_sql_update_stmt(sqlite3 *db, sqlite3_stmt** out_stmt, filtered_tasks* task){
-	char sql_query[SQLQUERY_MAX];
+char* concat_with_mem_cleanup(char* str1, char* str2){
+	char *temp;
+
+	if ( str1 == NULL || str2 == NULL ){
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	temp = str1;
+	str1 = x_strconcat(str1, str2);
+	free(temp);
+
+	return str1;
+}
+
+
+int prepare_sql_update_stmt(sqlite3 *db, sqlite3_stmt** out_stmt, filtered_tasks* task){
+	char *sql_query;
 	int rc = 0;
+	int num_params = 0;
+	
+	sql_query = malloc(SQLQUERY_MAX * sizeof(char));
 
+	 x_strcpy(sql_query,"UPDATE tasks SET ", SQLQUERY_MAX);
 
-	if (task->new_title != NULL && task->due_date != NULL){
-		// TODO: we might want to have a function that builds the final sql_query
-		snprintf(sql_query, SQLQUERY_MAX, "UPDATE tasks SET title='%s', due_date='%s' WHERE title='%s' OR active_id='%d'", task->new_title, task->due_date, task->title, task->active_id);
-	}
-	else if (task->status != NULL){
-		snprintf(sql_query, SQLQUERY_MAX, "UPDATE tasks SET status='%s' WHERE title='%s' OR active_id='%d'",
-				task->status, task->title, task->active_id);
-	}
-	else{
-		snprintf(sql_query, SQLQUERY_MAX, "UPDATE tasks SET active_id='NULL',status='complete' WHERE title='%s' OR active_id='%d'", task->title, task->active_id);
+	if ( task->new_title ){
+		sql_query = concat_with_mem_cleanup(sql_query, "title=?");
+		num_params++;
 	}
 
-	rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(db, sql_query, -1, out_stmt, NULL);
-	if (checksqlerr(rc, "prepare broken in gen_sql_insert_stmt")){
-		return -1;
+	if ( task->due_date ){
+		if ( num_params > 0 ){
+			sql_query = concat_with_mem_cleanup(sql_query, ",");
+		}
+		sql_query = concat_with_mem_cleanup(sql_query, "due_date=?");
+		num_params++;
 	}
 
+	if ( task->status ){
+		if ( num_params > 0 ){
+			sql_query = concat_with_mem_cleanup(sql_query, ",");
+		}
+		sql_query = concat_with_mem_cleanup(sql_query, "status=?");
+		num_params++;
+
+		if ( !(x_strcmp(task->status, "complete")) ){
+			sql_query = concat_with_mem_cleanup(sql_query, ",");
+			sql_query = concat_with_mem_cleanup(sql_query, "active_id='NULL'");
+			num_params++;
+		}
+	}
+
+
+
+	//if (task->status != NULL){
+	//	snprintf(sql_query, SQLQUERY_MAX, "UPDATE tasks SET status='%s' WHERE title='%s' OR active_id='%d'",
+	//			task->status, task->title, task->active_id);
+	//}
+	//else{
+	//	snprintf(sql_query, SQLQUERY_MAX, "UPDATE tasks SET active_id='NULL',status='complete' WHERE title='%s' OR active_id='%d'", task->title, task->active_id);
+	//}
+
+	//rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(db, sql_query, -1, out_stmt, NULL);
+	//if (checksqlerr(rc, "prepare broken in gen_sql_insert_stmt")){
+	//	return -1;
+	//}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -444,7 +487,7 @@ int update_task_status(sqlite3 *db, int argc, char** argv){
 	parse_args(argc, argv, task);
 
 	task->status = argv[1];
-	if ( gen_sql_update_stmt(db, &out_stmt, task) ){
+	if ( prepare_sql_update_stmt(db, &out_stmt, task) ){
 		free(task);
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -470,7 +513,7 @@ int complete_task(sqlite3 *db, int argc, char** argv){
 	init_filtered_tasks(task);
 
 	parse_args(argc, argv, task);
-	if ( gen_sql_update_stmt(db, &out_stmt, task) ){
+	if ( prepare_sql_update_stmt(db, &out_stmt, task) ){
 		free(task);
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -495,10 +538,14 @@ int update_task(sqlite3 *db, int argc, char** argv){
 	init_filtered_tasks(task);
 
 
-	parse_args(argc, argv, task);
+	//parse_args(argc, argv, task);
 	// TODO this can definitely be made into one func with all the other updates
 	// no v2s allowed
-	if ( gen_sql_update_stmt_v2(db, &out_stmt, task) ){
+
+	task->new_title = "cool_beans";
+	task->due_date = "0303-03-03";
+	task->status = "complete";
+	if ( prepare_sql_update_stmt(db, &out_stmt, task) ){
 		free(task);
 		return -1;
 	}
diff --git a/tests/tests.c b/tests/tests.c
index f826225..ce009b7 100644
--- a/tests/tests.c
+++ b/tests/tests.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 
 // SET THE NUMBER OF TESTS
-#define NUM_TESTS 6
+#define NUM_TESTS 7
 
 // DEFINE REUSABLE TEST SETUPS
 int set_up_db(sqlite3 **db){
@@ -133,6 +133,16 @@ int test_update_task(){
 	printf("%s... ", __func__);
 	int rc = 0;
 	sqlite3 *db;
+	char *argv_1[3] = {"./dodo", "new", "jello"};
+
+	if ( (rc = set_up_db(&db)) ){
+		return rc;
+	}
+
+	update_task(db, 3, argv_1);
+
+	return 1;
+
 	
 }
 
@@ -168,11 +178,12 @@ int main(){
 
 	// PASS TESTS INTO ARRAY
     tests[0] = fail;
-    tests[1] = test_add_new_task_no_date;
-    tests[2] = test_del_task;
-    tests[3] = test_add_new_task_with_date_and_delete;
-    tests[4] = test_add_then_update_task_status_then_delete;
-    tests[5] = test_display_task;
+    tests[1] = test_update_task;
+    tests[2] = test_add_new_task_no_date;
+    tests[3] = test_del_task;
+    tests[4] = test_add_new_task_with_date_and_delete;
+    tests[5] = test_add_then_update_task_status_then_delete;
+    tests[6] = test_display_task;
 
 
 	// END OF PASSING TESTS