diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8e1dea9c88cf..e666c0ec53f9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -75,5 +75,6 @@
 /solenv/gdb/libreoffice/*.pyo
 /solenv/gdb/libreoffice/util/*.pyo
 /moz/zipped/*.zip
+__pycache__
 
 
diff --git a/solenv/gbuild/PythonTest.mk b/solenv/gbuild/PythonTest.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d97b2a83f5e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/solenv/gbuild/PythonTest.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+# -*- Mode: makefile-gmake; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: t -*-
+#
+# This file is part of the LibreOffice project.
+#
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+#
+
+# PythonTest class
+
+# TODO: FixMe problem with internal python:
+# Fatal Python error: Py_Initialize: Unable to get the locale encoding
+#gb_Python_EXE := $(call gb_Executable_get_command,python)
+gb_Python_EXE := python3
+
+gb_PythonTest_COMMAND := $(gb_Python_EXE) -m unittest
+
+.PHONY : $(call gb_PythonTest_get_clean_target,%)
+$(call gb_PythonTest_get_clean_target,%) :
+	$(call gb_Helper_abbreviate_dirs,\
+		rm -f $@ $@.log)
+
+ifneq ($(DISABLE_PYTHON),TRUE)
+
+.PHONY : $(call gb_PythonTest_get_target,%)
+$(call gb_PythonTest_get_target,%) :
+	$(call gb_Output_announce,$*,$(true),PYT,2)
+	$(call gb_Helper_abbreviate_dirs,\
+        mkdir -p $(dir $(call gb_PythonTest_get_target,$*)) && \
+        (PYTHONPATH=$(SRCDIR)/unotest/source/python:$(DEVINSTALLDIR)/opt/program \
+         SOFFICE_BIN=$(DEVINSTALLDIR)/opt/program/soffice \
+         URE_BOOTSTRAP=file://$(DEVINSTALLDIR)/opt/program/fundamentalrc \
+		    $(gb_PythonTest_COMMAND) \
+            $(CLASSES) > $@.log 2>&1 || \
+		(cat $@.log \
+		&& false)))
+	$(CLEAN_CMD)
+
+define gb_PythonTest_PythonTest
+$(call gb_PythonTest_get_target,$(1)) : T_CP :=
+$(call gb_PythonTest_get_target,$(1)) : CLASSES :=
+
+$(eval $(call gb_Module_register_target,$(call gb_PythonTest_get_target,$(1)),$(call gb_PythonTest_get_clean_target,$(1))))
+$(call gb_Helper_make_userfriendly_targets,$(1),PythonTest)
+
+endef
+
+define gb_PythonTest_add_classes
+$(call gb_PythonTest_get_target,$(1)) : CLASSES += $(2)
+
+endef
+
+define gb_PythonTest_add_class
+$(call gb_PythonTest_add_classes,$(1),$(2))
+
+endef
+
+define gb_PythonTest_use_customtarget
+$(call gb_PythonTest_get_target,$(1)) : $(call gb_CustomTarget_get_workdir,$(2))
+
+endef
+
+
+else # DISABLE_PYTHON
+
+.PHONY : $(call gb_PythonTest_get_target,$(1))
+$(call gb_PythonTest_get_target,%) :
+	$(call gb_Output_announce,$* (skipped - no PythonTest),$(true),PYT,2)
+	@true
+
+define gb_PythonTest_PythonTest
+$(eval $(call gb_Module_register_target,$(call gb_PythonTest_get_target,$(1)),$(call gb_PythonTest_get_clean_target,$(1))))
+$(call gb_Helper_make_userfriendly_targets,$(1),PythonTest)
+
+endef
+
+gb_PythonTest_add_classes :=
+gb_PythonTest_add_class :=
+gb_JunitTest_use_customtarget :=
+
+endif # DISABLE_PYTHON
+# vim: set noet sw=4:
diff --git a/solenv/gbuild/TargetLocations.mk b/solenv/gbuild/TargetLocations.mk
index 7f50cf6a7574..3ea8951178ce 100644
--- a/solenv/gbuild/TargetLocations.mk
+++ b/solenv/gbuild/TargetLocations.mk
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ gb_JavaClassSet_get_target = $(WORKDIR)/JavaClassSet/$(1)/done
 gb_JunitTest_get_classsetname = JunitTest/$(1)
 gb_JunitTest_get_target = $(WORKDIR)/JunitTest/$(1)/done
 gb_JunitTest_get_userdir = $(WORKDIR)/JunitTest/$(1)/user
