diff --git a/swh/lister/core/tests/test_lister.py b/swh/lister/core/tests/test_lister.py
index f1ea8d7..b7ae9e5 100644
--- a/swh/lister/core/tests/test_lister.py
+++ b/swh/lister/core/tests/test_lister.py
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
 
 import requests_mock
 from sqlalchemy import create_engine
-from testing.postgresql import Postgresql
 
 from swh.lister.core.abstractattribute import AbstractAttribute
+from swh.lister.tests.test_utils import init_db
 
 
 def noop(*args, **kwargs):
@@ -166,9 +166,7 @@ class HttpListerTester(HttpListerTesterBase, abc.ABC):
     @requests_mock.Mocker()
     def test_fetch_multiple_pages_yesdb(self, http_mocker):
         http_mocker.get(self.test_re, text=self.mock_response)
-        initdb_args = Postgresql.DEFAULT_SETTINGS['initdb_args']
-        initdb_args = ' '.join([initdb_args, '-E UTF-8'])
-        db = Postgresql(initdb_args=initdb_args)
+        db = init_db()
 
         fl = self.get_fl(override_config={
             'lister': {
diff --git a/swh/lister/tests/test_cli.py b/swh/lister/tests/test_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0b9c50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/lister/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2019  The Software Heritage developers
+# See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
+# License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
+# See top-level LICENSE file for more information
+
+import pytest
+
+from swh.lister.core.lister_base import ListerBase
+from swh.lister.cli import new_lister, SUPPORTED_LISTERS, DEFAULT_BASEURLS
+
+from .test_utils import init_db
+
+
+def test_new_lister_wrong_input():
+    """Unsupported lister should raise"""
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as e:
+        new_lister('unknown', 'db-url')
+
+    assert "Invalid lister" in str(e.value)
+
+
+def test_new_lister():
+    """Instantiating a supported lister should be ok
+
+    """
+    db_url = init_db().url()
+    supported_listers_with_init = {'npm', 'debian'}
+    supported_listers = set(SUPPORTED_LISTERS) - supported_listers_with_init
+    for lister_name in supported_listers:
+        lst, drop_fn, init_fn, insert_data_fn = new_lister(lister_name, db_url)
+
+        assert isinstance(lst, ListerBase)
+        assert drop_fn is None
+        assert init_fn is not None
+        assert insert_data_fn is None
+
+    for lister_name in supported_listers_with_init:
+        lst, drop_fn, init_fn, insert_data_fn = new_lister(lister_name, db_url)
+
+        assert isinstance(lst, ListerBase)
+        assert drop_fn is None
+        assert init_fn is not None
+        assert insert_data_fn is not None
+
+    for lister_name in supported_listers_with_init:
+        lst, drop_fn, init_fn, insert_data_fn = new_lister(lister_name, db_url,
+                                                           drop_tables=True)
+
+        assert isinstance(lst, ListerBase)
+        assert drop_fn is not None
+        assert init_fn is not None
+        assert insert_data_fn is not None
+
+
+def test_new_lister_override():
+    """Overriding the lister configuration should populate its config
+
+    """
+    db_url = init_db().url()
+
+    listers = {
+        'gitlab': ('api_baseurl', 'https://gitlab.uni/api/v4/'),
+        'phabricator': ('forge_url', 'https://somewhere.org'),
+        'cgit': ('url_prefix', 'https://some-cgit.eu/'),
+    }
+
+    # check the override ends up defined in the lister
+    for lister_name, (url_key, url_value) in listers.items():
+        lst, drop_fn, init_fn, insert_data_fn = new_lister(
+            lister_name, db_url, **{
+                'api_baseurl': url_value,
+                'priority': 'high',
+                'policy': 'oneshot',
+            })
+
+        assert getattr(lst, url_key) == url_value
+        assert lst.config['priority'] == 'high'
+        assert lst.config['policy'] == 'oneshot'
+
+    # check the default urls are used and not the override (since it's not
+    # passed)
+    for lister_name, (url_key, url_value) in listers.items():
+        lst, drop_fn, init_fn, insert_data_fn = new_lister(lister_name, db_url)
+
+        # no override so this does not end up in lister's configuration
+        assert url_key not in lst.config
+
+        # then the default base url is used
+        default_url = DEFAULT_BASEURLS[lister_name]
+        if isinstance(default_url, tuple):  # cgit implementation detail...
+            default_url = default_url[1]
+
+        assert getattr(lst, url_key) == default_url
+        assert 'priority' not in lst.config
+        assert 'oneshot' not in lst.config
diff --git a/swh/lister/tests/test_utils.py b/swh/lister/tests/test_utils.py
index 5d9f476..1fe7e7a 100644
--- a/swh/lister/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/swh/lister/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2018 the Software Heritage developers
+# Copyright (C) 2018-2019 the Software Heritage developers
 # License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
 import unittest
 
+from testing.postgresql import Postgresql
+
 from swh.lister import utils
 
 
@@ -22,3 +24,15 @@ class UtilsTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
             list(utils.split_range(100, None))
+
+
+def init_db():
+    """Factorize the db_url instantiation
+
+    Returns:
+        db object to ease db manipulation
+
+    """
+    initdb_args = Postgresql.DEFAULT_SETTINGS['initdb_args']
+    initdb_args = ' '.join([initdb_args, '-E UTF-8'])
+    return Postgresql(initdb_args=initdb_args)