diff --git a/tests/00_minimal.miltertest b/tests/00_minimal.miltertest
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a07b48e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/00_minimal.miltertest
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+-- -*- lua -*-
+mt.echo("beginning test")
+conn = mt.connect("unix:signing.sock")
+if conn == nil then
+  error "mt.connect() failed"
+end
+mt.disconnect(conn)
+mt.echo("test complete")
diff --git a/tests/01_connect.miltertest b/tests/01_connect.miltertest
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..bd4c730
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/01_connect.miltertest
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+-- -*- lua -*-
+mt.echo("beginning test")
+conn = mt.connect("unix:signing.sock")
+if conn == nil then
+  error "mt.connect() failed"
+end
+if mt.conninfo(conn, "localhost", "127.0.0.1") ~= nil then
+  error "mt.conninfo() failed"
+end
+if mt.getreply(conn) ~= SMFIR_CONTINUE then
+     error "mt.conninfo() unexpected reply"
+end
+mt.disconnect(conn)
+mt.echo("test complete")
diff --git a/tests/runtests b/tests/runtests
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..fbfceba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/runtests
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+WORKDIR=$(mktemp -d)
+TESTDIR=$(realpath "$(dirname "$0")")
+
+cd "$WORKDIR"
+
+dknewkey --ktype ed25519 testkey
+cat > signing.conf <<EOF
+Domain example.net
+KeyFileEd25519 testkey.key
+SelectorEd25519 testkey
+Socket unix:signing.sock
+PidFile milter.pid
+Mode s
+UserID $(id --name --user):$(id --name --group)
+EOF
+rm -f milter.pid milter.sock
+
+cleanup() {
+    echo cleaning up jobs:
+    jobs
+    if [ -s milter.pid ] && kill -0 "$(cat milter.pid)"; then
+        kill "$(cat milter.pid)"
+        wait
+    fi
+    if [ -s stderr ]; then
+        printf -- "-> stderr:\n"
+        cat stderr
+        printf -- "-> end stderr\n"
+    fi
+    rm -rf "$WORKDIR"
+}
+
+PYTHONPATH="$(dirname "$TESTDIR")" dkimpy-milter signing.conf 2>stderr &
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+# ugly ugly (how are we supposed to know that the filter is ready?):
+sleep 2
+
+# uses miltertest from opendkim:
+for x in ${TESTS:-"$TESTDIR"/*.miltertest}; do
+    if ! [ -e "$x" ]; then
+        if [ -e "$TESTDIR/$x" ]; then
+            x="$TESTDIR/$x"
+        fi
+    fi
+    printf -- "-> running %s...\n" "$x"
+    miltertest -s "$x"
+done