diff --git a/tests/timmy/test_research_tools.py b/tests/timmy/test_research_tools.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..057b60bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/timmy/test_research_tools.py
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+"""Unit tests for timmy/research_tools.py."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import sys
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+import pytest
+
+# serpapi is an optional dependency not installed in the test environment.
+# Stub it before importing the module under test.
+if "serpapi" not in sys.modules:
+    sys.modules["serpapi"] = MagicMock()
+
+from timmy.research_tools import get_llm_client, google_web_search  # noqa: E402
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# google_web_search
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class TestGoogleWebSearch:
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_missing_api_key_returns_empty_string(self):
+        """Returns '' and logs a warning when SERPAPI_API_KEY is absent."""
+        env = {k: v for k, v in os.environ.items() if k != "SERPAPI_API_KEY"}
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, env, clear=True):
+            result = await google_web_search("python tutorial")
+        assert result == ""
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_calls_google_search_with_correct_params(self):
+        """GoogleSearch is constructed with query and api_key from environ."""
+        mock_search_instance = MagicMock()
+        mock_search_instance.get_dict.return_value = {"organic_results": [{"title": "Hello"}]}
+        mock_search_cls = MagicMock(return_value=mock_search_instance)
+
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {"SERPAPI_API_KEY": "test-key-123"}):
+            with patch("timmy.research_tools.GoogleSearch", mock_search_cls):
+                result = await google_web_search("python tutorial")
+
+        mock_search_cls.assert_called_once_with(
+            {"q": "python tutorial", "api_key": "test-key-123"}
+        )
+        assert "Hello" in result
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_returns_stringified_results(self):
+        """Return value is str() of whatever get_dict() returns."""
+        fake_dict = {"organic_results": [{"title": "Foo", "link": "https://example.com"}]}
+        mock_search_instance = MagicMock()
+        mock_search_instance.get_dict.return_value = fake_dict
+        mock_search_cls = MagicMock(return_value=mock_search_instance)
+
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {"SERPAPI_API_KEY": "key"}):
+            with patch("timmy.research_tools.GoogleSearch", mock_search_cls):
+                result = await google_web_search("foo")
+
+        assert result == str(fake_dict)
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_empty_query_still_calls_search(self):
+        """An empty query is forwarded to GoogleSearch without short-circuiting."""
+        mock_search_instance = MagicMock()
+        mock_search_instance.get_dict.return_value = {}
+        mock_search_cls = MagicMock(return_value=mock_search_instance)
+
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {"SERPAPI_API_KEY": "key"}):
+            with patch("timmy.research_tools.GoogleSearch", mock_search_cls):
+                result = await google_web_search("")
+
+        mock_search_cls.assert_called_once()
+        assert result == str({})
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# get_llm_client
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class TestGetLlmClient:
+    def test_returns_a_client_object(self):
+        """get_llm_client() returns a non-None object."""
+        client = get_llm_client()
+        assert client is not None
+
+    def test_client_has_completion_method(self):
+        """The returned client exposes a callable completion attribute."""
+        client = get_llm_client()
+        assert callable(getattr(client, "completion", None))
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_completion_returns_object_with_text(self):
+        """completion() returns an object whose .text is a non-empty string."""
+        client = get_llm_client()
+        result = await client.completion("What is Python?", max_tokens=100)
+        assert hasattr(result, "text")
+        assert isinstance(result.text, str)
+        assert len(result.text) > 0
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_completion_text_contains_prompt(self):
+        """The stub weaves the prompt into the returned text."""
+        client = get_llm_client()
+        prompt = "Tell me about asyncio"
+        result = await client.completion(prompt, max_tokens=50)
+        assert prompt in result.text
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_multiple_calls_return_independent_objects(self):
+        """Each call to completion() returns a fresh object."""
+        client = get_llm_client()
+        r1 = await client.completion("prompt one", max_tokens=10)
+        r2 = await client.completion("prompt two", max_tokens=10)
+        assert r1 is not r2
+        assert r1.text != r2.text
+
+    def test_multiple_calls_return_independent_clients(self):
+        """Each call to get_llm_client() returns a distinct instance."""
+        c1 = get_llm_client()
+        c2 = get_llm_client()
+        assert c1 is not c2