+gb_PythonTest_get_target = $(WORKDIR)/PythonTest/$(1)/done
 gb_LinkTarget_get_external_headers_target = $(WORKDIR)/ExternalHeaders/$(1)
 gb_LinkTarget_get_headers_target = $(WORKDIR)/Headers/$(1)
 gb_LinkTarget_get_target = $(WORKDIR)/LinkTarget/$(1)
@@ -290,6 +291,7 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Helper_make_clean_targets,\
 	Pagein \
 	PrecompiledHeader \
 	Pyuno \
+	PythonTest \
 	Rdb \
 	ResTarget \
 	ScpMergeTarget \
diff --git a/solenv/gbuild/gbuild.mk b/solenv/gbuild/gbuild.mk
index cb374dad3851..3d2796fe965d 100644
--- a/solenv/gbuild/gbuild.mk
+++ b/solenv/gbuild/gbuild.mk
@@ -313,6 +313,7 @@ include $(foreach class, \
 	Pagein \
 	PrecompiledHeaders \
 	Pyuno \
+	PythonTest \
 	Rdb \
 	CppunitTest \
 	Jar \
diff --git a/sw/Module_sw.mk b/sw/Module_sw.mk
index d11f167bc920..2f6e75b00b94 100644
--- a/sw/Module_sw.mk
+++ b/sw/Module_sw.mk
@@ -66,4 +66,13 @@ $(eval $(call gb_Module_add_subsequentcheck_targets,sw,\
 ))
 endif
 
+# TODO: FixMe restrict to system python
+ifneq ($(DISABLE_PYTHON),TRUE)
+ifeq ($(SYSTEM_PYTHON),YES)
+$(eval $(call gb_Module_add_subsequentcheck_targets,sw,\
+	PythonTest_sw_unoapi \
+))
+endif
+endif
+
 # vim: set noet sw=4 ts=4:
diff --git a/sw/PythonTest_sw_unoapi.mk b/sw/PythonTest_sw_unoapi.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..de486effec9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sw/PythonTest_sw_unoapi.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# -*- Mode: makefile-gmake; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: t -*-
+#
+# This file is part of the LibreOffice project.
+#
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+#
+
+$(eval $(call gb_PythonTest_PythonTest,sw_unoapi))
+
+$(eval $(call gb_PythonTest_add_classes,sw_unoapi,\
+    $(SRCDIR)/sw/qa/unoapi/python/set_expression.py \
+    $(SRCDIR)/sw/qa/unoapi/python/get_expression.py \
+))
+
+# vim: set noet sw=4 ts=4:
diff --git a/sw/qa/unoapi/python/get_expression.py b/sw/qa/unoapi/python/get_expression.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..277d3cfa5ba9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sw/qa/unoapi/python/get_expression.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import unittest
+from org.libreoffice.unotest import UnoConnection
+
+class TestGetExpression(unittest.TestCase):
+    _unoCon = None
+    _xDoc = None
+
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls):
+        cls._unoCon = UnoConnection({})
+        cls._unoCon.setUp()
+        cls._xDoc = cls._unoCon.openEmptyWriterDoc()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def tearDownClass(cls):
+        cls._unoCon.tearDown()
+
+    def test_get_expression(self):
+        self.__class__._unoCon.checkProperties(
+            self.__class__._xDoc.createInstance("com.sun.star.text.textfield.GetExpression"),
+            {"Content": "foo",
+             "CurrentPresentation": "bar",
+             "NumberFormat": 0,
+             "IsShowFormula": False,
+             "SubType": 0,
+             "VariableSubtype": 1,
+             "IsFixedLanguage": False,
+             },
+            self
+            )
+
+    # property 'Value' is read only?
+    @unittest.expectedFailure
+    def test_get_expression_veto_read_only(self):
+        self.__class__._unoCon.checkProperties(
+            self.__class__._xDoc.createInstance("com.sun.star.text.textfield.GetExpression"),
+            {"Value": 0.0},
+            self
+            )
+
+    # property 'NumberingType' is unknown?
