diff --git a/backend/channel/tests/__init__.py b/backend/channel/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/backend/channel/tests/test_src/__init__.py b/backend/channel/tests/test_src/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/backend/channel/tests/test_src/test_remote_query.py b/backend/channel/tests/test_src/test_remote_query.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a123d75c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/channel/tests/test_src/test_remote_query.py
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+"""test video query building"""
+
+# pylint: disable=redefined-outer-name
+
+from enum import Enum
+
+import pytest
+from channel.src.remote_query import VideoQueryBuilder
+from video.src.constants import VideoTypeEnum
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def default_config():
+    """from appsettings"""
+    return {
+        "subscriptions": {
+            "channel_size": 5,
+            "live_channel_size": 3,
+            "shorts_channel_size": 2,
+        }
+    }
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def empty_overwrites():
+    """from channel overwrites"""
+    return {}
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def overwrites():
+    """from channel overwrites"""
+    return {
+        "subscriptions_channel_size": 10,
+        "subscriptions_live_channel_size": 0,
+        "subscriptions_shorts_channel_size": None,
+    }
+
+
+def test_build_all_queries_with_limit(default_config, empty_overwrites):
+    """default, empty overwrite"""
+    builder = VideoQueryBuilder(default_config, empty_overwrites)
+    result = builder.build_queries(None, limit=True)
+    expected = [
+        (VideoTypeEnum.VIDEOS, 5),
+        (VideoTypeEnum.STREAMS, 3),
+        (VideoTypeEnum.SHORTS, 2),
+    ]
+    assert result == expected
+
+
+def test_build_all_queries_without_limit(default_config, empty_overwrites):
+    """limit disabled"""
+    builder = VideoQueryBuilder(default_config, empty_overwrites)
+    result = builder.build_queries(None, limit=False)
+    expected = [
+        (VideoTypeEnum.VIDEOS, None),
+        (VideoTypeEnum.STREAMS, None),
+        (VideoTypeEnum.SHORTS, None),
+    ]
+    assert result == expected
+
+
+def test_build_specific_query(default_config, empty_overwrites):
+    """single vid_type"""
+    builder = VideoQueryBuilder(default_config, empty_overwrites)
+    result = builder.build_queries(VideoTypeEnum.VIDEOS)
+    assert result == [(VideoTypeEnum.VIDEOS, 5)]
+
+
+def test_build_multiple_queries(default_config, empty_overwrites):
+    """vid_type list"""
+    builder = VideoQueryBuilder(default_config, empty_overwrites)
+    result = builder.build_queries(
+        [VideoTypeEnum.VIDEOS, VideoTypeEnum.SHORTS]
+    )
+    assert result == [(VideoTypeEnum.VIDEOS, 5), (VideoTypeEnum.SHORTS, 2)]
+
+
+def test_overwrite_applied(default_config, overwrites):
+    """with overwrite from channel config"""
+    builder = VideoQueryBuilder(default_config, overwrites)
+    result = builder.build_queries(None, limit=True)
+    expected = [
+        (VideoTypeEnum.VIDEOS, 10),  # Overwritten
+        # STREAMS is overwritten to 0, should be excluded
+        (VideoTypeEnum.SHORTS, 2),  # None in overwrite, fallback to config
+    ]
+    assert result == expected
+
+
+def test_no_limit_ignores_config_and_overwrites(default_config, overwrites):
+    """no limit single vid_type"""
+    builder = VideoQueryBuilder(default_config, overwrites)
+    result = builder.build_queries([VideoTypeEnum.STREAMS], limit=False)
+    assert result == [(VideoTypeEnum.STREAMS, None)]
+
+
+def test_zero_query_not_included(default_config):
+    """overwrite to zero to disable"""
+    overwrites = {"subscriptions_live_channel_size": 0}
+    builder = VideoQueryBuilder(default_config, overwrites)
+    result = builder.build_queries([VideoTypeEnum.STREAMS], limit=True)
+    assert not result  # Should be skipped due to 0
+
+
+def test_invalid_video_type_is_ignored(default_config):
+    """invalid enum"""
+    builder = VideoQueryBuilder(default_config)
+
+    class FakeEnum(Enum):
+        """invalid"""
+
+        INVALID = "invalid"
+
+    result = builder.build_queries([FakeEnum.INVALID], limit=True)
+    assert not result