diff --git a/tests/test-run-tests.py b/tests/test-run-tests.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-run-tests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+"""test line matching with some failing examples and some which warn
+
+run-test.t only checks positive matches and can not see warnings
+(both by design)
+"""
+
+
+import doctest, os, re
+run_tests = __import__('run-tests')
+
+def lm(expected, output):
+    r"""check if output matches expected
+
+    does it generally work?
+        >>> lm('H*e (glob)\n', 'Here\n')
+        True
+
+    fail on bad test data
+        >>> try: lm('a\n','a')
+        ... except AssertionError, ex: print ex
+        missing newline
+        >>> try: lm('single backslash\n', 'single \backslash\n')
+        ... except AssertionError, ex: print ex
+        single backslash or unknown char
+    """
+    assert expected.endswith('\n') and output.endswith('\n'), 'missing newline'
+    assert not re.search(r'[^ \w\\/\r\n()*?]', expected + output), \
+           'single backslash or unknown char'
+    match = run_tests.linematch(expected, output)
+    return bool(match)
+
+def wintests():
+    r"""test matching like running on windows
+
+    enable windows matching on any os
+        >>> _osaltsep = os.altsep
+        >>> os.altsep = True
+
+    valid match on windows
+        >>> lm('g/a*/d (glob)\n', 'g\\abc/d\n')
+        True
+
+    direct matching, glob unnecessary
+        >>> lm('g/b (glob)\n', 'g/b\n')
+        <BLANKLINE>
+        Info, unnecessary glob: g/b (glob)
+        True
+
+    missing glob
+        >>> lm('/g/c/d/fg\n', '\\g\\c\\d/fg\n')
+        False
+
+    restore os.altsep
+        >>> os.altsep = _osaltsep
+    """
+    os.altsep # for pyflakes, because it does not see os in the doctest
+
+def otherostests():
+    r"""test matching like running on non-windows os
+
+    disable windows matching on any os
+        >>> _osaltsep = os.altsep
+        >>> os.altsep = False
+
+    backslash does not match slash
+        >>> lm('h/a* (glob)\n', 'h\\ab\n')
+        False
+
+    direct matching glob can not be recognized
+        >>> lm('h/b (glob)\n', 'h/b\n')
+        True
+
+    missing glob can not not be recognized
+        >>> lm('/h/c/df/g/\n', '\\h/c\\df/g\\\n')
+        False
+
+    restore os.altsep
+        >>> os.altsep = _osaltsep
+    """
+    pass
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    doctest.testmod()