diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index eee6202..bb676ce 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -13,4 +13,5 @@ Makefile
 lexer.ll.c
 parser.tab.c
 parser.tab.h
-build
\ No newline at end of file
+build
+/Testing/
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1cfeefc..079fc47 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -21,6 +21,15 @@ project(gemstone
     DESCRIPTION "programming language compiler"
     LANGUAGES C)
 
+set(GEMSTONE_TEST_DIR ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/tests)
+set(GEMSTONE_BINARY_DIR ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/bin)
+
+include(CTest)
+
+if(BUILD_TESTING)
+    add_subdirectory(tests)
+endif()
+
 set(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS ON)
 
 # ------------------------------------------------ #
@@ -79,7 +88,7 @@ add_executable(release
 set_target_properties(release
         PROPERTIES
         OUTPUT_NAME "gsc"
-        RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "bin/release")
+        RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${GEMSTONE_BINARY_DIR}/release)
 
 # FIXME: cannot compile with /O2 because of /RTC1 flag
 if (MSVC)
@@ -111,7 +120,7 @@ add_executable(debug
 set_target_properties(debug
         PROPERTIES
         OUTPUT_NAME "gsc"
-        RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "bin/debug")
+        RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${GEMSTONE_BINARY_DIR}/debug)
 
 if (MSVC)
     set(DEBUG_FLAGS /DEBUG)
@@ -140,7 +149,7 @@ add_executable(check
 set_target_properties(check
         PROPERTIES
         OUTPUT_NAME "gsc"
-        RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "bin/check")
+        RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${GEMSTONE_BINARY_DIR}/check)
 
 if (MSVC)
     set(CHECK_FLAGS /DEBUG /WX)
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2602430
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+include(CTest)
+
+set(PROJECT_BINARY_DIR bin)
+set(EXECUTABLE_OUTPUT_PATH ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/tests)
+set(CTEST_BINARY_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/tests)
+
+# Provide test to run here or include another CMakeLists.txt
+
+add_subdirectory(logging)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/logging/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/logging/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ebc9962
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/logging/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+include(CTest)
+
+add_executable(logging ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/sys/log.c main.c)
+target_include_directories(logging PUBLIC ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src)
+set_target_properties(logging
+        PROPERTIES
+        OUTPUT_NAME "output"
+        RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${GEMSTONE_BINARY_DIR}/tests/logging)
+add_test(NAME logging WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR} COMMAND python ${GEMSTONE_TEST_DIR}/logging/check_output.py)
diff --git a/tests/logging/check_output.py b/tests/logging/check_output.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b908cda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/logging/check_output.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import subprocess
+
+
+def run_logger_test():
+    p = subprocess.run("bin/tests/logging/output", capture_output=True, text=True)
+
+    # check exit code
+    if p.returncode != 0:
+        exit(p.returncode)
+
+    output = p.stderr
+
+    # check if logs appear in default log output (stderr)
+
+    assert "logging some debug..." in output
+    assert "logging some info..." in output
+    assert "logging some warning..." in output
+    assert "logging some error..." in output
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    run_logger_test()
diff --git a/tests/logging/main.c b/tests/logging/main.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7accfc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/logging/main.c
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+//
+// Created by servostar on 5/1/24.
+//
+
+#include "sys/log.h"
+
+int main(void) {
+    log_init();
+
+    DEBUG("logging some debug...");
+    INFO("logging some info...");
+    WARN("logging some warning...");
+    ERROR("logging some error...");
+
+    return 0;
+}