diff --git a/poseidon/src/lib.rs b/poseidon/src/lib.rs
index e2ff0f1e60..5b023d0ba2 100644
--- a/poseidon/src/lib.rs
+++ b/poseidon/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,28 @@
+//! This crate provides a generic implementation of the Poseidon hash function.
+//! It provides a [Sponge](crate::sponge::FqSponge) trait that can be
+//! implemented for any field.
+//!
+//! Some parameters for the Pasta fields are provided in the sub-crate
+//! [crate::pasta].
+//!
+//! To instantiate an object that can be used to generate challenges for the
+//! Fiat-Shamir transformation, use the
+//! [DefaultFqSponge](crate::sponge::DefaultFqSponge) struct. For instance, to
+//! instantiate with the parameters used by the Mina hard-fork called Berkeley,
+//! use:
+//! ```rust
+//! use mina_curves::pasta::{VestaParameters};
+//! use mina_poseidon::sponge::DefaultFqSponge;
+//! use mina_poseidon::FqSponge;
+//! use mina_poseidon::constants::PlonkSpongeConstantsKimchi;
+//! use mina_poseidon::pasta::fq_kimchi;
+//!
+//! let mut sponge = DefaultFqSponge::<VestaParameters, PlonkSpongeConstantsKimchi>::new(
+//!   fq_kimchi::static_params(),
+//! );
+//! let challenge = sponge.challenge();
+//! ```
+
 pub mod constants;
 pub mod dummy_values;
 pub mod pasta;
diff --git a/poseidon/tests/poseidon_tests.rs b/poseidon/tests/poseidon_tests.rs
index 61345b2298..37cafe940f 100644
--- a/poseidon/tests/poseidon_tests.rs
+++ b/poseidon/tests/poseidon_tests.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
-use mina_curves::pasta::Fp;
+use ark_ff::{Field, UniformRand};
+use mina_curves::pasta::{Fp, Fq, PallasParameters, VestaParameters};
 use mina_poseidon::{
     constants::{PlonkSpongeConstantsKimchi, PlonkSpongeConstantsLegacy},
-    pasta::{fp_kimchi as SpongeParametersKimchi, fp_legacy as SpongeParametersLegacy},
+    pasta::{fp_kimchi, fp_legacy, fq_kimchi},
     poseidon::{ArithmeticSponge as Poseidon, Sponge as _},
+    sponge::DefaultFqSponge,
+    FqSponge as _,
 };
 use o1_utils::FieldHelpers;
+use rand::Rng;
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use std::{fs::File, path::PathBuf}; // needed for ::new() sponge
 
@@ -58,9 +62,7 @@ where
 #[test]
 fn poseidon_test_vectors_legacy() {
     fn hash(input: &[Fp]) -> Fp {
-        let mut hash = Poseidon::<Fp, PlonkSpongeConstantsLegacy>::new(
-            SpongeParametersLegacy::static_params(),
-        );
+        let mut hash = Poseidon::<Fp, PlonkSpongeConstantsLegacy>::new(fp_legacy::static_params());
         hash.absorb(input);
         hash.squeeze()
     }
@@ -70,11 +72,67 @@ fn poseidon_test_vectors_legacy() {
 #[test]
 fn poseidon_test_vectors_kimchi() {
     fn hash(input: &[Fp]) -> Fp {
-        let mut hash = Poseidon::<Fp, PlonkSpongeConstantsKimchi>::new(
-            SpongeParametersKimchi::static_params(),
-        );
+        let mut hash = Poseidon::<Fp, PlonkSpongeConstantsKimchi>::new(fp_kimchi::static_params());
         hash.absorb(input);
         hash.squeeze()
     }
     test_vectors("kimchi.json", hash);
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_regression_challenge_empty_vesta_kimchi() {
+    let mut sponge = DefaultFqSponge::<VestaParameters, PlonkSpongeConstantsKimchi>::new(
+        fq_kimchi::static_params(),
+    );
+    let output = sponge.challenge();
+    let exp_output =
+        Fp::from_hex("c1e504c0184cce70a605d2f942d579c500000000000000000000000000000000").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(output, exp_output);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_regression_challenge_empty_pallas_kimchi() {
+    let mut sponge = DefaultFqSponge::<PallasParameters, PlonkSpongeConstantsKimchi>::new(
+        fp_kimchi::static_params(),
+    );
+    let output = sponge.challenge();
+    let exp_output =
+        Fq::from_hex("a8eb9ee0f30046308abbfa5d20af73c800000000000000000000000000000000").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(output, exp_output);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_poseidon_vesta_kimchi_challenge_is_squeezed_to_128_bits() {
+    // Test that the challenge is less than 2^128, i.e. the sponge state is
+    // squeezed to 128 bits
+    let mut sponge = DefaultFqSponge::<VestaParameters, PlonkSpongeConstantsKimchi>::new(
+        fq_kimchi::static_params(),
+    );
+    let mut rng = o1_utils::tests::make_test_rng(None);
+    let random_n = rng.gen_range(1..50);
+    let random_fq_vec = (0..random_n)
+        .map(|_| Fq::rand(&mut rng))
+        .collect::<Vec<Fq>>();
+    sponge.absorb_fq(&random_fq_vec);
+    let challenge = sponge.challenge();
+    let two_128 = Fp::from(2).pow([128]);
+    assert!(challenge < two_128);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_poseidon_pallas_kimchi_challenge_is_squeezed_to_128_bits() {
+    // Test that the challenge is less than 2^128, i.e. the sponge state is
+    // squeezed to 128 bits
+    let mut sponge = DefaultFqSponge::<PallasParameters, PlonkSpongeConstantsKimchi>::new(
+        fp_kimchi::static_params(),
+    );
+    let mut rng = o1_utils::tests::make_test_rng(None);
+    let random_n = rng.gen_range(1..50);
+    let random_fp_vec = (0..random_n)
+        .map(|_| Fp::rand(&mut rng))
+        .collect::<Vec<Fp>>();
+    sponge.absorb_fq(&random_fp_vec);
+    let challenge = sponge.challenge();
+    let two_128 = Fq::from(2).pow([128]);
+    assert!(challenge < two_128);
+}