diff --git a/tests/unit/test-yank.c b/tests/unit/test-yank.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2383d2908c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test-yank.c
@@ -0,0 +1,249 @@
+/*
+ * Tests for QEMU yank feature
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) Lukas Straub <lukasstraub2@web.de>
+ *
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2 or later.
+ * See the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
+ */
+
+#include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include <glib/gstdio.h>
+
+#include "qemu/config-file.h"
+#include "qemu/module.h"
+#include "qemu/option.h"
+#include "chardev/char-fe.h"
+#include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
+#include "qapi/error.h"
+#include "qapi/qapi-commands-char.h"
+#include "qapi/qapi-types-char.h"
+#include "qapi/qapi-commands-yank.h"
+#include "qapi/qapi-types-yank.h"
+#include "io/channel-socket.h"
+#include "socket-helpers.h"
+
+typedef struct {
+    SocketAddress *addr;
+    bool old_yank;
+    bool new_yank;
+    bool fail;
+} CharChangeTestConfig;
+
+static int chardev_change(void *opaque)
+{
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static bool is_yank_instance_registered(void)
+{
+    YankInstanceList *list;
+    bool ret;
+
+    list = qmp_query_yank(&error_abort);
+
+    ret = !!list;
+
+    qapi_free_YankInstanceList(list);
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+static gpointer accept_thread(gpointer data)
+{
+    QIOChannelSocket *ioc = data;
+    QIOChannelSocket *cioc;
+
+    cioc = qio_channel_socket_accept(ioc, &error_abort);
+    object_unref(OBJECT(cioc));
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static void char_change_test(gconstpointer opaque)
+{
+    CharChangeTestConfig *conf = (gpointer) opaque;
+    SocketAddress *addr;
+    Chardev *chr;
+    CharBackend be;
+    ChardevReturn *ret;
+    QIOChannelSocket *ioc;
+    QemuThread thread;
+
+    /*
+     * Setup a listener socket and determine its address
+     * so we know the TCP port for the client later
+     */
+    ioc = qio_channel_socket_new();
+    g_assert_nonnull(ioc);
+    qio_channel_socket_listen_sync(ioc, conf->addr, 1, &error_abort);
+    addr = qio_channel_socket_get_local_address(ioc, &error_abort);
+    g_assert_nonnull(addr);
+
+    ChardevBackend backend[2] = {
+        /* doesn't support yank */
+        { .type = CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_NULL },
+        /* supports yank */
+        {
+            .type = CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_SOCKET,
+            .u.socket.data = &(ChardevSocket) {
+                .addr = &(SocketAddressLegacy) {
+                    .type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_INET,
+                    .u.inet.data = &addr->u.inet
+                },
+                .has_server = true,
+                .server = false
+            }
+        } };
+
+    ChardevBackend fail_backend[2] = {
+        /* doesn't support yank */
+        {
+            .type = CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_UDP,
+            .u.udp.data = &(ChardevUdp) {
+                .remote = &(SocketAddressLegacy) {
+                    .type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_UNIX,
+                    .u.q_unix.data = &(UnixSocketAddress) {
+                        .path = (char *)""
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        },
+        /* supports yank */
+        {
+            .type = CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_SOCKET,
+            .u.socket.data = &(ChardevSocket) {
+                .addr = &(SocketAddressLegacy) {
+                    .type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_INET,
+                    .u.inet.data = &(InetSocketAddress) {
+                        .host = (char *)"127.0.0.1",
+                        .port = (char *)"0"
+                    }
+                },
+                .has_server = true,
+                .server = false
+            }
+        } };
+
+    g_assert(!is_yank_instance_registered());
+
+    if (conf->old_yank) {
+        qemu_thread_create(&thread, "accept", accept_thread,
+                           ioc, QEMU_THREAD_JOINABLE);
+    }
+
+    ret = qmp_chardev_add("chardev", &backend[conf->old_yank], &error_abort);
+    qapi_free_ChardevReturn(ret);
+    chr = qemu_chr_find("chardev");
+    g_assert_nonnull(chr);
+
+    g_assert(is_yank_instance_registered() == conf->old_yank);
+
+    qemu_chr_wait_connected(chr, &error_abort);
+    if (conf->old_yank) {
+        qemu_thread_join(&thread);
+    }
+
+    qemu_chr_fe_init(&be, chr, &error_abort);
+    /* allow chardev-change */
+    qemu_chr_fe_set_handlers(&be, NULL, NULL,
+                             NULL, chardev_change, NULL, NULL, true);
+
+    if (conf->fail) {
+        g_setenv("QTEST_SILENT_ERRORS", "1", 1);
