diff --git a/gpt4all-chat/CMakeLists.txt b/gpt4all-chat/CMakeLists.txt
index b5c9fc52dd00..3f1a7d267bd2 100644
--- a/gpt4all-chat/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/gpt4all-chat/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ if(APPLE)
   endif()
 endif()
 
+find_package(Python3 QUIET COMPONENTS Interpreter)
+
+option(GPT4ALL_TEST "Build the tests" ${Python3_FOUND})
 option(GPT4ALL_LOCALHOST "Build installer for localhost repo" OFF)
 option(GPT4ALL_OFFLINE_INSTALLER "Build an offline installer" OFF)
 option(GPT4ALL_SIGN_INSTALL "Sign installed binaries and installers (requires signing identities)" OFF)
@@ -93,6 +96,14 @@ set(CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/bin)
 add_subdirectory(deps)
 add_subdirectory(../gpt4all-backend llmodel)
 
+if (GPT4ALL_TEST)
+    enable_testing()
+    add_subdirectory(tests)
+
+    # The 'check' target makes sure the tests and their dependencies are up-to-date before running them
+    add_custom_target(check COMMAND ${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND} DEPENDS chat gpt4all_tests)
+endif()
+
 set(CHAT_EXE_RESOURCES)
 
 # Metal shader library
diff --git a/gpt4all-chat/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/gpt4all-chat/tests/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ba71959a6e3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gpt4all-chat/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+include(FetchContent)
+
+find_package(Python3 REQUIRED COMPONENTS Interpreter)
+
+# Google test download and setup
+FetchContent_Declare(
+    googletest
+    URL https://github.com/google/googletest/archive/refs/tags/v1.15.2.zip
+)
+FetchContent_MakeAvailable(googletest)
+
+add_test(NAME ChatPythonTests
+    COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} -m pytest ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tests/python_tests
+)
+set_tests_properties(ChatPythonTests PROPERTIES
+    ENVIRONMENT "CHAT_EXECUTABLE=${CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/chat"
+    TIMEOUT 60
+)
+
+add_executable(gpt4all_tests
+    test_main.cpp
+    basic_test.cpp
+)
+
+target_link_libraries(gpt4all_tests PRIVATE gtest gtest_main)
+
+include(GoogleTest)
+gtest_discover_tests(gpt4all_tests)
diff --git a/gpt4all-chat/tests/basic_test.cpp b/gpt4all-chat/tests/basic_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..326a7d56514f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gpt4all-chat/tests/basic_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+TEST(BasicTest, TestInitialization) {
+    EXPECT_TRUE(true);
+}
diff --git a/gpt4all-chat/tests/python_tests/test_executable.py b/gpt4all-chat/tests/python_tests/test_executable.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cf3cee0a878e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gpt4all-chat/tests/python_tests/test_executable.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import os
+
+import pytest
+
+# test that the chat executable exists
+def test_chat_environment():
+    assert os.path.exists(os.environ['CHAT_EXECUTABLE'])
diff --git a/gpt4all-chat/tests/test_main.cpp b/gpt4all-chat/tests/test_main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..76f841f1b15e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gpt4all-chat/tests/test_main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+    ::testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
+    return RUN_ALL_TESTS();
+}