diff --git a/tests/system/test_checklogs.py b/tests/system/test_checklogs.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8f8fb7061
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/system/test_checklogs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import os
+
+import pytest
+
+from lib.commands import ssh
+
+# tests meant to check system logs for error right after installation
+# (not after other tests which may willingly cause such errors)
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("logfile", ("xensource.log", "daemon.log", "SMlog"))
+def test_logs(host, logfile):
+    LOGFILE = os.path.join("/var/log/installer", logfile)
+
+    result = host.ssh(["grep -B1 -Ei 'error|fail|fatal|critical|No such file'", LOGFILE],
+                      check=False, simple_output=False)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, f"Errors in {logfile}, see debug output"
+
+# FIXME too many false positives to be a real test, essentially useful
+# to get the matches extracted and archived for manual verification
+def test_install_logs(host):
+    LOGFILE = "/var/log/installer/install-log"
+
+    result = host.ssh(["grep -B1 -Ei 'error|fail|fatal|critical|No such file'", LOGFILE],
+                      check=False, simple_output=False)
+    assert result.returncode in (0, 1), "error in 'ssh grep'"