+    @unittest.expectedFailure
+    def test_get_expression_unknown_property(self):
+        self.__class__._unoCon.checkProperties(
+            self.__class__._xDoc.createInstance("com.sun.star.text.textfield.GetExpression"),
+            {"NumberingType": 0},
+            self
+            )
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
+
diff --git a/sw/qa/unoapi/python/set_expression.py b/sw/qa/unoapi/python/set_expression.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..8f6d19e26396
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sw/qa/unoapi/python/set_expression.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import unittest
+from org.libreoffice.unotest import UnoConnection
+
+#@unittest.skip("that seems to work")
+class TestSetExpresion(unittest.TestCase):
+    _unoCon = None
+    _xDoc = None
+
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls):
+        cls._unoCon = UnoConnection({})
+        cls._unoCon.setUp()
+        cls._xDoc = cls._unoCon.openEmptyWriterDoc()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def tearDownClass(cls):
+        cls._unoCon.tearDown()
+
+    def test_set_expression(self):
+        self.__class__._unoCon.checkProperties(
+            self.__class__._xDoc.createInstance("com.sun.star.text.textfield.SetExpression"),
+            {"NumberingType": 0,
+             "Content": "foo",
+             "CurrentPresentation": "bar",
+             "NumberFormat": 0,
+             "NumberingType": 0,
+             "IsShowFormula": False,
+             "IsInput": False,
+             "IsVisible": True,
+             "SequenceValue": 0,
+             "SubType": 0,
+             "Value": 1.0,
+             "IsFixedLanguage": False
+             },
+            self
+            )
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
+
diff --git a/unotest/source/python/org/__init__.py b/unotest/source/python/org/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e69de29bb2d1
diff --git a/unotest/source/python/org/libreoffice/__init__.py b/unotest/source/python/org/libreoffice/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e69de29bb2d1
diff --git a/unotest/source/python/org/libreoffice/unotest.py b/unotest/source/python/org/libreoffice/unotest.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c5cfa596ee53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unotest/source/python/org/libreoffice/unotest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+# -*- Mode: C++; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 4 -*- */
+#
+# This file is part of the LibreOffice project.
+#
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+#
+
+import subprocess
+import time
+import uuid
+import argparse
+import os
+
+try:
+    import pyuno
+    import uno
+except ImportError:
+    print("pyuno not found: try to set PYTHONPATH and URE_BOOTSTRAP variables")
+    print("PYTHONPATH=/installation/opt/program")
+    print("URE_BOOTSTRAP=file:///installation/opt/program/fundamentalrc")
+    raise
+
+try:
+    from com.sun.star.document import XDocumentEventListener
+except ImportError:
+    print("UNO API class not found: try to set URE_BOOTSTRAP variable")
+    print("URE_BOOTSTRAP=file:///installation/opt/program/fundamentalrc")
+    raise
+
+### utilities ###
+
+def mkPropertyValue(name, value):
+    return uno.createUnoStruct("com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue", name, 0, value, 0)
+
+### UNO utilities ###
+
+class OfficeConnection(object):
+
+    def __init__(self, args):
+        self.args = args
+        self.soffice = None
+        self.xContext = None
+        self.channel = None
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        try:
+            self.verbose = self.args["verbose"]
+        except KeyError:
+            self.verbose = False
+        try:
+            prog = self.args["programm"]
+        except KeyError:
+            prog = os.getenv("SOFFICE_BIN")
+        if not (prog):
+            raise Exception("SOFFICE_BIN must be set")
+        channel = "pipe,name=pytest" + str(uuid.uuid1())
+        try:
+            userdir = self.args["userdir"]
+        except KeyError:
+            userdir = "file:///tmp"
+        if not(userdir.startswith("file://")):
+            raise Exception("--userdir must be file URL")
+        self.soffice = self.bootstrap(prog, userdir, channel)
+        return self.connect(channel)
+
+    def bootstrap(self, soffice, userdir, channel):
+        argv = [ soffice, "--accept=" + channel + ";urp",
+                "-env:UserInstallation=" + userdir,
+                "--quickstart=no", "--nofirststartwizard",
+                "--norestore", "--nologo", "--headless"]
+        if "--valgrind" in self.args:
+            argv.append("--valgrind")
+        if self.verbose:
+            print ("starting LibreOffice with channel: ", channel)
+        return subprocess.Popen(argv)
+
+    def connect(self, channel):
+        xLocalContext = uno.getComponentContext()
+        xUnoResolver = xLocalContext.ServiceManager.createInstanceWithContext(
+                "com.sun.star.bridge.UnoUrlResolver", xLocalContext)
+        url = ("uno:%s;urp;StarOffice.ComponentContext" % channel)
+        if self.verbose:
+            print("Connecting to: ", url)
+        while True:
+            try:
+                self.xContext = xUnoResolver.resolve(url)
+                return self.xContext
+#            except com.sun.star.connection.NoConnectException
+            except pyuno.getClass("com.sun.star.connection.NoConnectException"):
+                print("WARN: NoConnectException: sleeping...")
