diff --git a/.github/workflows/code.yml b/.github/workflows/code.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9239011
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/code.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+name: Unit Tests & Code Coverage
+
+on:
+  # Triggers the workflow on push or pull request events but only for the main branch
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+  workflow_dispatch: # allow manual triggering
+
+defaults:
+  run:
+    shell: bash -l {0}
+
+jobs:
+  lint:
+    name: Code style
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.11"
+
+      - name: Upgrade pip & test with pre-commit
+        run: |
+          set -vxeuo pipefail
+          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+          python -m pip install pre-commit
+          pre-commit run --all-files
+
+  test-matrix:
+    name: Python ${{ matrix.python-version }} # - Redis ${{ matrix.redis-version }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: lint
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        python-version:
+          - "3.9"
+          - "3.10"
+          - "3.11"
+          - "3.12"
+          # - "3.13"  waiting for upstream packages
+        # redis-version:
+        #   # - "6"
+        #   - "7"
+      max-parallel: 5
+    env:
+      DISPLAY: ":99.0"
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install OS libraries to test Linux PyQt apps
+        run: |
+          sudo apt update -y
+          sudo apt install -y \
+            libxcb-icccm4 \
+            libxcb-image0 \
+            libxcb-keysyms1 \
+            libxcb-randr0 \
+            libxcb-render-util0 \
+            libxcb-xinerama0 \
+            libxcb-xfixes0 \
+            libxkbcommon-x11-0 \
+            screen \
+            x11-utils \
+            xvfb
+
+      # FIXME: conflicts if redis is running on host (local runners)
+      # - name: Start Redis
+      #   uses: supercharge/redis-github-action@1.7.0
+      #   with:
+      #     redis-version: ${{ matrix.redis-version }}
+      #     redis-remove-container: true # false by default
+
+      - name: Create environment Python ${{ matrix.python-version }} # - Redis ${{ matrix.redis-version }}
+        # needed for Unpack step
+        uses: mamba-org/setup-micromamba@v1
+        with:
+          cache-environment: true
+          cache-environment-key: env-key-${{ matrix.python-version }}
+          condarc: |
+            channel-priority: flexible
+          # environment-file: environment.yml
+          environment-name: anaconda-test-env-py-${{ matrix.python-version }} # -${{ matrix.redis-version }}
+          create-args: >-
+            coveralls
+            pytest
+            pytest-cov
+            pytest-qt
+            pytest-xvfb
+            python=${{ matrix.python-version }}
+            setuptools-scm
+            pyqt>5.15
+            pyepics
+
+      - name: Install this package with pip
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          set -vxeuo pipefail
+          pip install -e .
+
+      - name: Run tests with pytest & coverage
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          set -vxeuo pipefail
+          coverage run --concurrency=thread --parallel-mode -m pytest -vvv --exitfirst .
+          coverage combine
+          coverage report --precision 3
+
+      - name: Upload coverage data to coveralls.io
+        shell: bash -l {0}
+        run: |
+          set -vxeuo pipefail
+          micromamba list coveralls
+          which coveralls
+          coveralls debug
+          if [ "${GITHUB_TOKEN}" != "" ]; then
+            # only upload from GitHub runner
+            coveralls --service=github
+          else
+            echo "No credentials for upload to coveralls."
+          fi
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          COVERALLS_FLAG_NAME: ${{ matrix.python-version }} # -${{ matrix.redis-version }}
+          COVERALLS_PARALLEL: true
+
+  # https://coveralls-python.readthedocs.io/en/latest/usage/configuration.html#github-actions-support
+  coveralls:
+    name: Report unit test coverage to coveralls
+    needs: test-matrix
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: python:3-slim
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Gather coverage and report to Coveralls
+        run: |
+          set -vxeuo pipefail
+          echo "Finally!"
+          pip3 install --upgrade coveralls
+          # debug mode: output prepared json and reported files list to stdout
+          # https://coveralls-python.readthedocs.io/en/latest/troubleshooting.html
+          coveralls debug
+          if [ "${GITHUB_TOKEN}" != "" ]; then
+            # only upload from GitHub runner
+            coveralls --service=github --finish
+          else
+            echo "No credentials for upload to coveralls."
+          fi
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 0dca057..4198342 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ maintainers = [
     { name = "Rafael Vescovi", email = "rvescovi@anl.gov" },
 ]
 readme = "README.md"
-requires-python = ">=3.10"
+requires-python = ">=3.9"
 keywords = ['bluesky', 'queueserver']
 license = { file = "src/instrument/LICENSE" }
 classifiers = [
@@ -127,7 +127,8 @@ addopts = ["--import-mode=importlib", "-x"]
 junit_family = "xunit1"
 filterwarnings = [
     "ignore::DeprecationWarning",
-    "ignore::pottery.exceptions.InefficientAccessWarning",
+    "ignore::PendingDeprecationWarning",
+    # "ignore::pottery.exceptions.InefficientAccessWarning",
 ]
 
 [tool.ruff]
diff --git a/src/instrument/tests/test_general.py b/src/instrument/tests/test_general.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2de9e5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/instrument/tests/test_general.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+"""
+Test that instrument can be started.
+
+Here is just enough test to get a CI workflow started. More are possible.
+"""
+
+import pytest
+
+from ..startup import RE
+from ..startup import bec
+from ..startup import cat
+from ..startup import iconfig
+from ..startup import peaks
+from ..startup import running_in_queueserver
+from ..startup import sd
+from ..startup import sim_count_plan
+from ..startup import sim_print_plan
+from ..startup import sim_rel_scan_plan
+from ..startup import specwriter
+
+
+def test_startup():
+    """Test that standard startup works."""
+    assert cat is not None
+    assert bec is not None
+    assert peaks is not None
+    assert sd is not None
+    assert iconfig is not None
+    assert RE is not None
+    assert specwriter is not None
+    assert len(cat) == 0
+    assert not running_in_queueserver()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "plan, n_uids",
+    [
+        [sim_print_plan, 0],
+        [sim_count_plan, 1],
+        [sim_rel_scan_plan, 1],
+    ],
+)
+def test_sim_plans(plan, n_uids):
+    """Test supplied simulator plans."""
+    bec.disable_plots()
+    n_runs = len(cat)
+    uids = RE(plan())
+    assert len(uids) == n_uids
+    assert len(cat) == n_runs + len(uids)
+
+
+def test_iconfig():
+    """Test the instrument configuration."""
+    version = iconfig.get("ICONFIG_VERSION", "0.0.0")
+    assert version >= "2.0.0"
+
+    cat_name = iconfig.get("DATABROKER_CATALOG")
+    assert cat_name is not None
+    assert cat_name == cat.name
+
+    assert "RUN_ENGINE" in iconfig
+    assert "DEFAULT_METADATA" in iconfig["RUN_ENGINE"]
+
+    default_md = iconfig["RUN_ENGINE"]["DEFAULT_METADATA"]
+    assert "beamline_id" in default_md
+    assert "instrument_name" in default_md
+    assert "proposal_id" in default_md
+    assert "databroker_catalog" in default_md
+    assert default_md["databroker_catalog"] == cat.name
+
+    xmode = iconfig.get("XMODE_DEBUG_LEVEL")
+    assert xmode is not None