diff --git a/tests/unittests/tests-kernel_defines/Makefile b/tests/unittests/tests-kernel_defines/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..48422e909a47d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unittests/tests-kernel_defines/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+include $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base
diff --git a/tests/unittests/tests-kernel_defines/tests-kernel_defines.c b/tests/unittests/tests-kernel_defines/tests-kernel_defines.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b21e10519e74c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unittests/tests-kernel_defines/tests-kernel_defines.c
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2021 ML!PA Consulting GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser
+ * General Public License v2.1. See the file LICENSE in the top level
+ * directory for more details.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @{
+ *
+ * @file
+ */
+#include "embUnit.h"
+#include "kernel_defines.h"
+
+static void kernel_version_parse(uint32_t version, uint16_t *mayor,
+                                 uint8_t *minor, uint8_t *patch)
+{
+    *mayor = version >> 16;
+    *minor = (version >> 8) & 0xFF;
+    *patch = version & 0xFF;
+}
+
+static void test_kernel_version(void)
+{
+    uint16_t mayor;
+    uint8_t minor, patch;
+
+    TEST_ASSERT(RIOT_VERSION_CODE);
+    TEST_ASSERT(RIOT_VERSION_CODE > KERNEL_VERSION(2020,7,1));
+    TEST_ASSERT(RIOT_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(2080,10,2));
+
+    kernel_version_parse(KERNEL_VERSION(2020,7,1),
+                         &mayor, &minor, &patch);
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(2020, mayor);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(7, minor);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(1, patch);
+}
+
+Test *tests_kernel_defines_tests(void)
+{
+    EMB_UNIT_TESTFIXTURES(fixtures) {
+        new_TestFixture(test_kernel_version),
+    };
+
+    EMB_UNIT_TESTCALLER(kernel_defines_tests, NULL, NULL, fixtures);
+
+    return (Test *)&kernel_defines_tests;
+}
+
+void tests_kernel_defines(void)
+{
+    TESTS_RUN(tests_kernel_defines_tests());
+}
+/** @} */
diff --git a/tests/unittests/tests-kernel_defines/tests-kernel_defines.h b/tests/unittests/tests-kernel_defines/tests-kernel_defines.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..41dd2d0cba845
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unittests/tests-kernel_defines/tests-kernel_defines.h
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2021 ML!PA Consulting GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser
+ * General Public License v2.1. See the file LICENSE in the top level
+ * directory for more details.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @addtogroup  unittests
+ * @{
+ *
+ * @file
+ * @brief       Unittests for the ``kernel_defines`` module
+ *
+ * @author      Benjamin Valentin <benjamin.valentin@ml-pa.com>
+ */
+#ifndef TESTS_KERNEL_DEFINES_H
+#define TESTS_KERNEL_DEFINES_H
+
+#include "embUnit.h"
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+/**
+    * @brief   The entry point of this test suite.
+    */
+void tests_kernel_defines(void);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif /* TESTS_KERNEL_DEFINES_H */
+/** @} */