diff --git a/src/wal/mod.rs b/src/wal/mod.rs
index dd1313ab..8de428fd 100644
--- a/src/wal/mod.rs
+++ b/src/wal/mod.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ mod reader;
 mod stream;
 mod writer;
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests;
+
 pub type BlockSlot = u64;
 pub type BlockHash = pallas::crypto::hash::Hash<32>;
 pub type BlockEra = pallas::ledger::traverse::Era;
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@ impl From<&LogValue> for ChainPoint {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
 pub struct RawBlock {
     pub slot: BlockSlot,
     pub hash: BlockHash,
@@ -64,9 +67,8 @@ impl From<&RawBlock> for ChainPoint {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
 pub enum LogValue {
-    //Origin,
     Apply(RawBlock),
     Undo(RawBlock),
     Mark(ChainPoint),
diff --git a/src/wal/tests.rs b/src/wal/tests.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e10032f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/wal/tests.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+use super::*;
+
+fn setup_ephemeral_db() -> redb::WalStore {
+    super::redb::WalStore::memory().unwrap()
+}
+
+const DUMMY_BLOCK_BYTES: &str = "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";
+
+type ServerHandle = tokio::task::JoinHandle<Result<(), crate::prelude::Error>>;
+
+fn slot_to_hash(slot: u64) -> BlockHash {
+    let mut hasher = pallas::crypto::hash::Hasher::<256>::new();
+    hasher.input(&(slot as i32).to_le_bytes());
+    hasher.finalize()
+}
+
+fn dummy_block_from_slot(slot: u64) -> RawBlock {
+    let bytes = &hex::decode(DUMMY_BLOCK_BYTES).unwrap();
+    let block = pallas::ledger::traverse::MultiEraBlock::decode(&bytes).unwrap();
+
+    RawBlock {
+        slot,
+        hash: block.hash(),
+        era: block.era(),
+        body: hex::decode(DUMMY_BLOCK_BYTES).unwrap(),
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_origin_event() {
+    let db = setup_ephemeral_db();
+
+    let mut iter = db.crawl_from(None).unwrap();
+
+    let origin = iter.next();
+    assert!(origin.is_some());
+
+    let (seq, value) = origin.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(seq, 0);
+    assert!(matches!(value, LogValue::Mark(ChainPoint::Origin)));
+
+    // ensure nothing else
+    let origin = iter.next();
+    assert!(origin.is_none());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_basic_append() {
+    let mut db = setup_ephemeral_db();
+
+    let expected_block = dummy_block_from_slot(11);
+    let expected_point = ChainPoint::Specific(11, expected_block.hash);
+
+    db.roll_forward(std::iter::once(expected_block.clone()))
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // ensure tip matches
+    let (seq, point) = db.find_tip().unwrap().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(seq, 1);
+    assert_eq!(point, expected_point);
+
+    // ensure point can be located
+    let seq = db.locate_point(&expected_point).unwrap().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(seq, 1);
+
+    // ensure chain has item
+    let mut iter = db.crawl_from(None).unwrap();
+
+    iter.next(); // origin
+
+    let (seq, log) = iter.next().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(seq, 1);
+    assert_eq!(log, LogValue::Apply(expected_block));
+
+    // ensure nothing else
+    let origin = iter.next();
+    assert!(origin.is_none());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_rollback_undos() {
+    let mut db = setup_ephemeral_db();
+
+    let forward = (0..=5).map(|x| dummy_block_from_slot(x * 10));
+    db.roll_forward(forward).unwrap();
+
+    let rollback_to = ChainPoint::Specific(20, slot_to_hash(20));
+    db.roll_back(&rollback_to).unwrap();
+
+    // ensure tip show rollback point
+    let (_, tip_point) = db.find_tip().unwrap().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(tip_point, rollback_to);
+
+    // after the previous actions, we should get the following sequence
+    // Origin => Apply(0) => Apply(10) => Apply(20) => Apply(30) => Apply(40) =>
+    // Apply(50) => Undo(50) => Undo(40) => Undo(30) => Mark(20)
+
+    // ensure wal has correct sequence of events
+    let mut wal = db.crawl_from(None).unwrap();
+
+    let (seq, log) = wal.next().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(log, LogValue::Mark(ChainPoint::Origin));
+
+    for i in 0..=5 {
+        let (_, log) = wal.next().unwrap();
+
+        match log {
+            LogValue::Apply(RawBlock { slot, .. }) => assert_eq!(slot, i * 10),
+            _ => panic!("expected apply"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    for i in (5..=3).rev() {
+        let (_, log) = wal.next().unwrap();
+
+        match log {
+            LogValue::Undo(RawBlock { slot, .. }) => assert_eq!(slot, i * 10),
+            _ => panic!("expected undo"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    let (_, log) = wal.next().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(log, LogValue::Mark(rollback_to));
+
+    // ensure chain stops here
+    assert!(wal.next().is_none());
+}