diff --git a/shard.yml b/shard.yml
index 43d617b..b5a26ef 100644
--- a/shard.yml
+++ b/shard.yml
@@ -34,4 +34,10 @@ targets:
     websocketc:
         main: src/websocketc.cr
 
+    # tests
+    test-ws-pong:
+        main: tests/pong.cr
+    test-closing:
+        main: tests/closing.cr
+
 license: ISC
diff --git a/tests/closing.cr b/tests/closing.cr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6874fa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/closing.cr
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+require "option_parser"
+require "./test-ws"
+
+uri = "ws://localhost:1234/pong.JSON"
+
+OptionParser.parse do |parser|
+	parser.on "-u uri", "--uri uri", "URI" do |opturi|
+		uri = opturi
+	end
+
+	parser.on "-h", "--help", "Show this help" do
+		puts parser
+		exit 0
+	end
+end
+
+begin
+	tws = TestWS.new uri
+	puts "connection done: closing it"
+	tws.close
+	tws.read
+rescue e
+	puts "Exception: #{e}"
+end
diff --git a/tests/pong.cr b/tests/pong.cr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..18daa21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pong.cr
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+require "option_parser"
+require "./test-ws"
+
+uri = "ws://localhost:1234/pong.JSON"
+rounds = 5
+
+OptionParser.parse do |parser|
+	parser.on "-r rounds", "--rounds rounds", "Rounds" do |r|
+		rounds = r.to_i
+	end
+
+	parser.on "-u uri", "--uri uri", "URI" do |opturi|
+		uri = opturi
+	end
+
+	parser.on "-h", "--help", "Show this help" do
+		puts parser
+		exit 0
+	end
+end
+
+def multiple_messages_and_responses(tws : TestWS, data)
+	tws.send 1, data
+	tws.send 2, data
+	tws.send 3, data
+	tws.send 4, data
+	tws.send 5, data
+
+	response = tws.read
+	puts "1. received a message: #{response}"
+	pp! response
+
+	response = tws.read
+	puts "2. received a message: #{response}"
+	pp! response
+
+	response = tws.read
+	puts "3. received a message: #{response}"
+	pp! response
+
+	response = tws.read
+	puts "4. received a message: #{response}"
+	pp! response
+
+	response = tws.read
+	puts "5. received a message: #{response}"
+	pp! response
+end
+
+def single_message_and_response(tws : TestWS, data)
+	tws.send 1, data
+	response = tws.read
+	pp! response
+end
+
+begin
+	tws = TestWS.new uri
+	# puts "connection done: sending pong"
+
+	data = STDIN.gets_to_end
+	data = data.chomp
+
+	rounds.times do |i|
+		single_message_and_response tws, "#{data} #{i}"
+	end
+
+	# puts "closing the connection"
+	tws.close
+	tws.read
+rescue e
+	puts "Exception: #{e}"
+end
diff --git a/tests/test-ws.cr b/tests/test-ws.cr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41240b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-ws.cr
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+require "http/web_socket"
+
+require "../src/colors"
+require "../src/utils"
+
+require "../src/ws"
+
+require "json"
+
+class TestWS
+	property ws : WebSocket
+	property is_json : Bool
+
+	def initialize(uri : String)
+		@ws = WebSocket.new(URI.parse(uri))
+		@is_json = uri.ends_with? ".JSON"
+		@ws.on_close do |socket|
+			raise "socket is closing"
+		end
+	end
+
+	def read
+		m = @ws.read
+		if m.nil?
+			raise "empty message"
+		end
+
+		# remove ping messages, they are not application-relevent
+		while m.is_a?(HTTP::WebSocket::Ping)
+			puts "received a ping message, skipping"
+			m = @ws.read
+			if m.nil?
+				raise "empty message"
+			end
+		end
+
+		m
+	end
+
+	def send(type : Int32, data : String | Slice)
+		m = to_message type, data
+
+		# quick hack to send json messages
+		if @is_json
+			json_message = data.chomp
+			final_json_message = "{ \"mtype\": #{type}, \"payload\": \"#{json_message}\" }"
+			# puts "message: #{final_json_message}"
+			m = final_json_message
+		end
+	
+		@ws.send m
+	end
+
+	def close
+		@ws.close
+	end
+end