diff --git a/optim_esm_tools/_test_utils.py b/optim_esm_tools/_test_utils.py
index 553b083d..2c338307 100644
--- a/optim_esm_tools/_test_utils.py
+++ b/optim_esm_tools/_test_utils.py
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@
 
 EXMPLE_DATA_SET = 'CMIP6/ScenarioMIP/CCCma/CanESM5/ssp585/r3i1p2f1/Amon/tas/gn/v20190429/tas_Amon_CanESM5_ssp585_r3i1p2f1_gn_201501-210012.nc'
 
+def get_synda_loc():
+    return os.path.join(os.environ.get('ST_HOME'), 'data')
 
 def get_example_data_loc():
-    return os.path.join(os.environ.get('ST_HOME'), 'data', EXMPLE_DATA_SET)
+    return os.path.join(get_synda_loc(), EXMPLE_DATA_SET)
 
 
 def synda_test_available():
diff --git a/test/test_find_matches.py b/test/test_find_matches.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2c13fb7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_find_matches.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+import unittest
+import optim_esm_tools as oet
+import os
+import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+import subprocess
+from optim_esm_tools._test_utils import synda_test_available, get_example_data_loc, get_synda_loc
+
+
+@unittest.skipIf(not synda_test_available(), 'synda data not available')
+class TestMatches(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_find_matches(self):
+        head = os.path.join(get_synda_loc(), 'CMIP6')
+        kw = oet.cmip_files.find_matches.folder_to_dict(get_example_data_loc())
+        assert len(oet.cmip_files.find_matches.find_matches(
+            base=head,
+            **kw,
+        ))
\ No newline at end of file