diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f0a17dd..4d34c76 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
     ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}
     ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake)
 
+option(MCStepLogger_BUILD_TESTS "Control whether tests are built" OFF)
+
+include(CTest)
+
 # Install directories
 SET(INSTALL_BIN_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/bin)
 SET(INSTALL_MACRO_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/macro)
@@ -224,3 +228,12 @@ configure_file(
 install(FILES
     "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/MCStepLoggerConfig.cmake"
     DESTINATION ${INSTALL_CMAKE_DIR})
+
+###############
+# Build tests #
+###############
+if(NOT MCStepLogger_BUILD_TESTS)
+  message(WARNING "No tests are built.")
+else()
+  add_subdirectory(test)
+endif(NOT MCStepLogger_BUILD_TESTS)
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..750ba31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Build tests
+
+set(REPO_NAME_TEST MCStepLoggerTestData)
+
+# Could potentially use CMake's FetchContent module but seems to be overhead since we only need this single line
+execute_process(COMMAND git clone https://gitlab.cern.ch/bvolkel/${REPO_NAME_TEST}.git WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR} RESULT_VARIABLE res)
+
+if(NOT res EQUAL "0")
+  message(WARNING "Test data could not be fetched")
+  return()
+endif(NOT res EQUAL "0")
+
+# Find boost unit tests dependencies
+find_package(Boost REQUIRED COMPONENTS unit_test_framework)
+include_directories(${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR})
+
+# The basic test only checks core functionality without any backend.
+set(CORE_TARGET analysis)
+set(TEST_CORE "test${CORE_TARGET}")
+set(STEP_TEST_FILE MCStepLoggerOutput.root)
+add_executable(${CORE_TARGET} "${CORE_TARGET}.cxx")
+target_link_libraries(${CORE_TARGET} MCStepLoggerCore MCStepLoggerAnalysis ${Boost_LIBRARIES})
+add_test(NAME ${TEST_CORE} COMMAND ${CORE_TARGET} -- ${REPO_NAME_TEST}/${CORE_TARGET}/${STEP_TEST_FILE} "./")
diff --git a/test/analysis.cxx b/test/analysis.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..36a4cff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/analysis.cxx
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// Test analysis functionality
+
+#define BOOST_TEST_MAIN
+#define BOOST_TEST_DYN_LINK
+#define BOOST_TEST_MODULE MCStepLoggerAnalysisCoreTest
+
+#include <fstream>
+
+#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
+#include <boost/test/results_collector.hpp>
+
+#include "MCStepLogger/MCAnalysisManager.h"
+#include "MCStepLogger/MCAnalysisFileWrapper.h"
+#include "MCStepLogger/SimpleStepAnalysis.h"
+#include "MCStepLogger/MCAnalysisFileWrapper.h"
+
+using namespace o2::mcstepanalysis;
+
+// checking meta info and whether there is a value container the analysis can be conpared with
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(testAnalysis)
+{
+
+  // require input and output path
+  BOOST_REQUIRE(boost::unit_test::framework::master_test_suite().argc == 3);
+
+  new SimpleStepAnalysis();
+  auto& anamgr = MCAnalysisManager::Instance();
+  anamgr.setLabel("testLabel");
+  anamgr.setInputFilepath(boost::unit_test::framework::master_test_suite().argv[1]);
+
+  // everything loaded and ready to run?
+  BOOST_REQUIRE(anamgr.checkReadiness());
+
+  // runs all events found and should produce an output file
+  anamgr.run();
+
+  // write output
+  std::string outputDir(boost::unit_test::framework::master_test_suite().argv[2]);
+  std::string analysisFilepath = outputDir + "/SimpleStepAnalysis/Analysis.root";
+  anamgr.write(outputDir);
+
+  // Now check if the analysis file was produced properly
+  std::ifstream file(analysisFilepath);
+  BOOST_REQUIRE(file);
+
+  MCAnalysisFileWrapper anaFile;
+  anaFile.read(analysisFilepath);
+  BOOST_REQUIRE(anaFile.isSane());
+
+  // one last check for meta information
+  auto& anaMetaInfo = anaFile.getAnalysisMetaInfo();
+  BOOST_REQUIRE(anaMetaInfo.analysisName.compare("SimpleStepAnalysis") == 0);
+}