+                time.sleep(1)
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        if self.soffice:
+            if self.xContext:
+                try:
+                    if self.verbose:
+                        print("tearDown: calling terminate()...")
+                    xMgr = self.xContext.ServiceManager
+                    xDesktop = xMgr.createInstanceWithContext(
+                            "com.sun.star.frame.Desktop", self.xContext)
+                    xDesktop.terminate()
+                    if self.verbose:
+                        print("...done")
+#                except com.sun.star.lang.DisposedException:
+                except pyuno.getClass("com.sun.star.beans.UnknownPropertyException"):
+                    print("caught UnknownPropertyException")
+                    pass # ignore, also means disposed
+                except pyuno.getClass("com.sun.star.lang.DisposedException"):
+                    print("caught DisposedException")
+                    pass # ignore
+            else:
+                self.soffice.terminate()
+            ret = self.soffice.wait()
+            self.xContext = None
+            self.socket = None
+            self.soffice = None
+# WTF 255 return value?
+#            if ret != 0:
+#                raise Exception("Exit status indicates failure: " + str(ret))
+#            return ret
+
+    def getContext(self):
+        return self.xContext
+
+class UnoConnection:
+    def __init__(self, args):
+        self.args = args
+        self.connection = None
+    def getContext(self):
+        return self.connection.xContext
+    def getDoc(self):
+        return self.xDoc
+    def setUp(self):
+        conn = OfficeConnection(self.args)
+        conn.setUp()
+        self.connection = conn
+    def openEmptyWriterDoc(self):
+        assert(self.connection)
+        smgr = self.getContext().ServiceManager
+        desktop = smgr.createInstanceWithContext("com.sun.star.frame.Desktop", self.getContext())
+        props = [("Hidden", True), ("ReadOnly", False)]
+        loadProps = tuple([mkPropertyValue(name, value) for (name, value) in props])
+        self.xDoc = desktop.loadComponentFromURL("private:factory/swriter", "_blank", 0, loadProps)
+        return self.xDoc
+
+    def checkProperties(self, obj, dict, test):
+        for k,v in dict.items():
+            obj.setPropertyValue(k, v)
+            value = obj.getPropertyValue(k)
+            test.assertEqual(value, v)
+
+    def postTest(self):
+        assert(self.connection)
+    def tearDown(self):
+        if self.connection:
+            try:
+                self.connection.tearDown()
+            finally:
+                self.connection = None
+
+def simpleInvoke(connection, test):
+    try:
+        connection.preTest()
+        test.run(connection.getContext())
+    finally:
+        connection.postTest()
+
+def retryInvoke(connection, test):
+    tries = 5
+    while tries > 0:
+        try:
+            tries -= 1
+            try:
+                connection.preTest()
+                test.run(connection.getContext())
+                return
+            finally:
+                connection.postTest()
+        except KeyboardInterrupt:
+            raise # Ctrl+C should work
+        except:
+            print("retryInvoke: caught exception")
+    raise Exception("FAILED retryInvoke")
+
+def runConnectionTests(connection, invoker, tests):
+    try:
+        connection.setUp()
+        for test in tests:
+            invoker(connection, test)
+    finally:
+        connection.tearDown()
+
+### tests ###
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser("Help utilities for testing LibreOffice")
+    group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
+    group.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", help="increase output verbosity", action="store_true")
+    #parser.add_argument("p", type=str, help="programm name")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    if args.verbose:
+        verbose = True
+    con = PersistentConnection({"verbose" : args.verbose})
+    print("starting soffice ... ", end="")
+    con.setUp()
+    print("done")
+    con.get
+    print ("shutting down ... ", end="")
+    con.tearDown()
+    print("done")
+
+# vim:set shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 expandtab: