diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/TypeTestUtilTest.java b/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/TypeTestUtilTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..07201af5b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/TypeTestUtilTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+/*
+ * BSD-style license; for more info see http://pmd.sourceforge.net/license.html
+ */
+
+package net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.types;
+
+import java.io.Serializable;
+import java.lang.annotation.Annotation;
+
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Rule;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.function.ThrowingRunnable;
+import org.junit.rules.ExpectedException;
+
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTAnnotationTypeDeclaration;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTClassOrInterfaceDeclaration;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTEnumDeclaration;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTMarkerAnnotation;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTName;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.TypeNode;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.symboltable.BaseNonParserTest;
+
+public class TypeTestUtilTest extends BaseNonParserTest {
+
+    @Rule
+    public final ExpectedException expect = ExpectedException.none();
+
+    @Test
+    public void testIsAFallback() {
+
+        ASTClassOrInterfaceDeclaration klass =
+            java.parse("package org; import java.io.Serializable; "
+                           + "class FooBar implements Serializable {}")
+                .getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTClassOrInterfaceDeclaration.class);
+
+
+        Assert.assertNull(klass.getType());
+        Assert.assertTrue(TypeTestUtil.isA("org.FooBar", klass));
+        Assert.assertTrue(TypeTestUtil.isA("java.io.Serializable", klass));
+        Assert.assertTrue(TypeTestUtil.isA(Serializable.class, klass));
+    }
+
+
+    @Test
+    public void testIsAFallbackEnum() {
+
+        ASTEnumDeclaration klass =
+            java.parse("package org; "
+                           + "enum FooBar implements Iterable {}")
+                .getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTEnumDeclaration.class);
+
+
+        Assert.assertNull(klass.getType());
+        Assert.assertTrue(TypeTestUtil.isA("org.FooBar", klass));
+        assertIsA(klass, Iterable.class);
+        assertIsA(klass, Enum.class);
+        assertIsA(klass, Serializable.class);
+        assertIsA(klass, Object.class);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testIsAFallbackAnnotation() {
+
+        ASTAnnotationTypeDeclaration klass =
+            java.parse("package org; import foo.Stuff;"
+                           + "public @interface FooBar {}")
+                .getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTAnnotationTypeDeclaration.class);
+
+
+        Assert.assertNull(klass.getType());
+        Assert.assertTrue(TypeTestUtil.isA("org.FooBar", klass));
+        assertIsA(klass, Annotation.class);
+        assertIsA(klass, Object.class);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * If we don't have the annotation on the classpath,
+     * we should resolve the full name via the import, if possible
+     * and compare then. Only after that, we should compare the
+     * simple names.
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void testIsAFallbackAnnotationSimpleNameImport() {
+        ASTName annotation = java.parse("package org; import foo.Stuff; @Stuff public class FooBar {}")
+                                 .getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTMarkerAnnotation.class).getFirstChildOfType(ASTName.class);
+
+        Assert.assertNull(annotation.getType());
+        Assert.assertTrue(TypeTestUtil.isA("foo.Stuff", annotation));
+        Assert.assertFalse(TypeTestUtil.isA("other.Stuff", annotation));
+        // if the searched class name is not fully qualified, then the search should still be successfull
+        Assert.assertTrue(TypeTestUtil.isA("Stuff", annotation));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNullNode() {
+        Assert.assertFalse(TypeTestUtil.isA(String.class, null));
+        Assert.assertFalse(TypeTestUtil.isA("java.lang.String", null));
+        Assert.assertFalse(TypeTestUtil.isExactlyA(String.class, null));
+        Assert.assertFalse(TypeTestUtil.isExactlyA("java.lang.String", null));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNullClass() {
+        final ASTName node = java.parse("package org; import foo.Stuff; @Stuff public class FooBar {}")
+                                 .getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTMarkerAnnotation.class).getFirstChildOfType(ASTName.class);
+        Assert.assertNotNull(node);
+
+        Assert.assertThrows(NullPointerException.class, new ThrowingRunnable() {
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+                TypeTestUtil.isA((String) null, node);
+            }
+        });
+        Assert.assertThrows(NullPointerException.class, new ThrowingRunnable() {
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+                TypeTestUtil.isA((Class<?>) null, node);
+            }
+        });
+        Assert.assertThrows(NullPointerException.class, new ThrowingRunnable() {
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+                TypeTestUtil.isExactlyA((Class<?>) null, node);
+            }
+        });
+        Assert.assertThrows(NullPointerException.class, new ThrowingRunnable() {
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+                TypeTestUtil.isExactlyA((String) null, node);
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    private void assertIsA(TypeNode node, Class<?> type) {
+        Assert.assertTrue("TypeTestUtil::isA with class arg: " + type.getCanonicalName(),
+                          TypeTestUtil.isA(type, node));
+        Assert.assertTrue("TypeTestUtil::isA with string arg: " + type.getCanonicalName(),
+                          TypeTestUtil.isA(type.getCanonicalName(), node));
+    }
+
+}