diff --git a/.dagger/env/test-core/.gitignore b/.dagger/env/test-core/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..01ec19b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.dagger/env/test-core/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# dagger state
+state/**
diff --git a/.dagger/env/test-core/plan/test-core.cue b/.dagger/env/test-core/plan/test-core.cue
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..60122bbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.dagger/env/test-core/plan/test-core.cue
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package testcore
+
+import (
+	"dagger.io/dagger"
+)
+
+name: string | *"world" @dagger(input)
+message: "Hello, \(name)!" @dagger(output)
+
+dir: dagger.#Artifact @dagger(input)
+samedir: dir @dagger(output)
diff --git a/.dagger/env/test-core/values.yaml b/.dagger/env/test-core/values.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..41ba947a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.dagger/env/test-core/values.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+plan:
+    module: .dagger/env/test-core/plan
+name: test-core
+inputs:
+    dir:
+        dir:
+            path: ./tests
+sops:
+    kms: []
+    gcp_kms: []
+    azure_kv: []
+    hc_vault: []
+    age:
+        - recipient: age1gxwmtwahzwdmrskhf90ppwlnze30lgpm056kuesrxzeuyclrwvpsupwtpk
+          enc: |
+            -----BEGIN AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
+            YWdlLWVuY3J5cHRpb24ub3JnL3YxCi0+IFgyNTUxOSBhOW1rUy9vNFBDaXRDUHJu
+            ZVZYM1FucVorRDdUcmRaYmg3eTlTNzhhYWdjCndWZWxhZnhCZG4xZU9JQ1VyMXdR
+            OHY0TS81bk9FL2JuUEhuTmcxa29ORGcKLS0tIGxJUzNrZmRBNHZGRFY2Z01QK2JP
+            MlM1Ukdqbi9SQ0pqTi9FZ3MxN2E2QmsKHwd7P6KHPVdynOoto1jf3G4+5+vf87wU
+            HX1KD7Od5wRdBwn7r3OS8mdvuNIYpJDUb5YDrfjQypt020ohLocNiA==
+            -----END AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
+    lastmodified: "2021-06-17T14:07:53Z"
+    mac: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:afYut7wdvsJQgxlBg6NEV6DWk8vPi81mZgQAuWb4oe4WJeI1T9cYdtjOHPlmIpjqb86VQHJ29YTzektei2+k+VBawQxcsvefK7X1QboJTfMKLfsiug4qzNWjc7JZDvTb6dsDFM1U96gjSoAIVwdLMnucbu3681Fd7qSQgqNS61Q=,iv:ZQDHzXp0RJcUI4RtOVjdepV8zTa2kIHQhAltLkudDck=,tag:AnSFi1mKrEuXSqE4R+g7dw==,type:str]
+    pgp: []
+    encrypted_suffix: secret
+    version: 3.7.1
diff --git a/tests/core.bats b/tests/core.bats
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..542c9eae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/core.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# Test core Dagger features & types
+
+setup() {
+    load 'helpers'
+
+    common_setup
+
+    # Use native Dagger environment here
+    unset DAGGER_WORKSPACE
+}
+
+@test "core: inputs" {
+   # List available inputs
+   run dagger -e test-core input list
+   assert_success
+   assert_output --partial 'name'
+   assert_output --partial 'dir'
+
+   # Set text input
+   dagger -e test-core input text name Bob
+   run dagger -e test-core up
+   assert_success
+   assert_output --partial 'Hello, Bob!'
+
+   # Unset text input
+   dagger -e test-core input unset name
+   run dagger -e test-core up
+   assert_success
+   assert_output --partial 'Hello, world!'
+}
diff --git a/tests/helpers.bash b/tests/helpers.bash
index 6eeca33a..e4f231c9 100644
--- a/tests/helpers.bash
+++ b/tests/helpers.bash
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ dagger_new_with_plan() {
 
 }
 
+# dagger helper to execute the right binary
+dagger() {
+    "${DAGGER}" "$@"
+}
+
 skip_unless_secrets_available() {
     local inputFile="$1"
     sops exec-file "$inputFile" echo  > /dev/null 2>&1 || skip "$inputFile cannot be decrypted"
@@ -38,4 +43,4 @@ skip_unless_local_kube() {
     else
         skip "local kubernetes cluster not available"
     fi
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}