diff --git a/tests/tdef/tdef_vty_test_dynamic.c b/tests/tdef/tdef_vty_test_dynamic.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20dae53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tdef/tdef_vty_test_dynamic.c
@@ -0,0 +1,362 @@
+/* Test implementation for osmo_tdef VTY configuration API. */
+/*
+ * (C) 2019 by sysmocom s.f.m.c. GmbH <info@sysmocom.de>
+ *
+ * All Rights Reserved
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0+
+ *
+ * Author: Neels Hofmeyr <nhofmeyr@sysmocom.de>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+ * with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+ * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ */
+
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include <getopt.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include <osmocom/core/application.h>
+
+#include <osmocom/vty/command.h>
+#include <osmocom/vty/misc.h>
+#include <osmocom/vty/telnet_interface.h>
+
+#include <osmocom/core/tdef.h>
+#include <osmocom/vty/tdef_vty.h>
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+void *root_ctx = NULL;
+
+/* ------------------- HERE IS THE INTERESTING TDEF RELEVANT PART ------------------- */
+
+/* This example keeps a separate list of timers for each instance of a dynamically allocated instance of a VTY node,
+ * for example of keeping separate timers for each BTS in a BSC.
+ */
+
+static const struct osmo_tdef bts_default_tdefs[] = {
+	{ .T=1111, .default_val=2, .desc="Dynamic Duo" },
+	{ .T=2222, .default_val=1, .desc="BATMAN" },
+	{ .T=3333, .default_val=12, .desc="Dadadadadadadadadadadada" },
+	{ .T=4444, .default_val=500, .unit=OSMO_TDEF_MS, .desc="POW!" },
+	{}
+};
+
+
+/* Boilerplate dynamic VTY node ... */
+
+enum tdef_vty_test_nodes {
+	MEMBER_NODE = _LAST_OSMOVTY_NODE + 1,
+};
+
+static struct cmd_node member_node = {
+	MEMBER_NODE,
+	"%s(config-member)# ",
+	1,
+};
+
+struct member {
+	struct llist_head entry;
+	char name[23];
+	struct osmo_tdef *tdefs;
+};
+
+LLIST_HEAD(all_members);
+
+struct member *member_alloc(const char *name)
+{
+	struct member *m = talloc_zero(root_ctx, struct member);
+	osmo_strlcpy(m->name, name, sizeof(m->name));
+
+	/* DYNAMIC TDEF COPIES */
+	m->tdefs = (struct osmo_tdef*)talloc_size(m, sizeof(bts_default_tdefs));
+	memcpy((char*)m->tdefs, (char*)&bts_default_tdefs, sizeof(bts_default_tdefs));
+	osmo_tdefs_reset(m->tdefs);
+
+	llist_add_tail(&m->entry, &all_members);
+	return m;
+}
+
+struct member *member_find(const char *name)
+{
+	struct member *m;
+	llist_for_each_entry(m, &all_members, entry) {
+		if (!strcmp(m->name, name))
+			return m;
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+DEFUN(cfg_member, cfg_member_cmd,
+      "member NAME",
+      "Enter member node\n" "Existing or new member node name\n")
+{
+	const char *name = argv[0];
+	struct member *m = member_find(name);
+	if (!m)
+		m = member_alloc(name);
+	vty->index = m;
+	vty->node = MEMBER_NODE;
+	return CMD_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+
+/* TDEF SPECIFIC VTY */
+
+static bool startswith(const char *str, const char *startswith_str)
+{
+	if (!startswith_str)
+		return true;
+	if (!str)
+		return false;
+	return strncmp(str, startswith_str, strlen(startswith_str)) == 0;
+}
+
+DEFUN(show_timer, show_member_timer_cmd,
+      "show member-timer [NAME] " OSMO_TDEF_VTY_ARG_T_OPTIONAL,
+      SHOW_STR "Show timers for a specific member" "member name\n"
+      OSMO_TDEF_VTY_DOC_T)
+{
+	const char *name = argc > 0 ? argv[0] : NULL;
+	struct member *m;
+	const char *T_arg = argc > 1 ? argv[1] : NULL;
+	int shown = 0;
+
+	llist_for_each_entry(m, &all_members, entry) {
+		if (!name || startswith(m->name, name)) {
+			osmo_tdef_vty_show_cmd(vty, m->tdefs, T_arg, "%11s: ", m->name);
+			shown ++;
+		}
+	}
+	if (!shown) {
+		vty_out(vty, "%% No such member: %s%s", name ? : "(none)", VTY_NEWLINE);
+		return CMD_WARNING;
+	}
+	return CMD_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+DEFUN(cfg_member_timer, cfg_member_timer_cmd,
+      "timer " OSMO_TDEF_VTY_ARG_SET_OPTIONAL,
+      "Configure or show timers for this member\n"
+      OSMO_TDEF_VTY_DOC_SET)
+{
+	struct member *m = vty->index;
+
+	if (!m || !m->tdefs) {
+		vty_out(vty, "%% No timers here%s", VTY_NEWLINE);
+		return CMD_WARNING;
+	}
+
+	/* If any arguments are missing, redirect to 'show' */
+	if (argc < 2) {
+		const char *T_arg = argc > 0 ? argv[0] : NULL;
+		return osmo_tdef_vty_show_cmd(vty, m->tdefs, T_arg, "%11s: ", m->name);
+	}
+
+	return osmo_tdef_vty_set_cmd(vty, m->tdefs, argv);
+}
+
+static int config_write_member(struct vty *vty)
+{
+	struct member *m;
