diff --git a/proto/meson.build b/proto/meson.build
index 58eaf71..df80334 100644
--- a/proto/meson.build
+++ b/proto/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-scanner = find_program('ei-scanner')
-protocol_xml = files('protocol.xml')
-protocol_dtd = files('protocol.dtd')
+scanner_source = files('ei-scanner')
+scanner = find_program(scanner_source)
+protocol_xml_path = meson.current_source_dir() / 'protocol.xml'
+protocol_dtd_path = meson.current_source_dir() / 'protocol.dtd'
+protocol_xml = files(protocol_xml_path)
+protocol_dtd = files(protocol_dtd_path)
 
 xmllint = find_program('xmllint', required: false)
 if xmllint.found()
diff --git a/test/meson.build b/test/meson.build
index 9038b42..cb2c221 100644
--- a/test/meson.build
+++ b/test/meson.build
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ if enable_pytest
                    configuration: protocol_test_config)
 
     test('protocol-test', pytest,
-        args: pytest_args,
+        args: pytest_args + ['-k', 'TestEiProtocol'],
         suite: 'python',
         workdir: meson.project_build_root(),
     )
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ if enable_pytest
         env = environment()
         env.set('LIBEI_USE_VALGRIND', '1')
         test('protocol-test-valgrind', pytest,
-            args: pytest_args,
+            args: pytest_args + ['-k', 'TestEiProtocol'],
             suite: 'python',
             workdir: meson.project_build_root(),
             env: env
@@ -174,6 +174,21 @@ if enable_pytest
             env: env,
         )
     endif
+
+    test_scanner_config = configuration_data()
+    test_scanner_config.set('PROTOFILE', protocol_xml_path)
+
+    # ei-scanner can't be imported as-is in python, so we copy + rename it
+    configure_file(input: scanner_source,
+                   output: 'eiscanner.py',
+                   copy: true)
+    configure_file(input: 'test_scanner.py',
+                   output: '@PLAINNAME@',
+                   configuration: test_scanner_config)
+    test('scanner-pytest', pytest,
+         args: pytest_args + ['-k', 'TestScanner'],
+         suite: 'python',
+         workdir: meson.current_build_dir())
 endif
 
 summary({'valgrind available': valgrind.found(),
diff --git a/test/test_scanner.py b/test/test_scanner.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..588664f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_scanner.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+# We can't import ei-scanner, so let's go via this route. The proper
+# handling would be to have ei-scanner be the entry point for a ei_scanner
+# module but.. well, one day we'll do that maybe.
+import pytest
+
+try:
+    from eiscanner import parse, Protocol
+except ImportError:
+    print("Run tests from within the build directory")
+    pytest.skip(allow_module_level=True)
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+# set to the protocol file by meson
+protofile = "@PROTOFILE@"
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def protocol_xml() -> Path:
+    return Path(protofile)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def protocol(protocol_xml: Path, component: str) -> Protocol:
+    print(f"protocol for component {component}")
+    return parse(protocol_xml, component)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    protofile.startswith("@"),
+    reason="Protocol XML file path invalid, run tests in the build dir",
+)
+class TestScanner:
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("component", ("eis", "ei", "brei"))
+    def test_ei_names(self, component: str, protocol: Protocol):
+        for interface in protocol.interfaces:
+            assert interface.name.startswith(component)
+            assert not interface.plainname.startswith(component)
+            assert not interface.plainname.startswith("ei_")
+
+        # just some manual checks
+        assert "handshake" in [i.plainname for i in protocol.interfaces]
+        assert "connection" in [i.plainname for i in protocol.interfaces]
+        assert "button" in [i.plainname for i in protocol.interfaces]