diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 91dd509..43cb270 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -9,3 +9,11 @@
 /doc/mbusd.8
 Makefile
 *.log
+*.pyc
+CMakeCache.txt
+CMakeFiles
+CPackConfig.cmake
+CPackSourceConfig.cmake
+cmake_install.cmake
+.idea
+*~
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 4c68481..ea59a9b 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ---
 stages:
  - build
+ - test
 
 .mbusd_job_template: &mbusd_job_template # Hidden key that defines an anchor
   image: debian:stable
@@ -13,28 +14,44 @@ stages:
    # create an archive with a name of the current stage and branch name
    name: "${CI_BUILD_STAGE}_${CI_BUILD_REF_NAME}"
    untracked: true
-   expire_in: 12 mos
+   expire_in: 1 mos
 
    paths:
-    - src/mbusd
+    - output.dir/mbusd
     - doc/mbusd.8
 
+build:linux_armhf:
+ <<: *mbusd_job_template
+ stage: build
+ script:
+   - mkdir output.dir/
+   - cd output.dir
+   - cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=../arm_linux_gnueabihf.cmake ../
+   - make
 
 build:linux_x86:
  <<: *mbusd_job_template
  stage: build
  script:
-   - "autoreconf -i"
-   - "./configure"
-   - "make"
+   - mkdir output.dir/
+   - cd output.dir
+   - cmake -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug ../
+   - make
 
+test_x86:
+  stage: test
+  #https://forum.gitlab.com/t/testing-copy-yaml-file-to-build-folder/8309
+  before_script:
+    - apt-get install --fix-missing -y python3-dev python3-pip python3-setuptools socat
+    - python -m pip install pymodbus service_identity
 
-build:deb_armhf:
- <<: *mbusd_job_template
- stage: build
- 
- script:
-   - "autoreconf -i"
-   - "./configure --host=arm-linux-gnueabihf -prefix=${CSTOOL_DIR}/linux_arm_tool"
-   - "make"
- 
+  dependencies:
+    - build:linux_x86
+  script:
+    - mkdir -p output.dir/
+    - cd output.dir
+    - cmake -DTESTS=True ../
+    - make VERBOSE=1
+
+    # execute all tests
+    - ./test_*
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e18c2d5..2d59bdc 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -72,3 +72,8 @@ add_executable(mbusd ${mbusd_SOURCES})
 # add make install capabilites
 install(TARGETS mbusd DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_BINDIR}/)
 install(FILES doc/mbusd.8 DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_MANDIR}/man8/)
+
+option(TESTS "Enable unittests" OFF)
+if(TESTS)
+    add_executable(test_basic tests/test_basics.c)
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/arm_linux_gnueabihf.cmake b/arm_linux_gnueabihf.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94a5d0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arm_linux_gnueabihf.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# this one is important
+SET(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME Linux)
+
+# specify the cross compiler
+SET(CMAKE_C_COMPILER   /usr/bin/arm-linux-gnueabihf-gcc)
+## for c++ support `install g++-arm-linux-gnueabihf`
+#SET(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER /usr/bin/arm-linux-gnueabihf-g++)
+
+set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PROGRAM NEVER)
+set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_LIBRARY ONLY)
+set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_INCLUDE ONLY)
+set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PACKAGE ONLY)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/test_basics.c b/tests/test_basics.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76090b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_basics.c
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#include "greatest/greatest.h"
+
+/* A test runs various assertions, then calls PASS(), FAIL(), or SKIP(). */
+TEST x_should_equal_1(void) {
+    int x = 1;
+            ASSERT_EQ(1, x);                              /* default message */
+            ASSERT_EQm("yikes, x doesn't equal 1", 1, x); /* custom message */
+    /* printf expected and actual values as "%d" if they differ */
+            ASSERT_EQ_FMT(1, x, "%d");
+            PASS();
+}
+
+/* Suites can group multiple tests with common setup. */
+SUITE(the_suite) {
+        RUN_TEST(x_should_equal_1);
+}
+
+/* Add definitions that need to be in the test runner's main file. */
+GREATEST_MAIN_DEFS();
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+    GREATEST_MAIN_BEGIN();      /* command-line options, initialization. */
+
+    /* Individual tests can be run directly. */
+    /* RUN_TEST(x_should_equal_1); */
+
+    /* Tests can also be gathered into test suites. */
+    RUN_SUITE(the_suite);
+
+    GREATEST_MAIN_END();        /* display results */
+}
\ No newline at end of file