diff --git a/t/unit-tests/u-string-list.c b/t/unit-tests/u-string-list.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c304934de2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/unit-tests/u-string-list.c

@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#include "unit-test.h"
+#include "string-list.h"
+
+static void t_vcreate_string_list_dup(struct string_list *list,
+				      int free_util, va_list ap)
+{
+	const char *arg;
+
+	cl_assert(list->strdup_strings);
+
+	string_list_clear(list, free_util);
+	while ((arg = va_arg(ap, const char *)))
+		string_list_append(list, arg);
+}
+
+static void t_string_list_clear(struct string_list *list, int free_util)
+{
+	string_list_clear(list, free_util);
+	cl_assert_equal_p(list->items, NULL);
+	cl_assert_equal_i(list->nr, 0);
+	cl_assert_equal_i(list->alloc, 0);
+}
+
+static void t_string_list_equal(struct string_list *list,
+				struct string_list *expected_strings)
+{
+	cl_assert_equal_i(list->nr, expected_strings->nr);
+	cl_assert(list->nr <= list->alloc);
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < expected_strings->nr; i++)
+		cl_assert_equal_s(list->items[i].string,
+				  expected_strings->items[i].string);
+}
+
+static void t_string_list_split(struct string_list *list, const char *data,
+				int delim, int maxsplit, ...)
+{
+	struct string_list expected_strings = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
+	va_list ap;
+	int len;
+
+	va_start(ap, maxsplit);
+	t_vcreate_string_list_dup(&expected_strings, 0, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+
+	string_list_clear(list, 0);
+	len = string_list_split(list, data, delim, maxsplit);
+	cl_assert_equal_i(len, expected_strings.nr);
+	t_string_list_equal(list, &expected_strings);
+
+	string_list_clear(&expected_strings, 0);
+}
+
+void test_string_list__split(void)
+{
+	struct string_list list = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;