diff --git a/components/esp_websocket_client/test/CMakeLists.txt b/components/esp_websocket_client/test/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b494e8dae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/esp_websocket_client/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+idf_component_register(SRC_DIRS "."
+                    PRIV_REQUIRES cmock test_utils esp_websocket_client)
diff --git a/components/esp_websocket_client/test/component.mk b/components/esp_websocket_client/test/component.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8c6eb513e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/esp_websocket_client/test/component.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#
+#Component Makefile
+#
+COMPONENT_ADD_LDFLAGS = -Wl,--whole-archive -l$(COMPONENT_NAME) -Wl,--no-whole-archive
diff --git a/components/esp_websocket_client/test/test_websocket_client.c b/components/esp_websocket_client/test/test_websocket_client.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d96b4983
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/esp_websocket_client/test/test_websocket_client.c
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+// Copyright 2021 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) PTE LTD
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <esp_websocket_client.h>
+
+#include "unity.h"
+#include "test_utils.h"
+
+static void test_leak_setup(const char * file, long line)
+{
+    printf("%s:%ld\n", file, line);
+    unity_reset_leak_checks();
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("websocket init and deinit", "[websocket][leaks=0]")
+{
+    test_leak_setup(__FILE__, __LINE__);
+    const esp_websocket_client_config_t websocket_cfg = {
+            // no connection takes place, but the uri has to be valid for init() to succeed
+            .uri = "ws://echo.websocket.org",
+    };
+    esp_websocket_client_handle_t client = esp_websocket_client_init(&websocket_cfg);
+    TEST_ASSERT_NOT_EQUAL(NULL, client);
+    esp_websocket_client_destroy(client);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("websocket init with invalid url", "[websocket][leaks=0]")
+{
+    test_leak_setup(__FILE__, __LINE__);
+    const esp_websocket_client_config_t websocket_cfg = {
+            .uri = "INVALID",
+    };
+    esp_websocket_client_handle_t client = esp_websocket_client_init(&websocket_cfg);
+    TEST_ASSERT_NULL(client);
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("websocket set url with invalid url", "[websocket][leaks=0]")
+{
+    test_leak_setup(__FILE__, __LINE__);
+    const esp_websocket_client_config_t websocket_cfg = {};
+    esp_websocket_client_handle_t client = esp_websocket_client_init(&websocket_cfg);
+    TEST_ASSERT_NOT_EQUAL(NULL, client);
+    TEST_ASSERT_NOT_EQUAL(ESP_OK, esp_websocket_client_set_uri(client, "INVALID"));
+    esp_websocket_client_destroy(client);
+}