diff --git a/aircon.sh b/aircon.sh
index 4116dc7..c3d802e 100755
--- a/aircon.sh
+++ b/aircon.sh
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ function usage() {
     echo "                   bottoken"
     echo "                   chatid"
     echo "    -f file     Specify an alternate config file."
+    echo "    -F zonename:temp   Forcibly provide current zone temperature (for testing)"
     echo "    -h          Show this text."
     echo "    -i x.x.x.x  Specify IP address for aircon (default is $DEFAULT_AIRCON_IP)"
     echo "    -I db       Log all zone temperatures to given influxdb database, then exit (see -o)."
@@ -225,7 +226,7 @@ function getzoneaction() { # populates zproblem[] and zaction[]
                 fi
 
                 # if we couldnt turn the system on, there's nothing else to do
-                if [[ $airconmode == "heat" ]]; then
+                if [[ $airconmode == "heat" || $thisaction == *set_mode:heat* ]]; then
                     # adjust set temperature, if required
                     if [[ $(echo "${zsettemp[$idx]} > ${zwantmax[$idx]}" | bc) -eq 1 || $(echo "${zsettemp[$idx]} < ${zwantmin[$idx]}" | bc) -eq 1 ]]; then
                         # set temperature to midpoint of acceptable range
@@ -264,7 +265,7 @@ function getzoneaction() { # populates zproblem[] and zaction[]
                 fi
 
                 # if we couldnt turn the system on, there's nothing else to do
-                if [[ $airconmode == "cool" ]]; then
+                if [[ $airconmode == "cool" || $thisaction == *set_mode:cool* ]]; then
                     # adjust set temperature, if required
                     if [[ $(echo "${zsettemp[$idx]} > ${zwantmax[$idx]}" | bc) -eq 1 || $(echo "${zsettemp[$idx]} < ${zwantmin[$idx]}" | bc) -eq 1 ]]; then
                         # set temperature to midpoint of acceptable range
@@ -2081,8 +2082,9 @@ ALLARGS="$ALLARGS $*"
 
 expirenotifyfile=""
 expirenotifytext=""
+FAKESTRING=""
 
-optstring="aA:bcD:e:E:f:g:hHi:I:k:l:Lo:pmRsSt:T:wWy"
+optstring="aA:bcD:e:E:f:F:g:hHi:I:k:l:Lo:pmRsSt:T:wWy"
 while getopts "$optstring" i $ALLARGS; do
     case "$i" in
         a)
@@ -2109,6 +2111,9 @@ while getopts "$optstring" i $ALLARGS; do
         f)
             CONFIGFILE=${OPTARG}
             ;;
+        F)
+            FAKESTRING="${FAKESTRING} ${OPTARG}"
+            ;;
         g)
             USETELEGRAM=1
             TELEGRAM_FILE=${OPTARG}
@@ -2244,6 +2249,25 @@ else
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# fake input for testing
+for x in ${FAKESTRING}; do
+    fake_name="${x%%:*}"
+    fake_wanttemp="${x##*:}"
+    fake_idx=-1
+    for zi in ${!zname[@]}; do
+        if [[ ${zname[zi]^^} == ${fake_name^^} ]]; then
+            fake_idx=$zi
+            break
+        fi
+    done
+    if [[ ${fake_idx} -eq -1 ]]; then
+        error "Unknown zone '${fake_name}' in -f argument '${x}'"
+        exit 1;
+    fi
+    ztemp[$fake_idx]="$fake_wanttemp"
+    info "Faking zone '${fake_name}' temp to ${fake_wanttemp}"
+done
+
 # ping all hosts in background to populate arp table
 #for x in ${devices}; do
 #    ping -c1 -w1 -n -q $ip >/dev/null 2>&1 &