diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index 3dac56c..b735f53 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -60,3 +60,9 @@ ESCAPE="String \" inside \" other "
 DOUBLE="I will be used"
 DOUBLE="This will be ignored"
 ```
+
+## Development
+
+Unit tests have to be run from base folder with
+
+`vendor/bin/phpunit test/phpUnitTests/`
diff --git a/test/.env b/test/.env
deleted file mode 120000
index 8bc5673..0000000
--- a/test/.env
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-phpUnitTests/dotenv/test.env
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/env/.gitignore b/test/env/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/test/phpUnitTests/DotEnvTest.php b/test/phpUnitTests/DotEnvTest.php
index 11296fd..00e5910 100644
--- a/test/phpUnitTests/DotEnvTest.php
+++ b/test/phpUnitTests/DotEnvTest.php
@@ -13,6 +13,32 @@ use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
  */
 final class DotEnvTest extends TestCase
 {
+	/**
+	 * setup the .env files before test run
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	protected function setUp(): void
+	{
+		// create .env files
+		$file_content = __DIR__ . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+			. 'dotenv' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+			. 'test.env';
+		$env_files = [
+			__DIR__ . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+				. 'dotenv' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+				. '.env',
+			__DIR__ . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+				. '.env',
+		];
+		// if not found, skip -> all will fail
+		if (is_file($file_content)) {
+			foreach ($env_files as $env_file) {
+				copy($file_content, $env_file);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Undocumented function
 	 *
diff --git a/test/phpUnitTests/dotenv/.env b/test/phpUnitTests/dotenv/.env
deleted file mode 120000
index a67af1f..0000000
--- a/test/phpUnitTests/dotenv/.env
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-test.env
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/phpUnitTests/dotenv/.env b/test/phpUnitTests/dotenv/.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..46d3456
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/phpUnitTests/dotenv/.env
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# enviroment file
+SOMETHING=A
+OTHER="B IS B"
+Complex="A B \"D is F"
+# COMMENT
+HAS_SPACE= "ABC";
+# COMMENT AT END
+HAS_COMMENT_QUOTES_SPACE="Comment at end with quotes and space" # Comment QE
+HAS_COMMENT_QUOTES_NO_SPACE="Comment at end with quotes no space"# Comment QES
+HAS_COMMENT_NO_QUOTES_SPACE=Comment at end no quotes and space # Comment NQE
+HAS_COMMENT_NO_QUOTES_NO_SPACE=Comment at end no quotes no space# Comment NQES
+COMMENT_IN_TEXT_QUOTES="Foo bar # comment in here"
+FAILURE = ABC
+SIMPLEBOX= A B  C
+TITLE=1
+FOO=1.2
+SOME.TEST=Test Var
+SOME.LIVE=Live Var
+# VAR TESTS -
+A_TEST1 = foo
+A_TEST2 = ${TEST1:-bar} # TEST1 is set so the value of TEST2 = foo
+A_TEST3 = ${TEST4:-bar} # TEST4 is not set so the value of TEST3 = bar
+A_TEST5 = null
+A_TEST6 = ${TEST5-bar} # TEST5 is set but empty so the value of TEST6 = null
+A_TEST7 = ${TEST6:-bar} # TEST5 is set and empty so the value of TEST7 = bar
+# VAR TESTS =
+B_TEST1 = foo
+B_TEST2 = ${TEST1:=bar} # TEST1 is set so the value of TEST2 = foo
+B_TEST3 = ${TEST4:=bar} # TEST4 is not set so the value of TEST3 = bar and TEST4 = bar
+B_TEST5 = null
+B_TEST6 = ${TEST5=bar} # TEST5 is set but emtpy so the value of TEST6 = null
+B_TEST7 = ${TEST6=bar} # TEST5 is set and empty so the value of TEST7 = bar and TEST5 = bar
+# VAR TEST END
+Test="A"
+TEST="B"
+TEST="D"
+LINE="ABC
+DEF"
+OTHERLINE="ABC
+AF\"ASFASDF
+MORESHIT"
+SUPERLINE=
+"asfasfasf"
+   __FOO_BAR_1 = b
+	__FOOFOO	=	f     
+123123=number
+EMPTY=
+= flase
+asfasdf
diff --git a/test/read_env_file.php b/test/read_env_file.php
index fb85909..97b511d 100644
--- a/test/read_env_file.php
+++ b/test/read_env_file.php
@@ -6,10 +6,27 @@ $loader = require '../vendor/autoload.php';
 $loader->addPsr4('gullevek\\', __DIR__ . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . '..' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'src');
 use gullevek\dotEnv\DotEnv;
 
-print "BASE: " . __DIR__ . "<br>";
-print "ORIG: <pre>" . file_get_contents(__DIR__ . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . '.env') . "</pre>";
+// copy test file to .env file in env folder
+$file_content = __DIR__ . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+	. 'phpUnitTests' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+	. 'dotenv' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+	. 'test.env';
+// env folder
+$env_file = __DIR__ . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+	. 'env' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+	. '.env';
+if (!is_file($file_content)) {
+	die("Cannot read $file_content");
+}
+if (copy($file_content, $env_file) === false) {
+	die("Cannot copy $file_content to $env_file");
+}
 
-$status = DotEnv::readEnvFile(__DIR__);
+print "BASE: " . __DIR__ . "<br>";
+print "ENV: " . $env_file . "<br>";
+print "ORIG: <pre>" . file_get_contents($env_file) . "</pre>";
+
+$status = DotEnv::readEnvFile(__DIR__ . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'env');
 
 print "STATUS: " . (string)$status . "<br>";
 print "ENV: <pre>" . print_r($_ENV, true) . "</pre><br>";