diff --git a/tests/test_utils_debug.py b/tests/test_utils_debug.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f5fc57bc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_utils_debug.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import pytest
+import sys
+import os
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
+from slic.utils.debug import *
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+class A(Traceable):
+    def __init__(self, a, b, c=None, d=None, **kwargs):
+        self.a = a
+        self.b = b
+        self.c = c
+        self.d = d
+        self.extra = kwargs
+
+class CustomObj:
+    def __init__(self, val):
+        self.val = val
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return f"CustomObj({self.val})"
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "cls, entry, expected",
+    [
+        # A(10, 20)
+        (A, ([10, 20], {}),
+         "creating: A(10, 20)"),
+
+        # A(10, 20, e=100)
+        (A, ([10, 20], {"e": 100}),
+         "creating: A(10, 20, e=100)"),
+
+        # A('foo', [1,2,3], flag=True, data={'x': 9})
+        (A, (['foo', [1,2,3]], {"flag": True, "data": {"x": 9}}),
+         f"creating: A('foo', [1, 2, 3], flag={short_repr(True)}, data={short_repr({'x': 9})})"),
+
+        # A(CustomObj("big"), [0]*12, name="test", meta="y"*70)
+        (A, ([CustomObj("big"), [0]*12], {"name": "test", "meta": "y"*70}),
+         f"creating: A({short_repr(CustomObj('big'))}, {short_repr([0]*12)}, name={short_repr('test')}, meta={short_repr('y'*70)})"),
+
+        # A("A"*60, [0]*5)  # long string, no kwargs
+        (A, (["A"*60, [0]*5], {}),
+         f"creating: A({short_repr('A'*60)}, {short_repr([0]*5)})"),
+    ]
+)
+def test_traceable(cls, entry, expected):
+    args, kwargs = entry
+    with patch("slic.utils.debug.log.trace") as mock_trace:
+        cls(*args, **kwargs)
+        actual = mock_trace.call_args[0][0]
+        assert actual == expected
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "value, cutoff, expected",
+    [
+        ("abc", 10, "'abc'"),
+        ("a" * 100, 10, "'aaaaaaaaaa..."),
+        (12345, 10, "12345"),
+        ([0]*100, 15, str(repr([0]*100))[:15] + "..."),
+        (None, 10, "None"),
+        (type("Obj", (), {"__repr__": lambda self: "Obj(" + "x"*50 + ")"})(), 20, "Obj(xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx..."),
+    ]
+)
+
+def test_short_repr(value, cutoff, expected):
+    assert short_repr(value, cutoff) == expected