diff --git a/tests/test_deprecated.py b/tests/test_deprecated.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..307818960cbdac0f67b7c1f11c8de0c44bc9ebf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_deprecated.py
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+
+import warnings
+import pytest
+
+import fsl.utils.deprecated as deprecated
+
+
+# the line number of the warning is hard coded in
+# the unit tests below. Don't change the line number!
+def emit_warning():
+    deprecated.warn('blag', vin='1.0.0', rin='2.0.0', msg='yo')
+
+WARNING_LINE_NUMBER = 13
+
+
+@deprecated.deprecated(vin='1.0.0', rin='2.0.0', msg='yo')
+def depfunc():
+    pass
+
+def call_dep_func():
+    depfunc()
+
+DEPRECATED_LINE_NUMBER = 23
+
+
+def _check_warning(w, name, lineno):
+    assert issubclass(w.category, DeprecationWarning)
+    assert '{} is deprecated'.format(name) in str(w.message)
+    assert 'test_deprecated.py' in str(w.filename)
+    assert w.lineno == lineno
+
+def test_warn():
+    deprecated.resetWarningCache()
+    with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+        warnings.simplefilter('always')
+        emit_warning()
+        assert len(w) == 1
+        _check_warning(w[0], 'blag', WARNING_LINE_NUMBER)
+
+    # warning should only be emitted once
+    with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+        warnings.simplefilter('always')
+        emit_warning()
+        assert len(w) == 0
+
+
+def test_deprecated():
+    deprecated.resetWarningCache()
+    with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+        warnings.simplefilter('always')
+        call_dep_func()
+        assert len(w) == 1
+        _check_warning(w[0], 'depfunc', DEPRECATED_LINE_NUMBER)
+
+    # warning should only be emitted once
+    with warnings.catch_warnings(record=True) as w:
+        warnings.simplefilter('always')
+        call_dep_func()
+        assert len(w) == 0