diff --git a/gear/tests/__init__.py b/gear/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6543f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gear/tests/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# vim: tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
+
+# Copyright (c) 2013 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
+#
+# 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.
+
+"""Common utilities used in testing"""
+
+import os
+
+import fixtures
+import testresources
+import testtools
+
+TRUE_VALUES = ('true', '1', 'yes')
+
+
+class BaseTestCase(testtools.TestCase, testresources.ResourcedTestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(BaseTestCase, self).setUp()
+        test_timeout = os.environ.get('OS_TEST_TIMEOUT', 30)
+        try:
+            test_timeout = int(test_timeout)
+        except ValueError:
+            # If timeout value is invalid, fail hard.
+            print("OS_TEST_TIMEOUT set to invalid value"
+                  " defaulting to no timeout")
+            test_timeout = 0
+        if test_timeout > 0:
+            self.useFixture(fixtures.Timeout(test_timeout, gentle=True))
+
+        if os.environ.get('OS_STDOUT_CAPTURE') in TRUE_VALUES:
+            stdout = self.useFixture(fixtures.StringStream('stdout')).stream
+            self.useFixture(fixtures.MonkeyPatch('sys.stdout', stdout))
+        if os.environ.get('OS_STDERR_CAPTURE') in TRUE_VALUES:
+            stderr = self.useFixture(fixtures.StringStream('stderr')).stream
+            self.useFixture(fixtures.MonkeyPatch('sys.stderr', stderr))
+
+        self.useFixture(fixtures.FakeLogger())
+        self.useFixture(fixtures.NestedTempfile())
diff --git a/gear/tests/test_gear.py b/gear/tests/test_gear.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e28d35f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gear/tests/test_gear.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2013 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
+#
+# 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.
+
+import testscenarios
+import testtools
+from testtools import content
+from testtools import matchers
+
+import gear
+from gear import tests
+
+
+class ConnectionTestCase(tests.BaseTestCase):
+
+    scenarios = [
+        ('both_string',
+         dict(host="hostname", port='80')),
+        ('string_int',
+         dict(host="hostname", port=80)),
+        ('none_string',
+         dict(host=None, port="80")),
+    ]
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(ConnectionTestCase, self).setUp()
+        self.conn = gear.Connection(self.host, self.port)
+
+    def test_params(self):
+        self.assertTrue(repr(self.conn).endswith(
+            'host: %s port: %s>' % (self.host, self.port)))
+
+
+def load_tests(loader, in_tests, pattern):
+    return testscenarios.load_tests_apply_scenarios(loader, in_tests, pattern)
diff --git a/test-requirements.txt b/test-requirements.txt
index 6efd99e..1b82ab0 100644
--- a/test-requirements.txt
+++ b/test-requirements.txt
@@ -5,5 +5,6 @@ flake8
 python-subunit
 sphinx>=1.1.2
 testrepository>=0.0.13
+testresources
 testscenarios
 testtools>=0.9.27