diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs
index 1861807d9..15dab9255 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api.rs
@@ -152,6 +152,13 @@ impl CommandApi {
         tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs_f64(delay)).await
     }
 
+    /// Emit the test checkpoint event, used for tests.
+    /// Returns a unique id of the emitted `TestCheckpointEvent`.
+    async fn trigger_checkpoint_event(&self, account_id: u32) -> Result<usize> {
+        let ctx = self.get_context(account_id).await?;
+        Ok(ctx.emit_test_checkpoint_event().await)
+    }
+
     // ---------------------------------------------
     //  Misc top level functions
     // ---------------------------------------------
diff --git a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/events.rs b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/events.rs
index 7aa2e394e..405042007 100644
--- a/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/events.rs
+++ b/deltachat-jsonrpc/src/api/types/events.rs
@@ -259,6 +259,13 @@ pub enum EventType {
     /// If `chat_id` is set to None, then all currently visible chats need to be rerendered, and all not-visible items need to be cleared from cache if the UI has a cache.
     #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
     ChatlistItemChanged { chat_id: Option<u32> },
+
+    /// Tests can trigger this event and then wait for it, to make sure all events before it were consumed.
+    /// Useful for tests that test whether a specific event is emitted,
+    TestCheckpointEvent {
+        /// unique id to recognize the event
+        id: usize,
+    },
 }
 
 impl From<CoreEventType> for EventType {
@@ -370,6 +377,7 @@ impl From<CoreEventType> for EventType {
                 chat_id: chat_id.map(|id| id.to_u32()),
             },
             CoreEventType::ChatlistChanged => ChatlistChanged,
+            CoreEventType::TestCheckpointEvent { id } => TestCheckpointEvent { id },
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/context.rs b/src/context.rs
index 5586c4c7f..81b44dae2 100644
--- a/src/context.rs
+++ b/src/context.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use std::collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap};
 use std::ffi::OsString;
 use std::ops::Deref;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
-use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicI64, AtomicU64, Ordering};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
@@ -288,6 +288,9 @@ pub struct InnerContext {
 
     /// True if account has subscribed to push notifications via IMAP.
     pub(crate) push_subscribed: AtomicBool,
+
+    /// Counter for the id for the test checkpoint event that is used by tests.
+    pub(crate) test_event_checkpoint_counter: Mutex<usize>,
 }
 
 /// The state of ongoing process.
@@ -445,6 +448,7 @@ impl Context {
             debug_logging: std::sync::RwLock::new(None),
             push_subscriber,
             push_subscribed: AtomicBool::new(false),
+            test_event_checkpoint_counter: Mutex::new(0),
         };
 
         let ctx = Context {
@@ -1362,6 +1366,15 @@ impl Context {
         wal_fname.push("-wal");
         dbfile.with_file_name(wal_fname)
     }
+
+    /// Emit the test checkpoint event, used for tests.
+    /// Returns a unique id of the emitted `TestCheckpointEvent`.
+    pub async fn emit_test_checkpoint_event(&self) -> usize {
+        let mut counter = self.inner.test_event_checkpoint_counter.lock().await;
+        *counter = counter.wrapping_add(1);
+        self.emit_event(EventType::TestCheckpointEvent { id: *counter });
+        *counter
+    }
 }
 
 /// Returns core version as a string.
diff --git a/src/events/payload.rs b/src/events/payload.rs
index 47e3526c2..bddc23d28 100644
--- a/src/events/payload.rs
+++ b/src/events/payload.rs
@@ -302,4 +302,11 @@ pub enum EventType {
         /// ID of the changed chat
         chat_id: Option<ChatId>,
     },
+
+    /// Tests can trigger this event and then wait for it, to make sure all events before it were consumed.
+    /// Useful for tests that test whether a specific event is emitted,
+    TestCheckpointEvent {
+        /// unique id to recognize the event
+        id: usize,
+    },
 }