diff --git a/utils/junit/src/main/java/org/onlab/junit/ExceptionTest.java b/utils/junit/src/main/java/org/onlab/junit/ExceptionTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09b3fe3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/junit/src/main/java/org/onlab/junit/ExceptionTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2015 Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * 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 org.onlab.junit;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertSame;
+
+/**
+ * Base for exception tests.
+ */
+public abstract class ExceptionTest {
+
+    protected static final Throwable CAUSE = new RuntimeException("boom");
+    protected static final String MESSAGE = "Uh oh.... boom";
+
+    protected abstract Exception getDefault();
+    protected abstract Exception getWithMessage();
+    protected abstract Exception getWithMessageAndCause();
+
+    @Test
+    public void noMessageNoCause() {
+        Exception e = getDefault();
+        assertEquals("incorrect message", null, e.getMessage());
+        assertEquals("incorrect cause", null, e.getCause());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void withMessage() {
+        Exception e = getWithMessage();
+        assertEquals("incorrect message", MESSAGE, e.getMessage());
+        assertEquals("incorrect cause", null, e.getCause());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void withCause() {
+        Exception e = getWithMessageAndCause();
+        assertEquals("incorrect message", MESSAGE, e.getMessage());
+        assertSame("incorrect cause", CAUSE, e.getCause());
+    }
+}