diff --git a/.devcontainer/Dockerfile b/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
index 70ca413..7941bc9 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
+++ b/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ RUN python -m pip install --upgrade pip
 COPY . .
 
 # install devcontainer requirements
-RUN pip install -e .[dev]
+RUN pip install -e .[dev,test]
 
 # install docs requirements
 RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r docs/requirements.txt
diff --git a/.github/workflows/.python-version b/.github/workflows/.python-version
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4fba21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/.python-version
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+3.12
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests-pytest.yml b/.github/workflows/tests-pytest.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c4a066
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests-pytest.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+name: Pytest
+
+on: [push, pull_request, workflow_call]
+
+jobs:
+  pytest:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      # Gives the action the necessary permissions for publishing new
+      # comments in pull requests.
+      pull-requests: write
+      # Gives the action the necessary permissions for pushing data to the
+      # python-coverage-comment-action branch, and for editing existing
+      # comments (to avoid publishing multiple comments in the same PR)
+      contents: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install system packages
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update -y
+          sudo apt-get install -y gettext
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version-file: .github/workflows/.python-version
+          cache: pip
+          cache-dependency-path: "**/pyproject.toml"
+
+      - name: Install Python dependencies
+        run: pip install -e .[test]
+
+      - name: Run setup
+        run: ./bin/init.sh
+
+      - name: Run tests
+        run: ./tests/pytest/run.sh
+
+      - name: Upload coverage report
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: coverage-report
+          path: pems/static/coverage
+
+      - name: Coverage comment
+        uses: py-cov-action/python-coverage-comment-action@v3
+        with:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          MINIMUM_GREEN: 90
+          MINIMUM_ORANGE: 80
diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
index 1698f7b..d34973e 100644
--- a/.vscode/settings.json
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
     "editor.defaultFormatter": "ms-python.black-formatter"
   },
   "python.languageServer": "Pylance",
+  "python.testing.pytestArgs": ["tests/pytest"],
+  "python.testing.pytestEnabled": true,
+  "python.testing.unittestEnabled": false,
   "workbench.editorAssociations": {
     "*.db": "sqlite-viewer.option"
   }
diff --git a/pems/core/__init__.py b/pems/core/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/pems/core/middleware.py b/pems/core/middleware.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..284c2ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pems/core/middleware.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+"""
+The core application: middleware definitions for request/response cycle.
+"""
+
+from django.http import HttpResponse
+
+HEALTHCHECK_PATH = "/healthcheck"
+
+
+class Healthcheck:
+    """Middleware intercepts and accepts /healthcheck requests."""
+
+    def __init__(self, get_response):
+        self.get_response = get_response
+
+    def __call__(self, request):
+        if request.path == HEALTHCHECK_PATH:
+            return HttpResponse("Healthy", content_type="text/plain")
+        return self.get_response(request)
diff --git a/pems/settings.py b/pems/settings.py
index d034edf..d834a1f 100644
--- a/pems/settings.py
+++ b/pems/settings.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ def _filter_empty(ls):
 MIDDLEWARE = [
     "django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware",
     "django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware",
+    "pems.core.middleware.Healthcheck",
     "django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware",
     "django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware",
     "django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware",
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 82f7ddc..1ddcf1e 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ dev = [
     "pre-commit"
 ]
 
+test = [
+    "coverage",
+    "pytest",
+    "pytest-django",
+    "pytest-mock",
+    "pytest-socket",
+]
+
 [project.urls]
 Code = "https://github.com/compilerla/pems"
 Homepage = "https://compilerla.github.io/pems/"
@@ -34,6 +42,14 @@ line-length = 127
 target-version = ['py312']
 include = '\.pyi?$'
 
+[tool.coverage.run]
+branch = true
+relative_files = true
+source = ["pems"]
+
+[tool.pytest.ini_options]
+DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE = "pems.settings"
+
 [tool.setuptools.packages.find]
 include = ["pems*"]
 namespaces = false
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/tests/pytest/__init__.py b/tests/pytest/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/tests/pytest/conftest.py b/tests/pytest/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4e630a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pytest/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+from pytest_socket import disable_socket
+
+
+def pytest_runtest_setup():
+    disable_socket()
diff --git a/tests/pytest/core/__init__.py b/tests/pytest/core/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/tests/pytest/core/test_middleware_healthcheck.py b/tests/pytest/core/test_middleware_healthcheck.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1519fa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pytest/core/test_middleware_healthcheck.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+from pems.core.middleware import HEALTHCHECK_PATH
+
+
+def test_healthcheck(client):
+    response = client.get(HEALTHCHECK_PATH)
+    assert response.status_code == 200
diff --git a/tests/pytest/run.sh b/tests/pytest/run.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a1fbf69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pytest/run.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -eu
+
+# run normal pytests
+coverage run -m pytest
+
+# clean out old coverage results
+rm -rf pems/static/coverage
+
+coverage html --directory pems/static/coverage