diff --git a/.github/workflows/tools-test.yml b/.github/workflows/tools-test.yml
index 56fdc079e1..b5dc5a6bd4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tools-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tools-test.yml
@@ -24,10 +24,13 @@ jobs:
         python -m pip install --upgrade pip
         python -m pip install tox
         python -m pip install kconfiglib
+        sudo apt-get install gcc-multilib
     - name: Test backport_pr
       run: cd dist/tools/backport_pr && tox
     - name: Test compile_and_test_for_board
       run: cd dist/tools/compile_and_test_for_board && tox
+    - name: Test riotctrl_ctrl
+      run: cd dist/pythonlibs/riotctrl_ctrl && tox
     - name: Test riotctrl_shell
       run: cd dist/pythonlibs/riotctrl_shell && tox
     - name: Test kconfig script
diff --git a/dist/pythonlibs/riotctrl_ctrl/tests/test_native.py b/dist/pythonlibs/riotctrl_ctrl/tests/test_native.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..190834b678
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/pythonlibs/riotctrl_ctrl/tests/test_native.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2021 Freie Universität Berlin
+#
+# 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.
+
+import os.path
+
+import riotctrl.ctrl
+
+import riotctrl_ctrl.native
+
+
+def test_reset():
+    env = {'DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID': '', 'BOARD': 'native'}
+    ctrl = riotctrl_ctrl.native.NativeRIOTCtrl(
+        application_directory=os.path.normpath(os.path.join(
+            os.path.abspath(__file__),
+            '..', '..', '..', '..', '..',
+            'examples', 'hello-world'
+        )),
+        env=env,
+    )
+    print(ctrl.application_directory)
+    assert not ctrl.env['DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID']
+    ctrl.make_run(['flash'])
+    with ctrl.run_term(reset=False):
+        # DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID is now a PID
+        assert int(ctrl.env['DEBUG_ADAPTER_ID'])
+        ctrl.term.expect_exact('Hello World!')
+        ctrl.reset()
+        ctrl.term.expect_exact('!! REBOOT !!')
+        ctrl.term.expect_exact('Hello World!')
+
+
+def test_w_factory():
+    env = {'BOARD': 'native'}
+    factory = riotctrl.ctrl.RIOTCtrlBoardFactory(
+        board_cls={'native': riotctrl_ctrl.native.NativeRIOTCtrl}
+    )
+    assert 'native' in factory.board_cls
+    ctrl = factory.get_ctrl(env=env)
+    # pylint: disable=unidiomatic-typecheck
+    # in this case we want to know the exact type
+    assert type(ctrl) is riotctrl_ctrl.native.NativeRIOTCtrl
diff --git a/dist/pythonlibs/riotctrl_ctrl/tox.ini b/dist/pythonlibs/riotctrl_ctrl/tox.ini
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1b8ac29b71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/pythonlibs/riotctrl_ctrl/tox.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+[tox]
+envlist = test,flake8
+skipsdist = True
+
+[testenv]
+commands =
+    test:       {[testenv:test]commands}
+    flake8:     {[testenv:flake8]commands}
+
+[testenv:test]
+deps =
+    pytest
+    -rrequirements.txt
+commands =
+    pytest -v --doctest-modules
+
+[testenv:flake8]
+deps = flake8
+commands =
+    flake8 .