diff --git a/syft/source/content_requester.go b/syft/source/content_requester.go
index ea7b7b5a8..ef99513c0 100644
--- a/syft/source/content_requester.go
+++ b/syft/source/content_requester.go
@@ -2,11 +2,14 @@ package source
 
 import "sync"
 
+// ContentRequester is an object tailored for taking source.Location objects which file contents will be resolved
+// upon invoking Execute().
 type ContentRequester struct {
 	request map[Location][]*FileData
 	lock    sync.Mutex
 }
 
+// NewContentRequester creates a new ContentRequester object with the given initial request data.
 func NewContentRequester(data ...*FileData) *ContentRequester {
 	requester := &ContentRequester{
 		request: make(map[Location][]*FileData),
@@ -17,19 +20,24 @@ func NewContentRequester(data ...*FileData) *ContentRequester {
 	return requester
 }
 
-func (b *ContentRequester) Add(data *FileData) {
-	b.lock.Lock()
-	defer b.lock.Unlock()
-	b.request[data.Location] = append(b.request[data.Location], data)
+// Add appends a new single FileData containing a source.Location to later have the contents fetched and stored within
+// the given FileData object.
+func (r *ContentRequester) Add(data *FileData) {
+	r.lock.Lock()
+	defer r.lock.Unlock()
+
+	r.request[data.Location] = append(r.request[data.Location], data)
 }
 
-func (b *ContentRequester) Execute(resolver ContentResolver) error {
-	b.lock.Lock()
-	defer b.lock.Unlock()
+// Execute takes the previously provided source.Location's and resolves the file contents, storing the results within
+// the previously provided FileData objects.
+func (r *ContentRequester) Execute(resolver ContentResolver) error {
+	r.lock.Lock()
+	defer r.lock.Unlock()
 
-	var locations = make([]Location, len(b.request))
+	var locations = make([]Location, len(r.request))
 	idx := 0
-	for l := range b.request {
+	for l := range r.request {
 		locations[idx] = l
 		idx++
 	}
@@ -40,8 +48,8 @@ func (b *ContentRequester) Execute(resolver ContentResolver) error {
 	}
 
 	for l, contents := range response {
-		for i := range b.request[l] {
-			b.request[l][i].Contents = contents
+		for i := range r.request[l] {
+			r.request[l][i].Contents = contents
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/syft/source/content_requester_test.go b/syft/source/content_requester_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1ca914703
--- /dev/null
+++ b/syft/source/content_requester_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+package source
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/anchore/stereoscope/pkg/imagetest"
+	"github.com/sergi/go-diff/diffmatchpatch"
+)
+
+func TestContentRequester(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		fixture          string
+		expectedContents map[string]string
+	}{
+		{
+			fixture: "image-simple",
+			expectedContents: map[string]string{
+				"/somefile-1.txt":           "this file has contents",
+				"/somefile-2.txt":           "file-2 contents!",
+				"/really/nested/file-3.txt": "another file!\nwith lines...",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.fixture, func(t *testing.T) {
+			img, cleanup := imagetest.GetFixtureImage(t, "docker-archive", "image-simple")
+			defer cleanup()
+
+			resolver, err := NewAllLayersResolver(img)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("could not create resolver: %+v", err)
+			}
+
+			var data []*FileData
+			for path := range test.expectedContents {
+
+				locations, err := resolver.FilesByPath(path)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("could not build request: %+v", err)
+				}
+				if len(locations) != 1 {
+					t.Fatalf("bad resolver paths: %+v", locations)
+				}
+
+				data = append(data, &FileData{
+					Location: locations[0],
+				})
+			}
+
+			if err := NewContentRequester(data...).Execute(resolver); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("could not execute request: %+v", err)
+			}
+
+			for _, entry := range data {
+				if expected, ok := test.expectedContents[entry.Location.Path]; ok {
+					for expected != entry.Contents {
+						t.Errorf("mismatched contents for %q", entry.Location.Path)
+						dmp := diffmatchpatch.New()
+						diffs := dmp.DiffMain(expected, entry.Contents, true)
+						t.Errorf("diff: %s", dmp.DiffPrettyText(diffs))
+					}
+					continue
+				}
+				t.Errorf("could not find %q", entry.Location.Path)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/syft/source/directory_resolver_test.go b/syft/source/directory_resolver_test.go
index f2bcad89f..fdc82971f 100644
--- a/syft/source/directory_resolver_test.go
+++ b/syft/source/directory_resolver_test.go
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func TestDirectoryResolver_FilesByGlobMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestDirectoryResolver_FilesByGlobRecursive(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("finds multiple matching files", func(t *testing.T) {
-		resolver := DirectoryResolver{"test-fixtures"}
+		resolver := DirectoryResolver{"test-fixtures/image-symlinks"}
 		refs, err := resolver.FilesByGlob("**/*.txt")
 
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/syft/source/test-fixtures/image-simple/Dockerfile b/syft/source/test-fixtures/image-simple/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..62fb151e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/syft/source/test-fixtures/image-simple/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Note: changes to this file will result in updating several test values. Consider making a new image fixture instead of editing this one.
+FROM scratch
+ADD file-1.txt /somefile-1.txt
+ADD file-2.txt /somefile-2.txt
+# note: adding a directory will behave differently on docker engine v18 vs v19
+ADD target /
diff --git a/syft/source/test-fixtures/image-simple/file-1.txt b/syft/source/test-fixtures/image-simple/file-1.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..985d3408e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/syft/source/test-fixtures/image-simple/file-1.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+this file has contents
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/syft/source/test-fixtures/image-simple/file-2.txt b/syft/source/test-fixtures/image-simple/file-2.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..396d08bbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/syft/source/test-fixtures/image-simple/file-2.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+file-2 contents!
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/syft/source/test-fixtures/image-simple/target/really/nested/file-3.txt b/syft/source/test-fixtures/image-simple/target/really/nested/file-3.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f85472c93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/syft/source/test-fixtures/image-simple/target/really/nested/file-3.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+another file!
+with lines...
\ No newline at end of file