diff --git a/apps/openmw_test_suite/CMakeLists.txt b/apps/openmw_test_suite/CMakeLists.txt
index 2300f97a3..24ea1835a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw_test_suite/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/apps/openmw_test_suite/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ if (GTEST_FOUND)
         mwworld/test_store.cpp
 
         mwdialogue/test_keywordsearch.cpp
+
+        esm/test_fixed_string.cpp
     )
 
     source_group(apps\\openmw_test_suite FILES openmw_test_suite.cpp ${UNITTEST_SRC_FILES})
diff --git a/apps/openmw_test_suite/esm/test_fixed_string.cpp b/apps/openmw_test_suite/esm/test_fixed_string.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..59dd7fe66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/openmw_test_suite/esm/test_fixed_string.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+#include "components/esm/esmcommon.hpp"
+
+TEST(EsmFixedString, operator__eq_ne)
+{
+    {
+        SCOPED_TRACE("asdc == asdc");
+        ESM::NAME name;
+        name.assign("asdc");
+        char s[4] = {'a', 's', 'd', 'c'};
+        std::string ss(s, 4);
+
+        EXPECT_TRUE(name == s);
+        EXPECT_TRUE(name == ss.c_str());
+        EXPECT_TRUE(name == ss);
+    }
+    {
+        SCOPED_TRACE("asdc == asdcx");
+        ESM::NAME name;
+        name.assign("asdc");
+        char s[5] = {'a', 's', 'd', 'c', 'x'};
+        std::string ss(s, 5);
+
+        EXPECT_TRUE(name != s);
+        EXPECT_TRUE(name != ss.c_str());
+        EXPECT_TRUE(name != ss);
+    }
+    {
+        SCOPED_TRACE("asdc == asdc[NULL]");
+        ESM::NAME name;
+        name.assign("asdc");
+        char s[5] = {'a', 's', 'd', 'c', '\0'};
+        std::string ss(s, 5);
+
+        EXPECT_TRUE(name == s);
+        EXPECT_TRUE(name == ss.c_str());
+        EXPECT_TRUE(name == ss);
+    }
+}
+
+TEST(EsmFixedString, empty_strings)
+{
+    {
+        SCOPED_TRACE("4 bytes");
+        ESM::NAME empty = ESM::NAME();
+        EXPECT_TRUE(empty == "");
+        EXPECT_TRUE(empty == static_cast<uint32_t>(0));
+        EXPECT_TRUE(empty != "some string");
+        EXPECT_TRUE(empty != static_cast<uint32_t>(42));
+    }
+    {
+        SCOPED_TRACE("32 bytes");
+        ESM::NAME32 empty = ESM::NAME32();
+        EXPECT_TRUE(empty == "");
+        EXPECT_TRUE(empty != "some string");
+    }
+}
+
+TEST(EsmFixedString, struct_size)
+{
+    ASSERT_EQ(4, sizeof(ESM::NAME));
+    ASSERT_EQ(32, sizeof(ESM::NAME32));
+    ASSERT_EQ(64, sizeof(ESM::NAME64));
+    ASSERT_EQ(256, sizeof(ESM::NAME256));
+}
+
+TEST(EsmFixedString, DISABLED_is_pod)
+{
+    /* TODO: enable in C++11
+     * ASSERT_TRUE(std::is_pod<ESM::NAME>::value);
+     * ASSERT_TRUE(std::is_pod<ESM::NAME32>::value);
+     * ASSERT_TRUE(std::is_pod<ESM::NAME64>::value);
+     * ASSERT_TRUE(std::is_pod<ESM::NAME256>::value);
+     */
+}