diff --git a/.github/workflows/format.yaml b/.github/workflows/format.yaml
index 142ba7f1..7f5f57d6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/format.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/format.yaml
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 name: format
 on:
   push:
-    branches: '**'
+    branches: "**"
   pull_request:
     branches:
-      - 'master'
-      - 'rolling'
+      - "master"
+      - "rolling"
 
 jobs:
   stylua-check:
@@ -14,14 +14,13 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
-      - name: Prepare dependencies
-        run: |
-          sudo apt install -y curl unzip --no-install-recommends
-          bash ./utils/installer/install_stylua.sh
+      - name: Lint with stylua
+        uses: JohnnyMorganz/stylua-action@1.0.0
+        with:
+          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          # CLI arguments
+          args: --check .
 
-      - name: Check formatting
-        run: |
-          ./utils/stylua --config-path .stylua.toml -c .
   shfmt-check:
     name: "Formatting check with shfmt"
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
@@ -31,14 +30,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v2
         with:
-          go-version: '1.16'
-      
+          go-version: "1.16"
+
       - name: Use shfmt
         run: |
           GO111MODULE=on go get mvdan.cc/sh/v3/cmd/shfmt
 
       # https://google.github.io/styleguide/shellguide.html
       - name: Check formatting
-        run: |
-          shfmt -f . | grep -v jdtls | xargs shfmt -i 2 -ci -l -d
-    
+        run: make style-sh
diff --git a/.github/workflows/install.yaml b/.github/workflows/install.yaml
index fa8bf0e3..3e529dc6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/install.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/install.yaml
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ jobs:
           ln -s "$PWD"/* "$HOME"/.local/share/lunarvim/lvim/.
           bash ./utils/installer/install.sh
 
+      - name: Run unit-tests
+        # NOTE: make sure to adjust the timeout if you start adding a lot of tests
+        timeout-minutes: 4
+        run: make test
+
       - name: Test LunarVim PackerCompile
         run: if "$HOME"/.local/bin/lvim --headless +PackerCompile -c ':qall' 2>&1|grep -q 'Error'; then false; fi
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yaml b/.github/workflows/lint.yaml
index d187f497..93050bba 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yaml
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 name: lint
 on:
   push:
-    branches: '**'
+    branches: "**"
   pull_request:
     branches:
-      - 'master'
-      - 'rolling'
+      - "master"
+      - "rolling"
 
 jobs:
   lua-linter:
@@ -13,23 +13,23 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-      
+
       - uses: leafo/gh-actions-lua@v8
       - uses: leafo/gh-actions-luarocks@v4
 
       - name: Use luacheck
         run: luarocks install luacheck
-      
+
       - name: Run luacheck
-        run: luacheck *.lua lua/
+        run: make lint-lua
 
   shellcheck:
     name: Shellcheck
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-    - name: Run ShellCheck
-      uses: ludeeus/action-shellcheck@master
-      with:
-       scandir: './utils'
-       ignore: 'bin'
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: Run ShellCheck
+        uses: ludeeus/action-shellcheck@master
+        with:
+          scandir: "./utils"
+          ignore: "bin"
diff --git a/.luacheckrc b/.luacheckrc
index a3875f91..f20fbf36 100644
--- a/.luacheckrc
+++ b/.luacheckrc
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ stds.nvim = {
 }
 std = "lua51+nvim"
 
+files["tests/*_spec.lua"].std = "lua51+nvim+busted"
+
 -- Don't report unused self arguments of methods.
 self = false
 
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 8ecda3bd..38ce72dc 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -7,20 +7,19 @@ repos:
         language: system
         types: [shell]
         entry: bash
-        args: [-c, "shfmt -f $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel) | grep -v jdtls | xargs shfmt -i=2 -ci -w"]
+        args: [-c, make lint-sh]
       - id: shellcheck
         name: shellcheck
         language: system
         types: [shell]
         entry: bash
-        args:
-          [-c, "shfmt -f $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel) | grep -v jdtls | xargs shellcheck"]
+        args: [-c, make style-sh]
       - id: stylua
         name: StyLua
         language: rust
         entry: stylua
         types: [lua]
-        args: ['-']
+        args: ["-"]
       - id: luacheck
         name: luacheck
         language: system
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8efa4f4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+SHELL := /bin/bash
+
+install:
+	@echo Starting LunarVim Installer
+	bash ./utils/installer/install.sh
+
+install-neovim-binary:
+	@echo Installing Neovim from github releases
+	bash ./utils/installer/install-neovim-from-release
+
+uninstall:
+	@echo TODO: this is currently not supported
+
+lint: lint-lua lint-sh
+
+lint-lua:
+	luacheck *.lua lua/* tests/*
+
+lint-sh:
+	shfmt -f . | grep -v jdtls | xargs shellcheck
+
+style: style-lua style-sh
+
+style-lua:
+	stylua --config-path .stylua.toml --check .
+
+style-sh:
+	shfmt -f . | grep -v jdtls | xargs shfmt -i 2 -ci -l -d
+
+test:
+	bash ./utils/bin/test_runner.sh "$(TEST)"
+
+.PHONY: install install-neovim-binary uninstall lint style test
diff --git a/tests/bootstrap_spec.lua b/tests/bootstrap_spec.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0fa35fe0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bootstrap_spec.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+local a = require "plenary.async_lib.tests"
+
+a.describe("initial start", function()
+  local uv = vim.loop
+  local home_dir = uv.os_homedir()
+  -- TODO: update once #1381 is merged
+  local lvim_config_path = home_dir .. "/.config/lvim"
+  local lvim_runtime_path = home_dir .. "/.local/share/lunarvim/lvim"
+
+  a.it("should not be reading default neovim directories in the home directoies", function()
+    local rtp_list = vim.opt.rtp:get()
+    assert.falsy(vim.tbl_contains(rtp_list, vim.fn.stdpath "config"))
+  end)
+
+  a.it("should be able to read lunarvim directories", function()
+    local rtp_list = vim.opt.rtp:get()
+    assert.truthy(vim.tbl_contains(rtp_list, lvim_runtime_path))
+    assert.truthy(vim.tbl_contains(rtp_list, lvim_config_path))
+  end)
+
+  a.it("should be able to run treesitter without errors", function()
+    assert.truthy(vim.treesitter.highlighter.active)
+  end)
+
+  a.it("should be able to load default packages without errors", function()
+    -- TODO: maybe there's a way to avoid hard-coding the names of the modules?
+    local startup_plugins = {
+      "packer",
+      "lspconfig",
+      "nlspsettings",
+      "null-ls",
+    }
+    for _, plugin in pairs(startup_plugins) do
+      assert.truthy(package.loaded[tostring(plugin)])
+    end
+  end)
+end)
diff --git a/utils/bin/test_runner.sh b/utils/bin/test_runner.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5b46e578
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/bin/test_runner.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -e
+
+# TODO: allow running with a minimal_init.lua
+if [ -n "$1" ]; then
+  nvim --headless -u ./init.lua -c "lua require('plenary.busted').run('$1')"
+else
+  nvim --headless -u ./init.lua -c "PlenaryBustedDirectory tests/ { minimal_init = './init.lua' }"
+fi