diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 50320dd..b1f44cb 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -26,3 +26,9 @@
 
 .tarball-version
 .version
+
+# tests
+tests/atconfig
+tests/package.m4
+tests/testsuite
+tests/testsuite.log
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index fdaf15a..8b4014a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 	[openbsc@lists.osmocom.org])
 
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign dist-bzip2 no-dist-gzip 1.6])
+AC_CONFIG_TESTDIR(tests)
 
 dnl kernel style compile messages
 m4_ifdef([AM_SILENT_RULES], [AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])])
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index 640f4ef..724285c 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -28,3 +28,45 @@
 ipa_proxy_test_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libosmoabis.la \
 			$(LIBOSMOCORE_LIBS) $(LIBOSMOGSM_LIBS) \
 			$(LIBOSMOVTY_LIBS)
+
+
+# boilerplate for the tests
+# The `:;' works around a Bash 3.2 bug when the output is not writeable.
+$(srcdir)/package.m4: $(top_srcdir)/configure.ac
+	:;{ \
+               echo '# Signature of the current package.' && \
+               echo 'm4_define([AT_PACKAGE_NAME],' && \
+               echo '  [$(PACKAGE_NAME)])' && \
+               echo 'm4_define([AT_PACKAGE_TARNAME],' && \
+               echo '  [$(PACKAGE_TARNAME)])' && \
+               echo 'm4_define([AT_PACKAGE_VERSION],' && \
+               echo '  [$(PACKAGE_VERSION)])' && \
+               echo 'm4_define([AT_PACKAGE_STRING],' && \
+               echo '  [$(PACKAGE_STRING)])' && \
+               echo 'm4_define([AT_PACKAGE_BUGREPORT],' && \
+               echo '  [$(PACKAGE_BUGREPORT)])'; \
+               echo 'm4_define([AT_PACKAGE_URL],' && \
+               echo '  [$(PACKAGE_URL)])'; \
+             } >'$(srcdir)/package.m4'
+
+EXTRA_DIST = testsuite.at $(srcdir)/package.m4 $(TESTSUITE)
+
+TESTSUITE = $(srcdir)/testsuite
+
+check-local: atconfig $(TESTSUITE)
+	$(SHELL) '$(TESTSUITE)' $(TESTSUITEFLAGS)
+
+installcheck-local: atconfig $(TESTSUITE)
+	$(SHELL) '$(TESTSUITE)' AUTOTEST_PATH='$(bindir)' \
+		$(TESTSUITEFLAGS)
+
+clean-local:
+	test ! -f '$(TESTSUITE)' || \
+		$(SHELL) '$(TESTSUITE)' --clean
+	$(RM) -f atconfig
+
+AUTOM4TE = $(SHELL) $(top_srcdir)/missing --run autom4te
+AUTOTEST = $(AUTOM4TE) --language=autotest
+$(TESTSUITE): $(srcdir)/testsuite.at $(srcdir)/package.m4
+	$(AUTOTEST) -I '$(srcdir)' -o $@.tmp $@.at
+	mv $@.tmp $@
diff --git a/tests/testsuite.at b/tests/testsuite.at
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1358534
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testsuite.at
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+AT_INIT
+AT_BANNER([Regression tests.])
+
+# Example for tests.. copy and uncomment. This creates a new category
+# and test. It will copy the expected output to expout and then run
+# the given test. The stdout will be compared with the expout to determine
+# if the test was successfull.
+# AT_SETUP([NAME])
+# AT_KEYWORDS([NAME])
+# cat $abs_srcdir/NAME/NAME_test.ok > expout
+# AT_CHECK([$abs_top_builddir/tests/NAME/NAME_test], [], [expout])
+# AT_CLEANUP