diff --git a/test/test-suite/helpers/helpers.py b/test/test-suite/helpers/helpers.py
index c2051724..09cc3b47 100644
--- a/test/test-suite/helpers/helpers.py
+++ b/test/test-suite/helpers/helpers.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ DICOM_FILE = os.path.join(IMAGES, "dicom_test_image.dcm")
 BMP_FILE = os.path.join(IMAGES, "MARBLES.BMP")
 NIFTI_FILE = os.path.join(IMAGES, "avg152T1_LR_nifti.nii.gz")
 ICO_FILE = os.path.join(IMAGES, "favicon.ico")
+HEIC_FILE = os.path.join(IMAGES, "Example1.heic")
 
 unsigned_formats = [pyvips.BandFormat.UCHAR,
                     pyvips.BandFormat.USHORT,
diff --git a/test/test-suite/images/Example1.heic b/test/test-suite/images/Example1.heic
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dfa3d5f0
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/test-suite/images/Example1.heic differ
diff --git a/test/test-suite/test_foreign.py b/test/test-suite/test_foreign.py
index b92940c9..9be1a6ad 100644
--- a/test/test-suite/test_foreign.py
+++ b/test/test-suite/test_foreign.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from helpers import \
     JPEG_FILE, SRGB_FILE, MATLAB_FILE, PNG_FILE, TIF_FILE, OME_FILE, \
     ANALYZE_FILE, GIF_FILE, WEBP_FILE, EXR_FILE, FITS_FILE, OPENSLIDE_FILE, \
     PDF_FILE, SVG_FILE, SVGZ_FILE, SVG_GZ_FILE, GIF_ANIM_FILE, DICOM_FILE, \
-    BMP_FILE, NIFTI_FILE, ICO_FILE, \
+    BMP_FILE, NIFTI_FILE, ICO_FILE, HEIC_FILE, \
     temp_filename, assert_almost_equal_objects, have, skip_if_no
 
 
@@ -561,13 +561,6 @@ class TestForeign:
             assert im.height == 9919
             assert im.bands == 1
 
-        print("NIFTI_FILE =", NIFTI_FILE)
-        im = pyvips.Operation.call("niftiload", NIFTI_FILE)
-        print("width = ", im.width)
-
-        im = pyvips.Operation.call("niftiload", "test/images/avg152T1_LR_nifti.nii.gz")
-        print("width = ", im.width)
-
         self.file_loader("niftiload", NIFTI_FILE, nifti_valid)
         self.save_load("%s.nii.gz", self.mono)
 
@@ -822,5 +815,53 @@ class TestForeign:
         buf = self.colour.dzsave_buffer(region_shrink="mode")
         buf = self.colour.dzsave_buffer(region_shrink="median")
 
+    @skip_if_no("heifload")
+    def test_heifload(self):
+        def heif_valid(im):
+            a = im(10, 10)
+            assert_almost_equal_objects(a, [75.0, 86.0, 81.0])
+            assert im.width == 4032
+            assert im.height == 3024
+            assert im.bands == 3
+
+        self.file_loader("heifload", HEIC_FILE, heif_valid)
+        self.buffer_loader("heifload_buffer", HEIC_FILE, heif_valid)
+        self.save_load_buffer("heifsave_buffer", "heifload_buffer",
+                              self.colour, 70)
+        self.save_load("%s.heic", self.colour)
+
+        # test lossless mode
+        im = pyvips.Image.new_from_file(HEIC_FILE)
+        buf = im.heifsave_buffer(lossless=True)
+        im2 = pyvips.Image.new_from_buffer(buf, "")
+        # not in fact quite lossless
+        assert abs(im.avg() - im2.avg()) < 3
+
+        # higher Q should mean a bigger buffer
+        b1 = im.heifsave_buffer(Q=10)
+        b2 = im.heifsave_buffer(Q=90)
+        assert len(b2) > len(b1)
+
+        # try saving an image with an ICC profile and reading it back 
+        buf = self.colour.heifsave_buffer()
+        im = pyvips.Image.new_from_buffer(buf, "")
+        p1 = self.colour.get("icc-profile-data")
+        p2 = im.get("icc-profile-data")
+        assert p1 == p2
+
+        # add tests for exif, xmp, ipct
+        # the exif test will need us to be able to walk the header,
+        # we can't just check exif-data
+
+        # test that exif changes change the output of heifsave
+        # first make sure we have exif support
+        z = pyvips.Image.new_from_file(JPEG_FILE)
+        if z.get_typeof("exif-ifd0-Orientation") != 0:
+            x = self.colour.copy()
+            x.set("orientation", 6)
+            buf = x.heifsave_buffer()
+            y = pyvips.Image.new_from_buffer(buf, "")
+            assert y.get("orientation") == 6
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     pytest.main()