+        ret = qmp_chardev_change("chardev", &fail_backend[conf->new_yank],
+                                 NULL);
+        g_assert_null(ret);
+        g_assert(be.chr == chr);
+        g_assert(is_yank_instance_registered() == conf->old_yank);
+        g_unsetenv("QTEST_SILENT_ERRORS");
+    } else {
+        if (conf->new_yank) {
+                qemu_thread_create(&thread, "accept", accept_thread,
+                                   ioc, QEMU_THREAD_JOINABLE);
+        }
+        ret = qmp_chardev_change("chardev", &backend[conf->new_yank],
+                                 &error_abort);
+        if (conf->new_yank) {
+            qemu_thread_join(&thread);
+        }
+        g_assert_nonnull(ret);
+        g_assert(be.chr != chr);
+        g_assert(is_yank_instance_registered() == conf->new_yank);
+    }
+
+    object_unparent(OBJECT(be.chr));
+    object_unref(OBJECT(ioc));
+    qapi_free_ChardevReturn(ret);
+    qapi_free_SocketAddress(addr);
+}
+
+static SocketAddress tcpaddr = {
+    .type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_INET,
+    .u.inet.host = (char *)"127.0.0.1",
+    .u.inet.port = (char *)"0",
+};
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    bool has_ipv4, has_ipv6;
+
+    qemu_init_main_loop(&error_abort);
+    socket_init();
+
+    g_test_init(&argc, &argv, NULL);
+
+    if (socket_check_protocol_support(&has_ipv4, &has_ipv6) < 0) {
+        g_printerr("socket_check_protocol_support() failed\n");
+        goto end;
+    }
+
+    if (!has_ipv4) {
+        goto end;
+    }
+
+    module_call_init(MODULE_INIT_QOM);
+    qemu_add_opts(&qemu_chardev_opts);
+
+    g_test_add_data_func("/yank/char_change/success/to_yank",
+                         &(CharChangeTestConfig) { .addr = &tcpaddr,
+                                                   .old_yank = false,
+                                                   .new_yank = true,
+                                                   .fail = false },
+                         char_change_test);
+    g_test_add_data_func("/yank/char_change/fail/to_yank",
+                         &(CharChangeTestConfig) { .addr = &tcpaddr,
+                                                   .old_yank = false,
+                                                   .new_yank = true,
+                                                   .fail = true },
+                         char_change_test);
+
+    g_test_add_data_func("/yank/char_change/success/yank_to_yank",
+                         &(CharChangeTestConfig) { .addr = &tcpaddr,
+                                                   .old_yank = true,
+                                                   .new_yank = true,
+                                                   .fail = false },
+                         char_change_test);
+    g_test_add_data_func("/yank/char_change/fail/yank_to_yank",
+                         &(CharChangeTestConfig) { .addr = &tcpaddr,
+                                                   .old_yank = true,
+                                                   .new_yank = true,
+                                                   .fail = true },
+                         char_change_test);
+
+    g_test_add_data_func("/yank/char_change/success/from_yank",
+                         &(CharChangeTestConfig) { .addr = &tcpaddr,
+                                                   .old_yank = true,
+                                                   .new_yank = false,
+                                                   .fail = false },
+                         char_change_test);
+    g_test_add_data_func("/yank/char_change/fail/from_yank",
+                         &(CharChangeTestConfig) { .addr = &tcpaddr,
+                                                   .old_yank = true,
+                                                   .new_yank = false,
+                                                   .fail = true },
+                         char_change_test);
+
+end:
+    return g_test_run();
+}
diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
index dcab656e62..aa894767dc 100644
--- a/MAINTAINERS
+++ b/MAINTAINERS
@@ -2823,6 +2823,7 @@ M: Lukas Straub <lukasstraub2@web.de>
 S: Odd fixes
 F: util/yank.c
 F: migration/yank_functions*
+F: tests/unit/test-yank.c
 F: include/qemu/yank.h
 F: qapi/yank.json
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/meson.build b/tests/unit/meson.build
index 4bfe4627ba..b3bc2109da 100644
--- a/tests/unit/meson.build
+++ b/tests/unit/meson.build
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ if have_system
     'test-util-sockets': ['socket-helpers.c'],
     'test-base64': [],
     'test-bufferiszero': [],
-    'test-vmstate': [migration, io]
+    'test-vmstate': [migration, io],
+    'test-yank': ['socket-helpers.c', qom, io, chardev]
   }
   if 'CONFIG_INOTIFY1' in config_host
     tests += {'test-util-filemonitor': []}
