diff --git a/heatclient/tests/functional/__init__.py b/heatclient/tests/functional/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/heatclient/tests/functional/base.py b/heatclient/tests/functional/base.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2f833415
--- /dev/null
+++ b/heatclient/tests/functional/base.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#    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.
+
+import os
+
+from tempest_lib.cli import base
+
+
+class ClientTestBase(base.ClientTestBase):
+    """This is a first pass at a simple read only python-heatclient test.
+    This only exercises client commands that are read only.
+
+    This should test commands:
+    * as a regular user
+    * as a admin user
+    * with and without optional parameters
+    * initially just check return codes, and later test command outputs
+    """
+
+    def _get_clients(self):
+        cli_dir = os.environ.get(
+            'OS_HEATCLIENT_EXEC_DIR',
+            os.path.join(os.path.abspath('.'), '.tox/functional/bin'))
+
+        return base.CLIClient(
+            username=os.environ.get('OS_USERNAME'),
+            password=os.environ.get('OS_PASSWORD'),
+            tenant_name=os.environ.get('OS_TENANT_NAME'),
+            uri=os.environ.get('OS_AUTH_URL'),
+            cli_dir=cli_dir)
+
+    def heat(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        return self.clients.heat(*args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/heatclient/tests/functional/templates/heat_minimal.yaml b/heatclient/tests/functional/templates/heat_minimal.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d85e22ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/heatclient/tests/functional/templates/heat_minimal.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+HeatTemplateFormatVersion: '2012-12-12'
+Description: Minimal template to test validation
+Parameters:
+  InstanceImage:
+    Description: Glance image name
+    Type: String
+  InstanceType:
+    Description: Nova instance type
+    Type: String
+    Default: m1.small
+    AllowedValues: [m1.tiny, m1.small, m1.medium, m1.large, m1.nano, m1.xlarge, m1.micro, m1.heat]
+    ConstraintDescription: must be a valid nova instance type.
+Resources:
+  InstanceResource:
+    Type: OS::Nova::Server
+    Properties:
+      flavor: {Ref: InstanceType}
+      image: {Ref: InstanceImage}
diff --git a/heatclient/tests/functional/templates/heat_minimal_hot.yaml b/heatclient/tests/functional/templates/heat_minimal_hot.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c4eb8b4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/heatclient/tests/functional/templates/heat_minimal_hot.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+heat_template_version: 2015-04-30
+description: A minimal HOT test template
+parameters:
+  instance_image:
+    description: Glance image name
+    type: string
+  instance_type:
+    description: Nova instance type
+    type: string
+    default: m1.small
+    constraints:
+        - allowed_values: [m1.tiny, m1.small, m1.medium, m1.large, m1.nano, m1.xlarge, m1.micro, m1.heat]
+          description: must be a valid nova instance type.
+resources:
+    instance:
+        type: OS::Nova::Server
+        properties:
+            image: { get_param: instance_image }
+            flavor: { get_param: instance_type }
diff --git a/heatclient/tests/functional/test_readonly_heat.py b/heatclient/tests/functional/test_readonly_heat.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ab04566c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/heatclient/tests/functional/test_readonly_heat.py
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+#    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.
+
+import json
+import os
+
+from tempest_lib import exceptions
+import yaml
+
+from heatclient.tests.functional import base
+
+
+class SimpleReadOnlyHeatClientTest(base.ClientTestBase):
+    """Basic, read-only tests for Heat CLI client.
+    Basic smoke test for the heat CLI commands which do not require
+    creating or modifying stacks.
+    """
+
+    def test_heat_fake_action(self):
+        self.assertRaises(exceptions.CommandFailed,
+                          self.heat,
+                          'this-does-not-exist')
+
+    def test_heat_stack_list(self):
+        self.heat('stack-list')
+
+    def test_heat_stack_list_debug(self):
+        self.heat('stack-list', flags='--debug')
+
+    def test_heat_resource_template_fmt_default(self):
+        ret = self.heat('resource-template OS::Nova::Server')
+        self.assertIn('Type: OS::Nova::Server', ret)
+
+    def test_heat_resource_template_fmt_arg_short_yaml(self):
+        ret = self.heat('resource-template -F yaml OS::Nova::Server')
+        self.assertIn('Type: OS::Nova::Server', ret)
+        self.assertIsInstance(yaml.safe_load(ret), dict)
+
+    def test_heat_resource_template_fmt_arg_long_json(self):
+        ret = self.heat('resource-template --format json OS::Nova::Server')
+        self.assertIn('"Type": "OS::Nova::Server"', ret)
+        self.assertIsInstance(json.loads(ret), dict)
+
+    def test_heat_resource_type_list(self):
+        ret = self.heat('resource-type-list')
+        rsrc_types = self.parser.listing(ret)
+        self.assertTableStruct(rsrc_types, ['resource_type'])
+
+    def test_heat_resource_type_show(self):
+        rsrc_schema = self.heat('resource-type-show OS::Nova::Server')
+        # resource-type-show returns a json resource schema
+        self.assertIsInstance(json.loads(rsrc_schema), dict)
+
+    def _template_validate(self, templ_name):
+        heat_template_path = os.path.join(
+            os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)),
+            'templates/%s' % templ_name)
+        ret = self.heat('template-validate -f %s' % heat_template_path)
+        # On success template-validate returns a json representation
+        # of the template parameters
+        self.assertIsInstance(json.loads(ret), dict)
+
+    def test_heat_template_validate_yaml(self):
+        self._template_validate('heat_minimal.yaml')
+
+    def test_heat_template_validate_hot(self):
+        self._template_validate('heat_minimal_hot.yaml')
+
+    def test_heat_help(self):
+        self.heat('help')
+
+    def test_heat_bash_completion(self):
+        self.heat('bash-completion')
+
+    def test_heat_help_cmd(self):
+        # Check requesting help for a specific command works
+        help_text = self.heat('help resource-template')
+        lines = help_text.split('\n')
+        self.assertFirstLineStartsWith(lines, 'usage: heat resource-template')
+
+    def test_heat_version(self):
+        self.heat('', flags='--version')
diff --git a/test-requirements.txt b/test-requirements.txt
index 598da17b..a4bba485 100644
--- a/test-requirements.txt
+++ b/test-requirements.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ mox3>=0.7.0
 oslosphinx>=2.5.0  # Apache-2.0
 oslotest>=1.5.1  # Apache-2.0
 sphinx>=1.1.2,!=1.2.0,!=1.3b1,<1.3
+tempest-lib>=0.5.0
 testrepository>=0.0.18
 testscenarios>=0.4
 testtools>=0.9.36,!=1.2.0
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index dde3632e..6110c789 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ whitelist_externals = bash
 [testenv:venv]
 commands = {posargs}
 
+[testenv:functional]
+setenv =
+  OS_TEST_PATH = ./heatclient/tests/functional
+passenv = OS_*
+
 [testenv:cover]
 commands = python setup.py testr --coverage --testr-args='{posargs}'