diff --git a/cmd/datasetRetriever/main.go b/cmd/datasetRetriever/main.go
index 2f8adaf..77f52a4 100644
--- a/cmd/datasetRetriever/main.go
+++ b/cmd/datasetRetriever/main.go
@@ -21,10 +21,11 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
-	"github.com/paulscherrerinstitute/scicat/datasetUtils"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/paulscherrerinstitute/scicat/datasetUtils"
+
 	"github.com/fatih/color"
 )
 
@@ -69,11 +70,26 @@ func main() {
 
 	flag.Parse()
 
+	// param test only
+	if datasetUtils.TestFlags != nil {
+		datasetUtils.TestFlags(map[string]interface{}{
+			"retrieve":   *retrieveFlag,
+			"user":       *userpass,
+			"token":      *token,
+			"nochksum":   *nochksumFlag,
+			"dataset":    *datasetId,
+			"ownergroup": *ownerGroup,
+			"testenv":    *testenvFlag,
+			"devenv":     *devenvFlag,
+			"version":    *showVersion})
+		return
+	}
+
 	if *showVersion {
 		fmt.Printf("%s\n", VERSION)
 		return
 	}
-	
+
 	datasetUtils.CheckForNewVersion(client, APP, VERSION)
 
 	var env string
diff --git a/cmd/datasetRetriever/main_test.go b/cmd/datasetRetriever/main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab823de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/datasetRetriever/main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/paulscherrerinstitute/scicat/datasetUtils"
+)
+
+func TestMainFlags(t *testing.T) {
+	// test cases
+	tests := []struct {
+		name  string
+		flags map[string]interface{}
+		args  []string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "Test without flags",
+			flags: map[string]interface{}{
+				"retrieve":   false,
+				"nochksum":   false,
+				"testenv":    false,
+				"devenv":     false,
+				"version":    false,
+				"user":       "",
+				"token":      "",
+				"dataset":    "",
+				"ownergroup": "",
+			},
+			args: []string{"test"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Set all flags",
+			flags: map[string]interface{}{
+				"retrieve":   true,
+				"nochksum":   true,
+				"testenv":    true,
+				"devenv":     true,
+				"version":    true,
+				"user":       "usertest:passtest",
+				"token":      "token",
+				"dataset":    "some dataset",
+				"ownergroup": "some owners",
+			},
+			args: []string{
+				"test",
+				"--retrieve",
+				"--nochksum",
+				"--testenv",
+				"--devenv",
+				"--user",
+				"usertest:passtest",
+				"--token",
+				"token",
+				"--dataset",
+				"some dataset",
+				"--ownergroup",
+				"some owners",
+				"--version",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	// running test cases
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			flag.CommandLine = flag.NewFlagSet(test.name, flag.ExitOnError)
+			datasetUtils.TestFlags = func(flags map[string]interface{}) {
+				passing := true
+				for flag := range test.flags {
+					if flags[flag] != test.flags[flag] {
+						t.Logf("%s's value should be \"%v\" but it's \"%v\", or non-matching type", flag, test.flags[flag], flags[flag])
+						passing = false
+					}
+				}
+				if !passing {
+					t.Fail()
+				}
+			}
+
+			os.Args = test.args
+			main()
+		})
+	}
+}