diff --git a/pytest_gui_status/status_gui/todo.txt b/pytest_gui_status/status_gui/todo.txt
index 18ac76f..262a7f9 100644
--- a/pytest_gui_status/status_gui/todo.txt
+++ b/pytest_gui_status/status_gui/todo.txt
@@ -1,14 +1,11 @@
 Todo
 ------
+1. (--move tests to correct folder) check intermediate test steps like collect, testrun
+2. Add gui tests
+3. use logging.debug for more prints
+4. Allow config for tmpl, redis_arg, status_gui_arg
+5. Use config.pluginmanager.hasplugin('plugin_name')
 
-1. move rendering update to js using diff-dom + nunjucks ( to be decided )
-2. (-done manually, add tests)check intermediate test steps like collect, testrun
-3. In plugin, set attributes in chunk using pipeline, using `with`
-4. Add gui tests
-5. use logging.debug for more prints
-6. Think about popen stdouts
-7. Print redis not connected in gui itself instead of console
-8. Allow config for tmpl, redis_arg, status_gui_arg
 
 Done
 ------
@@ -20,3 +17,16 @@ Done
 5. (-) use pipelines when possible
 6. (---) Self Tests also pop up gui, add option for plugin
 9. (---) Register as pytest plugin in setup.py
+
+
+Think
+-------
+1. move rendering update to js using diff-dom + nunjucks ( to be decided )
+2. Think about popen stdouts
+
+
+Discarded
+----------
+
+1. Show "redis not connected" in gui itself instead of console
+2. In plugin, set attributes in chunk using pipeline, using `with`
diff --git a/tests/testcases/case_3/conftest.py b/tests/testcases/case_3/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9799a0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testcases/case_3/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+# pytest_plugins = "pytest_gui_status.status_plugin"
+
+import redis
+import pytest
+from pytest_gui_status.status_plugin.plugin import REDIS_PORT
+
+
+class PYTEST_DATA(object):
+    data = {}
+
+saved_data = {
+    "after_sessionstart": None,
+    "after_first_collectstart": None,
+    "after_last_itemcollected": None,
+    "after_first_runtest_logstart": None,
+    "after_this_runtest_logstart": None,
+}
+
+
+def get_cur_data():
+
+    dir_name = PYTEST_DATA.data["dir_name_start"]
+    redis_db = redis.StrictRedis(host='localhost', port=REDIS_PORT, db=0)
+    hash_dir_name = redis_db.hget("directories_to_hash", dir_name)
+    assert hash_dir_name is not None
+
+    data = {}
+
+    data["state"] = redis_db.get("{hash_a}_state".format(hash_a=hash_dir_name))
+    data["last_updated"] = redis_db.get("{hash_a}_last_updated".format(hash_a=hash_dir_name))
+
+    data["collect"] = redis_db.lrange("{hash_a}_collect".format(hash_a=hash_dir_name), 0, -1)
+    data["pass"] = redis_db.lrange("{hash_a}_pass".format(hash_a=hash_dir_name), 0, -1)
+    data["fail"] = redis_db.lrange("{hash_a}_fail".format(hash_a=hash_dir_name), 0, -1)
+    data["skip"] = redis_db.lrange("{hash_a}_skip".format(hash_a=hash_dir_name), 0, -1)
+
+    # strip off the filename
+    data["collect"] = [item.split("::")[-1] for item in data["collect"]]
+    data["pass"] = [item.split("::")[-1] for item in data["pass"]]
+    data["fail"] = [item.split("::")[-1] for item in data["fail"]]
+    data["skip"] = [item.split("::")[-1] for item in data["skip"]]
+
+    return data
+
+
+@pytest.hookimpl(trylast=True)
+def pytest_sessionstart(session):
+    PYTEST_DATA.data["dir_name_start"] = str(session.startdir)
+
+    saved_data["after_sessionstart"] = get_cur_data()
+
+
+@pytest.hookimpl(trylast=True)
+def pytest_collectstart(collector):
+    if not saved_data["after_first_collectstart"]:
+        saved_data["after_first_collectstart"] = get_cur_data()
+
+
+@pytest.hookimpl(trylast=True)
+def pytest_itemcollected(item):
+    saved_data["after_last_itemcollected"] = get_cur_data()
+
+
+@pytest.hookimpl(trylast=True)
+def pytest_runtest_logstart(nodeid, location):
+    if not saved_data["after_first_runtest_logstart"]:
+        saved_data["after_first_runtest_logstart"] = get_cur_data()
+
+    saved_data["after_this_runtest_logstart"] = get_cur_data()
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def status_plugin_debug():
+    return saved_data
diff --git a/tests/testcases/case_3/test_1.py b/tests/testcases/case_3/test_1.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f83fea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testcases/case_3/test_1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+def test_after_sessionstart(status_plugin_debug):
+    debug_data = status_plugin_debug["after_sessionstart"]
+
+    assert debug_data["collect"] == []
+    assert debug_data["pass"] == []
+    assert debug_data["fail"] == []
+    assert debug_data["skip"] == []
+
+    assert debug_data["state"] == "start"
+
+
+def test_after_first_collectstart(status_plugin_debug):
+    debug_data = status_plugin_debug["after_first_collectstart"]
+
+    assert debug_data["collect"] == []
+    assert debug_data["pass"] == []
+    assert debug_data["fail"] == []
+    assert debug_data["skip"] == []
+
+    assert debug_data["state"] == "collect"
+
+
+def test_after_last_itemcollected(status_plugin_debug):
+    debug_data = status_plugin_debug["after_last_itemcollected"]
+
+    # if the tests in this file change, adjust this list too
+    assert debug_data["collect"] == ["test_after_sessionstart",
+                                     "test_after_first_collectstart",
+                                     "test_after_last_itemcollected",
+                                     "test_after_first_runtest_logstart",
+                                     "test_after_this_runtest_logstart"]
+    assert debug_data["pass"] == []
+    assert debug_data["fail"] == []
+    assert debug_data["skip"] == []
+
+    assert debug_data["state"] == "collect"
+
+
+def test_after_first_runtest_logstart(status_plugin_debug):
+    debug_data = status_plugin_debug["after_first_runtest_logstart"]
+
+    assert debug_data["pass"] == []
+    assert debug_data["fail"] == []
+    assert debug_data["skip"] == []
+
+    assert debug_data["state"] == "runtest"
+
+
+def test_after_this_runtest_logstart(status_plugin_debug):
+    debug_data = status_plugin_debug["after_this_runtest_logstart"]
+
+    assert len(debug_data["pass"] + debug_data["fail"] + debug_data["skip"]) > 0
+
+    assert debug_data["state"] == "runtest"