diff --git a/datalad_ria/tests/fixtures.py b/datalad_ria/tests/fixtures.py
index 1055f42b..e408b384 100644
--- a/datalad_ria/tests/fixtures.py
+++ b/datalad_ria/tests/fixtures.py
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ def ria_sshserver(ria_sshserver_setup, datalad_cfg, monkeypatch):
     ria_baseurl = build_ria_url(
         protocol='ssh',
         host=ria_sshserver_setup['HOST'],
+        port=ria_sshserver_setup['SSH_PORT'],
         user=ria_sshserver_setup['SSH_LOGIN'],
         path=ria_sshserver_setup['SSH_PATH'],
     )
diff --git a/datalad_ria/tests/test_ria_basics.py b/datalad_ria/tests/test_ria_basics.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e41f984b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/datalad_ria/tests/test_ria_basics.py
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+import pytest
+
+from datalad.api import Dataset
+
+from datalad.customremotes.ria_utils import (
+    create_ds_in_store,
+    create_store,
+)
+from datalad.distributed.ora_remote import (
+    SSHRemoteIO,
+)
+
+from datalad.support.exceptions import (
+    CommandError,
+)
+from datalad.tests.utils_pytest import (
+    assert_repo_status,
+    has_symlink_capability,
+)
+from datalad.utils import Path
+
+
+def _test_initremote_basic(url, io, store, link, populated_dataset,
+                           common_ora_init_opts):
+
+    store = Path(store)
+    link = Path(link)
+    ds = populated_dataset
+
+    init_opts = common_ora_init_opts + ['url={}'.format(url)]
+
+    # set up store:
+    create_store(io, store, '1')
+    # still fails, since ds isn't setup in the store
+    with pytest.raises(CommandError):
+        ds.repo.init_remote('ria-remote', options=init_opts)
+    # Doesn't actually create a remote if it fails
+    assert 'ria-remote' not in [cfg['name']
+                   for uuid, cfg in ds.repo.get_special_remotes().items()]
+    # set up the dataset as well
+    create_ds_in_store(io, store, ds.id, '2', '1')
+    # now should work
+    ds.repo.init_remote('ria-remote', options=init_opts)
+    assert 'ria-remote' in [
+        cfg['name'] for uuid, cfg in ds.repo.get_special_remotes().items()]
+    assert_repo_status(ds.path)
+    # git-annex:remote.log should have:
+    #   - url
+    #   - common_ora_init_opts
+    #   - archive_id (which equals ds id)
+    remote_log = ds.repo.call_git(['cat-file', 'blob', 'git-annex:remote.log'],
+                                  read_only=True)
+    assert "url={}".format(url) in remote_log
+    for c in common_ora_init_opts:
+        assert c in remote_log
+    assert "archive-id={}".format(ds.id) in remote_log
+
+    # re-configure with invalid URL should fail:
+    with pytest.raises(CommandError):
+        ds.repo.call_annex(['enableremote', 'ria-remote'] +
+                           common_ora_init_opts +
+                           ['url=ria+file:///non-existing'])
+    # but re-configure with valid URL should work
+    if has_symlink_capability():
+        link.symlink_to(store)
+        new_url = 'ria+{}'.format(link.as_uri())
+        ds.repo.call_annex(
+            ['enableremote', 'ria-remote'] + common_ora_init_opts + [
+                'url={}'.format(new_url)])
+        # git-annex:remote.log should have:
+        #   - url
+        #   - common_ora_init_opts
+        #   - archive_id (which equals ds id)
+        remote_log = ds.repo.call_git(['cat-file', 'blob',
+                                       'git-annex:remote.log'],
+                                      read_only=True)
+        assert "url={}".format(new_url) in remote_log
+        for c in common_ora_init_opts:
+            assert c in remote_log
+        assert "archive-id={}".format(ds.id) in remote_log
+
+    # we can deal with --sameas, which leads to a special remote not having a
+    # 'name' property, but only a 'sameas-name'. See gh-4259
+    try:
+        ds.repo.init_remote('ora2',
+                            options=init_opts + ['--sameas', 'ria-remote'])
+    except CommandError as e:
+        if 'Invalid option `--sameas' in e.stderr:
+            # annex too old - doesn't know --sameas
+            pass
+        else:
+            raise
+    # TODO: - check output of failures to verify it's failing the right way
+    #       - might require to run initremote directly to get the output
+
+
+def _defunc_test_initremote_basic_sshurl(ria_sshserver, ria_sshserver_setup, tmp_path,
+                                             populated_dataset, common_ora_init_opts):
+    """Test via SSH"""
+    # retrieve all values from the ssh-server fixture
+    ria_baseurl = ria_sshserver[0]
+    # create all parameters _test_initremote_basic() requires
+    io = SSHRemoteIO(ria_sshserver_setup['HOST'])
+    link = tmp_path / "link"
+    # the store should be on the ssh server
+    storepath = ria_sshserver[1]
+    _test_initremote_basic(
+        ria_baseurl, io, storepath, link, populated_dataset, common_ora_init_opts)
+
+
+def test_initremote_errors(ria_sshserver, existing_dataset,
+                           common_ora_init_opts):
+    # retrieve all values from the ssh-server fixture
+    ds = existing_dataset
+    ria_baseurl = ria_sshserver[0]
+
+    # fails on non-existing storage location
+    with pytest.raises(CommandError):
+        ds.repo.init_remote(
+            'ria-remote',
+            options=common_ora_init_opts + [f'url={ria_baseurl}'],
+        )
+
+    # Doesn't actually create a remote if it fails
+    assert 'ria-remote' not in [
+        r['name'] for r in ds.repo.get_special_remotes().values()
+    ]
+
+    # fails on non-RIA URL
+    with pytest.raises(CommandError):
+        ds.repo.init_remote(
+            'ria-remote',
+            options=common_ora_init_opts + [
+                # strip the 'ria+' prefix
+                f'url={ria_baseurl[4:]}',
+            ]
+        )
+
+    # Doesn't actually create a remote if it fails
+    assert 'ria-remote' not in [
+        r['name'] for r in ds.repo.get_special_remotes().values()
+    ]