diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 885a303..66bba99 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -22,3 +22,12 @@ jobs:
       with:
         github_access_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
     - run: nix flake check
+    - name: Run Nix tests
+      run: |
+        cd tests/
+        result=$(nix eval --impure --expr 'import ./ref-test.nix {}')
+        if [ "$result" != "[ ]" ]; then
+          echo "Test failed: Expected [], but got $result"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+      shell: bash
diff --git a/modules/installer.nix b/modules/installer.nix
index 5091ec0..8fa7f1d 100644
--- a/modules/installer.nix
+++ b/modules/installer.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 { cfg, pkgs, lib, installation ? "system", ... }:
 
 let
-  utils = import ./ref.nix { inherit pkgs lib; };
+  utils = import ./ref.nix { inherit lib; };
 
   flatpakrefCache = builtins.foldl'
     (acc: package:
@@ -10,26 +10,6 @@ let
     { }
     (builtins.filter (package: utils.isFlatpakref package) cfg.packages);
 
-  # Extract the remote name from a package that declares a flatpakref:
-  # 1. if the package sets an origin, use that as label for the remote url.
-  # 2. if the package does not set an origin, use the remote name suggested by the flatpakref.
-  # 3. if the package does not set an origin and the flatpakref does not suggest a remote name, sanitize application Name.
-  getRemoteNameFromFlatpakref = origin: cache:
-    let
-      remoteName = origin;
-    in
-    if remoteName == null
-    then
-      let
-        flatpakrefdName =
-          if builtins.hasAttr "SuggestRemoteName" cache
-          then cache.SuggestRemoteName
-          else "${lib.toLower cache.Name}-origin";
-      in
-      flatpakrefdName
-    else
-      remoteName;
-
   # Get the appId from the flatpakref file or the flatpakref URL to pass to flatpak commands.
   # As of 2024-10 Flatpak will fail to reinstall from flatpakref URL (https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/issues/5460).
   # This function will return the appId if the package is already installed, otherwise it will return the flatpakref URL.
@@ -84,7 +64,7 @@ let
       # Add remotes extracted from flatpakref URLs in packages
       map
         (package:
-          getRemoteNameFromFlatpakref package.origin flatpakrefCache.${(utils.sanitizeUrl package.flatpakref)})
+          utils.getRemoteNameFromFlatpakref package.origin flatpakrefCache.${(utils.sanitizeUrl package.flatpakref)})
         (builtins.filter (package: utils.isFlatpakref package) cfg.packages);
   });
 
diff --git a/modules/ref.nix b/modules/ref.nix
index eb0fbe7..936d9e4 100644
--- a/modules/ref.nix
+++ b/modules/ref.nix
@@ -1,16 +1,36 @@
 # utiliy function to manage flatpakref files
-{ pkgs, lib, ... }:
+{ lib, ... }:
 let
   # check if a value is a string
   isString = value: builtins.typeOf value == "string";
 
   # Check if a package declares a flatpakref
-  isFlatpakref = { flatpakref, ... }:
+  isFlatpakref = { flatpakref ? null, ... }:
     flatpakref != null && isString flatpakref;
 
   # sanitize a URL to be used as a key in an attrset.
   sanitizeUrl = url: builtins.replaceStrings [ "https://" "/" "." ":" ] [ "https_" "_" "_" "_" ] url;
 
