diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 96ae024..ff1b516 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # $Id$
 
-SUBDIRS = kernel cucul caca src examples tools csharp cxx python ruby doc
+SUBDIRS = kernel cucul caca src examples tests tools csharp cxx python ruby doc
 DIST_SUBDIRS = $(SUBDIRS) msvc
 
 EXTRA_DIST = NOTES COPYING.GPL COPYING.LGPL bootstrap build-dos build-kernel build-win32 caca-config.in common.h libcaca.spec
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index df02aed..329abde 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -445,6 +445,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([
   caca/Makefile
   src/Makefile
   examples/Makefile
+  tests/Makefile
   tools/Makefile
   csharp/Makefile
   cxx/Makefile
diff --git a/tests/.gitignore b/tests/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab23474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+simple
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0438caa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# $Id$
+
+AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir) -I$(top_srcdir)/cucul
+
+TESTS = simple
+
+check_PROGRAMS = simple
+
+simple_SOURCES = simple.c
+simple_LDADD = ../cucul/libcucul.la
+
diff --git a/tests/simple.c b/tests/simple.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0076d3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/simple.c
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/*
+ *  simple        simple testsuite program
+ *  Copyright (c) 2007 Sam Hocevar <sam@zoy.org>
+ *                All Rights Reserved
+ *
+ *  $Id$
+ *
+ *  This program is free software. It comes without any warranty, to
+ *  the extent permitted by applicable law. You can redistribute it
+ *  and/or modify it under the terms of the Do What The Fuck You Want
+ *  To Public License, Version 2, as published by Sam Hocevar. See
+ *  http://sam.zoy.org/wtfpl/COPYING for more details.
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+#include "common.h"
+
+
+#if !defined(__KERNEL__)
+#   if defined(HAVE_INTTYPES_H)
+#      include <inttypes.h>
+#   endif
+#   include <stdio.h>
+#   include <stdlib.h>
+#endif
+
+#include "cucul.h"
+
+#define TEST(x) \
+    do \
+    { \
+        tests++; \
+        if((x)) \
+            passed++; \
+        else \
+            fprintf(stderr, "test #%i failed\n", (tests)); \
+    } \
+    while(0)
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+    cucul_canvas_t *cv;
+    int tests = 0, passed = 0;
+
+    cv = cucul_create_canvas(0, 0);
+    cucul_put_char(cv, 0, 0, 'x');
+    TEST(cucul_get_char(cv, 0, 0) != 'x');
+
+    cucul_set_canvas_size(cv, 1, 1);
+    TEST(cucul_get_char(cv, 0, 0) != 'x');
+    TEST(cucul_get_char(cv, 0, 0) == ' ');
+
+    cucul_put_char(cv, 0, 0, 'y');
+    TEST(cucul_get_char(cv, 0, 0) == 'y');
+
+    cucul_set_canvas_size(cv, 1000, 1000);
+    TEST(cucul_get_canvas_width(cv) == 1000);
+
+    cucul_put_char(cv, 999, 999, 'z');
+    TEST(cucul_get_char(cv, 999, 999) == 'z');
+
+    cucul_free_canvas(cv);
+
+    fprintf(stderr, "%i tests, %i errors\n", tests, tests - passed);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+