+	llist_for_each_entry(m, &all_members, entry) {
+		vty_out(vty, "member %s%s", m->name, VTY_NEWLINE);
+		osmo_tdef_vty_write(vty, m->tdefs, " timer ");
+	}
+
+	return CMD_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+static void member_init_vty()
+{
+	install_node(&member_node, config_write_member);
+	install_element(CONFIG_NODE, &cfg_member_cmd);
+
+	install_element_ve(&show_member_timer_cmd);
+	install_element(MEMBER_NODE, &cfg_member_timer_cmd);
+}
+
+/* ------------------- THE REST is just boilerplate osmo main() ------------------- */
+
+static void print_help()
+{
+	printf( "options:\n"
+		"  -h	--help		this text\n"
+		"  -d	--debug MASK	Enable debugging (e.g. -d DRSL:DOML:DLAPDM)\n"
+		"  -D	--daemonize	For the process into a background daemon\n"
+		"  -c	--config-file	Specify the filename of the config file\n"
+		"  -s	--disable-color	Don't use colors in stderr log output\n"
+		"  -T	--timestamp	Prefix every log line with a timestamp\n"
+		"  -V	--version	Print version information and exit\n"
+		"  -e	--log-level	Set a global log-level\n"
+		);
+}
+
+static struct {
+	const char *config_file;
+	int daemonize;
+} cmdline_config = {};
+
+static void handle_options(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+	while (1) {
+		int option_idx = 0, c;
+		static const struct option long_options[] = {
+			{ "help", 0, 0, 'h' },
+			{ "debug", 1, 0, 'd' },
+			{ "daemonize", 0, 0, 'D' },
+			{ "config-file", 1, 0, 'c' },
+			{ "disable-color", 0, 0, 's' },
+			{ "timestamp", 0, 0, 'T' },
+			{ "version", 0, 0, 'V' },
+			{ "log-level", 1, 0, 'e' },
+			{}
+		};
+
+		c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hc:d:Dc:sTVe:",
+				long_options, &option_idx);
+		if (c == -1)
+			break;
+
+		switch (c) {
+		case 'h':
+			print_help();
+			exit(0);
+		case 's':
+			log_set_use_color(osmo_stderr_target, 0);
+			break;
+		case 'd':
+			log_parse_category_mask(osmo_stderr_target, optarg);
+			break;
+		case 'D':
+			cmdline_config.daemonize = 1;
+			break;
+		case 'c':
+			cmdline_config.config_file = optarg;
+			break;
+		case 'T':
+			log_set_print_timestamp(osmo_stderr_target, 1);
+			break;
+		case 'e':
+			log_set_log_level(osmo_stderr_target, atoi(optarg));
+			break;
+		case 'V':
+			print_version(1);
+			exit(0);
+			break;
+		default:
+			/* catch unknown options *as well as* missing arguments. */
+			fprintf(stderr, "Error in command line options. Exiting.\n");
+			exit(-1);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+static int quit = 0;
+
+static void signal_handler(int signal)
+{
+	fprintf(stdout, "signal %u received\n", signal);
+
+	switch (signal) {
+	case SIGINT:
+	case SIGTERM:
+		quit++;
+		break;
+	case SIGABRT:
+		osmo_generate_backtrace();
+		/* in case of abort, we want to obtain a talloc report
+		 * and then return to the caller, who will abort the process */
+	case SIGUSR1:
+		talloc_report(tall_vty_ctx, stderr);
+		talloc_report_full(root_ctx, stderr);
+		break;
+	case SIGUSR2:
+		talloc_report_full(tall_vty_ctx, stderr);
+		break;
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+}
+
+static struct vty_app_info vty_info = {
+	.name		= "tdef_vty_test",
+	.version	= PACKAGE_VERSION,
+};
+
+static const struct log_info_cat default_categories[] = {};
+
+const struct log_info log_info = {
+	.cat = default_categories,
+	.num_cat = ARRAY_SIZE(default_categories),
+};
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+	int rc;
+
+	root_ctx = talloc_named_const(NULL, 0, "tdef_vty_test");
+
+	osmo_init_logging2(root_ctx, &log_info);
+
+	vty_info.tall_ctx = root_ctx;
+	vty_init(&vty_info);
+	osmo_talloc_vty_add_cmds();
+
+	member_init_vty(); /* <--- relevant init for this example */
+
+	handle_options(argc, argv);
+
+	if (cmdline_config.config_file) {
+		rc = vty_read_config_file(cmdline_config.config_file, NULL);
+		if (rc < 0) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Failed to parse the config file: '%s'\n", cmdline_config.config_file);
+			return 1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	rc = telnet_init_dynif(root_ctx, NULL, vty_get_bind_addr(), 42042);
+	if (rc < 0)
+		return 2;
+
+	signal(SIGINT, &signal_handler);
+	signal(SIGTERM, &signal_handler);
+	signal(SIGABRT, &signal_handler);
+	signal(SIGUSR1, &signal_handler);
+	signal(SIGUSR2, &signal_handler);
+	osmo_init_ignore_signals();
+
+	if (cmdline_config.daemonize) {
+		rc = osmo_daemonize();
+		if (rc < 0) {
+			perror("Error during daemonize");
+			return 6;
+		}
+	}
+
+	while (!quit) {
+		log_reset_context();
+		osmo_select_main(0);
+	}
+
+	talloc_free(root_ctx);
+	talloc_free(tall_vty_ctx);
+
+	return 0;
+}