+  # Extract the remote name from a package that declares a flatpakref:
+  # 1. if the package sets an origin, use that as label for the remote url.
+  # 2. if the package does not set an origin, use the remote name suggested by the flatpakref.
+  # 3. if the package does not set an origin and the flatpakref does not suggest a remote name, sanitize application Name.
+  getRemoteNameFromFlatpakref = origin: cache:
+    let
+      remoteName = origin;
+    in
+    if remoteName == null
+    then
+      let
+        flatpakrefdName =
+          if builtins.hasAttr "SuggestRemoteName" cache
+          then cache.SuggestRemoteName
+          else "${lib.toLower cache.Name}-origin";
+      in
+      flatpakrefdName
+    else
+      remoteName;
+
   # Fetch and convert an ini-like flatpakref file into an attrset, and cache it for future use
   # within the same activation.
   # We piggyback on builtins.fetchurl to fetch and cache flatpakref file. Pure nix evaluations
@@ -39,5 +59,5 @@ let
     updatedCache;
 in
 {
-  inherit isFlatpakref sanitizeUrl flatpakrefToAttrSet;
+  inherit isFlatpakref sanitizeUrl flatpakrefToAttrSet getRemoteNameFromFlatpakref;
 }
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/package.flatpakref b/tests/fixtures/package.flatpakref
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d3a6f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/package.flatpakref
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+[Flatpak Ref]
+Title=gedit
+Name=org.gnome.gedit
+Branch=stable
+Url=http://sdk.gnome.org/repo-apps/
+IsRuntime=false
+GPGKey=REDACTED
+DeployCollectionID=org.gnome.Apps
diff --git a/tests/ref-test.nix b/tests/ref-test.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a25b0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ref-test.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+{ pkgs ? import <nixpkgs> { } }:
+
+let
+  inherit (pkgs) lib;
+  inherit (lib) runTests;
+  ref = import ../modules/ref.nix { inherit lib; };
+
+  pwd = builtins.getEnv "PWD";
+  fixturePath = "file://${pwd}/fixtures/package.flatpakref";
+  fixtureHash = "040iig2yg2i28s5xc9cvp5syaaqq165idy3nhlpv8xn4f6zh4h1f";
+in
+runTests {
+  testSanitizeUrl = {
+    expr = ref.sanitizeUrl "https://example.local";
+    expected = "https_example_local";
+  };
+
+  testIsFlatpakref = {
+    expr = ref.isFlatpakref { flatpakref = "https://example.local/package.flatpakref"; };
+    expected = true;
+  };
+
+  testIsFlatpakrefWithNull = {
+    expr = ref.isFlatpakref { flatpakref = null; };
+    expected = false;
+  };
+
+  testIsFlatpakrefWithMissing = {
+    expr = ref.isFlatpakref { appId = "local.example.Package"; };
+    expected = false;
+  };
+
+  testGetRemoteNameFromFlatpakrefWithOrigin = {
+    expr = ref.getRemoteNameFromFlatpakref "example" { SuggestRemoteName = "local"; };
+    expected = "example";
+  };
+
+  testGetRemoteNameWithSuggestedName = {
+    expr = ref.getRemoteNameFromFlatpakref null { SuggestRemoteName = "local"; };
+    expected = "local";
+  };
+
+  testGetRemoteNameWithPackageName = {
+    expr = ref.getRemoteNameFromFlatpakref null { Name = "Example"; };
+    expected = "example-origin";
+  };
+
+  testFlatpakrefToAttrSet = {
+    expr = ref.flatpakrefToAttrSet { flatpakref = fixturePath; sha256 = null; } { };
+    expected = {
+      ${ref.sanitizeUrl fixturePath} = {
+        Title = "gedit";
+        Name = "org.gnome.gedit";
+        Branch = "stable";
+        Url = "http://sdk.gnome.org/repo-apps/";
+        IsRuntime = "false";
+        GPGKey = "REDACTED"; 
+        DeployCollectionID = "org.gnome.Apps";
+      };
+    };
+  };
+
+  testFlatpakrefToAttrSetWithSha256 = {
+    expr = ref.flatpakrefToAttrSet { flatpakref = fixturePath; sha256 = fixtureHash; } { };
+    expected = {
+      ${ref.sanitizeUrl fixturePath} = {
+        Title = "gedit";
+        Name = "org.gnome.gedit";
+        Branch = "stable";
+        Url = "http://sdk.gnome.org/repo-apps/";
+        IsRuntime = "false";
+        GPGKey = "REDACTED";
+        DeployCollectionID = "org.gnome.Apps";
+      };
+    };
+  };
+}