diff --git a/scripts/README.md b/scripts/README.md
index 551d7e77a..cf11364bb 100644
--- a/scripts/README.md
+++ b/scripts/README.md
@@ -14,16 +14,23 @@ and an own build machine.
 
 - `../.github/workflows` contains jobs run by GitHub Actions.
 
+- `run-python-test.sh` runs CFFI Python tests.
+
+- `run-rpc-test.sh` runs JSON-RPC Python tests.
+
+- `make-python-testenv.sh` creates a local python test development environment with CFFI bindings.
+  Reusing the same environment is faster than running `run-python-test.sh` which always
+  recreates environment from scratch and runs additional lints.
+
+- `make-rpc-testenv.sh` creates a local python development environment with JSON-RPC bindings,
+   i.e. `deltachat-rpc-client` and `deltachat-rpc-server`.
+
 - `remote_tests_python.sh` rsyncs to a build machine and runs
   `run-python-test.sh` remotely on the build machine. 
 
 - `remote_tests_rust.sh` rsyncs to the build machine and runs
   `run-rust-test.sh` remotely on the build machine. 
 
-- `make-python-testenv.sh` creates local python test development environment.
-  Reusing the same environment is faster than running `run-python-test.sh` which always
-  recreates environment from scratch and runs additional lints.
-
 - `run-doxygen.sh` generates C-docs which are then uploaded to https://c.delta.chat/
 
 - `run_all.sh` builds Python wheels
diff --git a/scripts/make-rpc-testenv.sh b/scripts/make-rpc-testenv.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..d194bc854
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/make-rpc-testenv.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+tox -c deltachat-rpc-client -e py --devenv venv
+venv/bin/pip install --upgrade pip
+cargo install --path deltachat-rpc-server/ --root "$PWD/venv"
diff --git a/scripts/run-rpc-test.sh b/scripts/run-rpc-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..9617bb09c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/run-rpc-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+cargo install --path deltachat-rpc-server/ --root "$PWD/venv"
+PATH="$PWD/venv/bin:$PATH" tox -c deltachat-rpc-client