diff --git a/hack/cmd/teststale/teststale_test.go b/hack/cmd/teststale/teststale_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..90dd47bd90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hack/cmd/teststale/teststale_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2016 The Kubernetes Authors All rights reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"math/rand"
+	"os"
+	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+const (
+	// seed for rand.Source to generate data for files
+	seed int64 = 42
+
+	// 1K binary file
+	binLen = 1024
+
+	// Directory of the test package relative to $GOPATH
+	testImportDir = "example.com/proj/pkg"
+)
+
+var (
+	pastHour = time.Now().Add(-1 * time.Hour)
+
+	// The test package we are testing against
+	testPkg = path.Join(testImportDir, "test")
+)
+
+// fakegolist implements the `golist` interface providing fake package information for testing.
+type fakegolist struct {
+	dir       string
+	importMap map[string]pkg
+	testFiles []string
+	binfile   string
+}
+
+func newFakegolist() (*fakegolist, error) {
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "teststale")
+	if err != nil {
+		// test can't proceed without a temp directory.
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create a temp directory for testing: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Set the temp directory as the $GOPATH
+	if err := os.Setenv("GOPATH", dir); err != nil {
+		// can't proceed without pointing the $GOPATH to the temp directory.
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to set \"$GOPATH\" pointing to %q: %v", dir, err)
+	}
+
+	// Setup $GOPATH directory layout.
+	// Yeah! I am bored of repeatedly writing "if err != nil {}"!
+	if os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "bin"), 0750) != nil ||
+		os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "pkg", "linux_amd64"), 0750) != nil ||
+		os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "src"), 0750) != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to setup the $GOPATH directory structure")
+	}
+
+	// Create a temp file to represent the test binary.
+	binfile, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "testbin")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create the temp file to represent the test binary: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Could have used crypto/rand instead, but it doesn't matter.
+	rr := rand.New(rand.NewSource(42))
+	bin := make([]byte, binLen)
+	if _, err = rr.Read(bin); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("couldn't read from the random source: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := binfile.Write(bin); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("couldn't write to the binary file %q: %v", binfile.Name(), err)
+	}
+	if err := binfile.Close(); err != nil {
+		// It is arguable whether this should be fatal.
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to close the binary file %q: %v", binfile.Name(), err)
+	}
+
+	if err := os.Chtimes(binfile.Name(), time.Now(), time.Now()); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to modify the mtime of the binary file %q: %v", binfile.Name(), err)
+	}
+
+	// Create test source files directory.
+	testdir := filepath.Join(dir, "src", testPkg)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(testdir, 0750); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create test source directory %q: %v", testdir, err)
+	}
+
+	fgl := &fakegolist{
+		dir: dir,
+		importMap: map[string]pkg{
+			"example.com/proj/pkg/test": {
+				Dir:        path.Join(dir, "src", testPkg),
+				ImportPath: testPkg,
+				Target:     path.Join(dir, "pkg", "linux_amd64", testImportDir, "test.a"),
+				Stale:      false,
+				TestGoFiles: []string{
+					"foo_test.go",
+					"bar_test.go",
+				},
+				TestImports: []string{
+					"example.com/proj/pkg/p1",
+					"example.com/proj/pkg/p1/c11",
+					"example.com/proj/pkg/p2",
+					"example.com/proj/cmd/p3/c12/c23",
+					"strings",
+					"testing",
+				},
+				XTestGoFiles: []string{
+					"xfoo_test.go",
+					"xbar_test.go",
+					"xbaz_test.go",
+				},
+				XTestImports: []string{
+					"example.com/proj/pkg/test",
+					"example.com/proj/pkg/p1",
+					"example.com/proj/cmd/p3/c12/c23",
+					"os",
+					"testing",
+				},
+			},
+			"example.com/proj/pkg/p1":         {Stale: false},
+			"example.com/proj/pkg/p1/c11":     {Stale: false},
+			"example.com/proj/pkg/p2":         {Stale: false},
+			"example.com/proj/cmd/p3/c12/c23": {Stale: false},
+			"strings":                         {Stale: false},
+			"testing":                         {Stale: false},
+			"os":                              {Stale: false},
+		},
+		testFiles: []string{
+			"foo_test.go",
+			"bar_test.go",
+			"xfoo_test.go",
+			"xbar_test.go",
+			"xbaz_test.go",
+		},
+		binfile: binfile.Name(),
+	}
+
+	// Create test source files.
+	for _, fn := range fgl.testFiles {
+		fp := filepath.Join(testdir, fn)
+		if _, err := os.Create(fp); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create the test file %q: %v", fp, err)
+		}
+		if err := os.Chtimes(fp, time.Now(), pastHour); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to modify the mtime of the test file %q: %v", binfile.Name(), err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return fgl, nil
+}
+
+func (fgl *fakegolist) pkgInfo(pkgPaths []string) ([]pkg, error) {
+	var pkgs []pkg
+	for _, path := range pkgPaths {
+		p, ok := fgl.importMap[path]
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("package %q not found", path)
+		}
+		pkgs = append(pkgs, p)
+	}
+	return pkgs, nil
+}
+
+func (fgl *fakegolist) cleanup() {
+	os.RemoveAll(fgl.dir)
+	os.Remove(fgl.binfile)
+}
+
+func TestIsTestStale(t *testing.T) {
+	fgl, err := newFakegolist()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to setup the test: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer fgl.cleanup()
+
+	if isTestStale(fgl, fgl.binfile, testPkg) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected test package %q to be not stale", testPkg)
+	}
+}