diff --git a/tests/check/.gitignore b/tests/check/.gitignore
index 434ab00f14..a14a3ec406 100644
--- a/tests/check/.gitignore
+++ b/tests/check/.gitignore
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@ test-registry.*
 *.gcno
 *.gcda
 
+tools/.dirstamp
+tools/gstinspect
diff --git a/tests/check/Makefile.am b/tests/check/Makefile.am
index 49ad8ed02f..266dcd90cb 100644
--- a/tests/check/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/check/Makefile.am
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ check_PROGRAMS =				\
 	libs/collectpads			\
 	libs/gstnetclientclock			\
 	libs/gstnettimeprovider			\
-	libs/transform1
+	libs/transform1				\
+	tools/gstinspect
 
 # failing tests
 noinst_PROGRAMS =
@@ -203,7 +204,8 @@ libs_gstnettimeprovider_LDADD = \
 # these just need valgrind fixing, period
 VALGRIND_TO_FIX = \
 	gst/gstinfo \
-	pipelines/parse-launch
+	pipelines/parse-launch \
+	tools/gstinspect
 
 VALGRIND_IGNORE = \
 	pipelines/stress
diff --git a/tests/check/tools/gstinspect.c b/tests/check/tools/gstinspect.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..75115b5a8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/check/tools/gstinspect.c
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+/* GStreamer gst-inspect unit test
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 Tim-Philipp Müller <tim centricular net>
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library 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
+ * Library General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Library General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the
+ * Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
+ * Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
+ */
+
+#include <config.h>
+#include <gst/check/gstcheck.h>
+
+static int gst_inspect_main (int argc, char **argv);
+
+#define main gst_inspect_main
+#include "../../tools/gst-inspect.c"
+#undef main
+
+GST_START_TEST (test_exists)
+{
+  gchar **argv;
+
+  argv = g_strsplit ("gst-inspect-1.0 --exists foo", " ", -1);
+  fail_unless_equals_int (gst_inspect_main (g_strv_length (argv), argv), 1);
+  g_strfreev (argv);
+
+  argv = g_strsplit ("gst-inspect-1.0 --exists bin", " ", -1);
+  fail_unless_equals_int (gst_inspect_main (g_strv_length (argv), argv), 0);
+  g_strfreev (argv);
+
+  argv = g_strsplit ("gst-inspect-1.0 --exists --atleast-version=" VERSION " "
+      "bin", " ", -1);
+  fail_unless_equals_int (gst_inspect_main (g_strv_length (argv), argv), 0);
+  g_strfreev (argv);
+
+  argv = g_strsplit ("gst-inspect-1.0 --exists --atleast-version=1.0 bin", " ",
+      -1);
+  fail_unless_equals_int (gst_inspect_main (g_strv_length (argv), argv), 0);
+  g_strfreev (argv);
+
+  argv = g_strsplit ("gst-inspect-1.0 --exists --atleast-version=1.0.0 bin",
+      " ", -1);
+  fail_unless_equals_int (gst_inspect_main (g_strv_length (argv), argv), 0);
+  g_strfreev (argv);
+
+  argv = g_strsplit ("gst-inspect-1.0 --exists --atleast-version=2.0 bin",
+      " ", -1);
+  fail_unless_equals_int (gst_inspect_main (g_strv_length (argv), argv), 1);
+  g_strfreev (argv);
+
+  argv = g_strsplit ("gst-inspect-1.0 --exists --atleast-version=2.0.0 bin",
+      " ", -1);
+  fail_unless_equals_int (gst_inspect_main (g_strv_length (argv), argv), 1);
+  g_strfreev (argv);
+
+  argv = g_strsplit ("gst-inspect-1.0 --exists --atleast-version=1.44 bin",
+      " ", -1);
+  fail_unless_equals_int (gst_inspect_main (g_strv_length (argv), argv), 1);
+  g_strfreev (argv);
+
+  argv = g_strsplit ("gst-inspect-1.0 --exists --atleast-version=1.60.4 bin",
+      " ", -1);
+  fail_unless_equals_int (gst_inspect_main (g_strv_length (argv), argv), 1);
+  g_strfreev (argv);
+
+  /* check for plugin should fail like this */
+  argv = g_strsplit ("gst-inspect-1.0 --exists --atleast-version=1.0 "
+      "coreelements", " ", -1);
+  fail_unless_equals_int (gst_inspect_main (g_strv_length (argv), argv), 1);
+  g_strfreev (argv);
+}
+
+GST_END_TEST;
+
+static Suite *
+gstabi_suite (void)
+{
+  Suite *s = suite_create ("gst-inspect");
+  TCase *tc_chain = tcase_create ("gst-inspect");
+
+  tcase_set_timeout (tc_chain, 0);
+
+  suite_add_tcase (s, tc_chain);
+  tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_exists);
+  return s;
+}
+
+GST_CHECK_MAIN (gstabi);