diff --git a/fairmq/FairMQChannel.cxx b/fairmq/FairMQChannel.cxx
index e0e9e157..42f87d89 100644
--- a/fairmq/FairMQChannel.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/FairMQChannel.cxx
@@ -399,8 +399,7 @@ try {
     }
 
     // validate socket type
-    const string socketTypeNames[] = { "sub", "pub", "pull", "push", "req", "rep", "xsub", "xpub", "dealer", "router", "pair" };
-    const set<string> socketTypes(socketTypeNames, socketTypeNames + sizeof(socketTypeNames) / sizeof(string));
+    const set<string> socketTypes{ "sub", "pub", "pull", "push", "req", "rep", "xsub", "xpub", "dealer", "router", "pair" };
     if (socketTypes.find(fType) == socketTypes.end())
     {
         ss << "INVALID";
@@ -431,8 +430,7 @@ try {
             else
             {
                 // we don't have a method modifier, check if the default method is set
-                const string socketMethodNames[] = { "bind", "connect" };
-                const set<string> socketMethods(socketMethodNames, socketMethodNames + sizeof(socketMethodNames) / sizeof(string));
+                const set<string> socketMethods{ "bind", "connect" };
                 if (socketMethods.find(fMethod) == socketMethods.end())
                 {
                     ss << "INVALID";
@@ -482,7 +480,7 @@ try {
             else if (address.compare(0, 8, "verbs://") == 0)
             {
                 // check if IPC address is not empty
-                string addressString = address.substr(9);
+                string addressString = address.substr(8);
                 if (addressString == "")
                 {
                     ss << "INVALID";
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index b7096ac0..e9c3e5b4 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -209,6 +209,17 @@ add_testsuite(FairMQ.Tools
     TIMEOUT 10
 )
 
+add_testsuite(FairMQ.Channel
+    SOURCES
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/runner.cxx
+    channel/_channel.cxx
+
+    LINKS FairMQ
+    INCLUDES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
+             ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
+    TIMEOUT 10
+)
+
 add_testsuite(FairMQ.Transport
     SOURCES
     ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/runner.cxx
diff --git a/test/channel/_channel.cxx b/test/channel/_channel.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ce13a358
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/channel/_channel.cxx
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+/********************************************************************************
+ *    Copyright (C) 2018 GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH    *
+ *                                                                              *
+ *              This software is distributed under the terms of the             *
+ *              GNU Lesser General Public Licence (LGPL) version 3,             *
+ *                  copied verbatim in the file "LICENSE"                       *
+ ********************************************************************************/
+
+#include <FairMQChannel.h>
+
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+#include <string>
+
+namespace
+{
+
+using namespace std;
+using namespace fair::mq;
+
+TEST(Channel, Validation)
+{
+    FairMQChannel channel;
+    ASSERT_THROW(channel.ValidateChannel(), FairMQChannel::ChannelConfigurationError);
+
+    channel.UpdateType("pair");
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.ValidateChannel(), false);
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.IsValid(), false);
+
+    channel.UpdateAddress("bla");
+    ASSERT_THROW(channel.ValidateChannel(), FairMQChannel::ChannelConfigurationError);
+
+    channel.UpdateMethod("connect");
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.ValidateChannel(), false);
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.IsValid(), false);
+
+    channel.UpdateAddress("ipc://");
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.ValidateChannel(), false);
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.IsValid(), false);
+
+    channel.UpdateAddress("verbs://");
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.ValidateChannel(), false);
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.IsValid(), false);
+
+    channel.UpdateAddress("inproc://");
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.ValidateChannel(), false);
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.IsValid(), false);
+
+    channel.UpdateAddress("tcp://");
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.ValidateChannel(), false);
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.IsValid(), false);
+
+    channel.UpdateAddress("tcp://localhost:5555");
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.ValidateChannel(), true);
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel.IsValid(), true);
+
+    channel.UpdateSndBufSize(-1);
+    ASSERT_THROW(channel.ValidateChannel(), FairMQChannel::ChannelConfigurationError);
+    channel.UpdateSndBufSize(1000);
+    ASSERT_NO_THROW(channel.ValidateChannel());
+
+    channel.UpdateRcvBufSize(-1);
+    ASSERT_THROW(channel.ValidateChannel(), FairMQChannel::ChannelConfigurationError);
+    channel.UpdateRcvBufSize(1000);
+    ASSERT_NO_THROW(channel.ValidateChannel());
+
+    channel.UpdateSndKernelSize(-1);
+    ASSERT_THROW(channel.ValidateChannel(), FairMQChannel::ChannelConfigurationError);
+    channel.UpdateSndKernelSize(1000);
+    ASSERT_NO_THROW(channel.ValidateChannel());
+
+    channel.UpdateRcvKernelSize(-1);
+    ASSERT_THROW(channel.ValidateChannel(), FairMQChannel::ChannelConfigurationError);
+    channel.UpdateRcvKernelSize(1000);
+    ASSERT_NO_THROW(channel.ValidateChannel());
+
+    channel.UpdateRateLogging(-1);
+    ASSERT_THROW(channel.ValidateChannel(), FairMQChannel::ChannelConfigurationError);
+    channel.UpdateRateLogging(1);
+    ASSERT_NO_THROW(channel.ValidateChannel());
+
+    FairMQChannel channel2 = channel;
+    ASSERT_NO_THROW(channel2.ValidateChannel());
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel2.ValidateChannel(), true);
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel2.IsValid(), true);
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel2.ValidateChannel(), true);
+
+    channel2.UpdateChannelName("Kanal");
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel2.GetChannelName(), "Kanal");
+
+    channel2.ResetChannel();
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel2.IsValid(), false);
+    ASSERT_EQ(channel2.ValidateChannel(), true);
+}
+
+} /* namespace */