diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 722d5e7..6d1d824 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 .vscode
+.build
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 56f0c07..78c7082 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 2.8)
 project(fuse-wsfs)
 
+option(WITH_TESTS "enable unit tests" OFF)
+
 set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG ON)
 find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
 
@@ -63,14 +65,20 @@ target_include_directories(wsfs PUBLIC src ${EXTRA_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 target_compile_options(wsfs PUBLIC ${EXTRA_CFLAGS})
 
 # tests
-	
+
+if(WITH_TESTS)
+
+pkg_check_modules(GTEST gtest_main)
+
 add_executable(alltests
-	test-src/test_main.c
-	test-src/test_util.c
-	test-src/test_response_parser.c
+	test-src/test_response_parser.cc
 )
 
-target_link_libraries(alltests PUBLIC fuse-wsfs ${EXTRA_LIBS})
-target_include_directories(alltests PUBLIC src ${EXTRA_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-target_compile_options(alltests PUBLIC ${EXTRA_CFLAGS})
+target_link_libraries(alltests PUBLIC fuse-wsfs ${EXTRA_LIBS} ${GTEST_LIBRARIES})
+target_include_directories(alltests PUBLIC src ${EXTRA_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${GTEST_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+target_compile_options(alltests PUBLIC ${EXTRA_CFLAGS} ${GTEST_CFLAGS})
+
+enable_testing()
+add_test(alltests alltests)
 
+endif(WITH_TESTS)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ca11da7..a9d61c4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ fuse-wsfs combines libwebsockets and libfuse. It allows ot attach a remote files
     cd fuse-wsfs
     mkdir ./build
     cd ./build
-    cmake ..
+    cmake .. -DWITH_TESTS=ON
     make
+    CTEST_OUTPUT_ON_FAILUE=1 make test
     mkdir test
     ./wsfs -s -f --document_root=`realpath ../src/app/www` --port=4711 test
 
@@ -20,5 +21,6 @@ fuse-wsfs combines libwebsockets and libfuse. It allows ot attach a remote files
 - [libfuse3](https://github.com/libfuse/libfuse/)
 - [libwebsockets](https://libwebsockets.org/)
 - [Jansson](https://jansson.readthedocs.io)
+- [GoogleTest](https://github.com/google/googletest) *(optional)*
 
 
diff --git a/test-src/test_main.c b/test-src/test_main.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 0b3e468..0000000
--- a/test-src/test_main.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-
-#include "test_util.h"
-#include "wsfs/util.h"
-
-extern void test_request_parser();
-
-int main(int WSFS_UNUSED_PARAM(argc), char* WSFS_UNUSED_PARAM(argv[]))
-{
-	test_request_parser();
-	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
-}
diff --git a/test-src/test_response_parser.c b/test-src/test_response_parser.cc
similarity index 78%
rename from test-src/test_response_parser.c
rename to test-src/test_response_parser.cc
index 06aff53..dd09bb4 100644
--- a/test-src/test_response_parser.c
+++ b/test-src/test_response_parser.cc
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-#include "test_util.h"
-
-#include <string.h>
+#include <cstring>
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
 
+extern "C" {
 #include "wsfs/response_parser.h"
+}
 
 static void wsfs_response_parse_str(
 	char const * buffer,
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ static void wsfs_response_parse_str(
 	wsfs_response_parse(buffer, length, response);
 }
 
-void test_request_parser()
+TEST(response_parser, test)
 {
 	struct wsfs_response response;
 
@@ -20,43 +21,43 @@ void test_request_parser()
 	wsfs_response_parse_str("", &response);
 	ASSERT_NE(WSFS_GOOD, response.status);
 	ASSERT_EQ(-1, response.id);
-	ASSERT_EQ(NULL, response.result);
+	ASSERT_EQ(nullptr, response.result);
 
 	// invalid json
 	wsfs_response_parse_str("invalid_json", &response);
 	ASSERT_NE(WSFS_GOOD, response.status);
 	ASSERT_EQ(-1, response.id);
-	ASSERT_EQ(NULL, response.result);
+	ASSERT_EQ(nullptr, response.result);
 
 	// no object
 	wsfs_response_parse_str("[]", &response);
 	ASSERT_NE(WSFS_GOOD, response.status);
 	ASSERT_EQ(-1, response.id);
-	ASSERT_EQ(NULL, response.result);
+	ASSERT_EQ(nullptr, response.result);
 
 	// empty
 	wsfs_response_parse_str("{}", &response);
 	ASSERT_NE(WSFS_GOOD, response.status);
 	ASSERT_EQ(-1, response.id);
-	ASSERT_EQ(NULL, response.result);
+	ASSERT_EQ(nullptr, response.result);
 
 	// no data
 	wsfs_response_parse_str("{\"id\":42}", &response);
 	ASSERT_NE(WSFS_GOOD, response.status);
 	ASSERT_EQ(42, response.id);
-	ASSERT_EQ(NULL, response.result);
+	ASSERT_EQ(nullptr, response.result);
 
 	// custom error code
 	wsfs_response_parse_str("{\"error\":{\"code\": 42}, \"id\": 42}", &response);
 	ASSERT_NE(WSFS_GOOD, response.status);
 	ASSERT_EQ(42, response.status);
 	ASSERT_EQ(42, response.id);
-	ASSERT_EQ(NULL, response.result);
+	ASSERT_EQ(nullptr, response.result);
 
 	// valid response
 	wsfs_response_parse_str("{\"result\": true, \"id\": 42}", &response);
 	ASSERT_EQ(WSFS_GOOD, response.status);
 	ASSERT_EQ(42, response.id);
-	ASSERT_NE(NULL, response.result);
+	ASSERT_NE(nullptr, response.result);
 	json_decref(response.result);
 }
diff --git a/test-src/test_util.c b/test-src/test_util.c
deleted file mode 100644
index b021c8d..0000000
--- a/test-src/test_util.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-#include "test_util.h"
-
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-
-void fail(
-	char const * file_name,
-	int line,
-	char const * message
-)
-{
-	fprintf(stderr, "error: %s:%d: %s\n", file_name, line, message);
-	exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-}
-
diff --git a/test-src/test_util.h b/test-src/test_util.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 28e6aff..0000000
--- a/test-src/test_util.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef _WSFS_TEST_UTIL_H
-#define _WSFS_TEST_UTIL_H
-
-#define ASSERT_EQ(expected, actual) \
-	do \
-	{ \
-		if ((expected) != (actual)) \
-		{ \
-			fail(__FILE__, __LINE__, "expected " #expected ", but was " #actual); \
-		} \
-	} \
-	while (0)
-
-#define ASSERT_NE(expected, actual) \
-	do \
-	{ \
-		if ((expected) == (actual)) \
-		{ \
-			fail(__FILE__, __LINE__, "expected " #expected ", but was " #actual); \
-		} \
-	} \
-	while (0)
-
-extern void fail(
-	char const * file_name,
-	int line,
-	char const * message
-);
-
-#endif
-