diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 13890710f80852..a30cd636f810bd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1340,6 +1340,7 @@ UNIT_TEST_PROGRAMS += t-oidmap
 UNIT_TEST_PROGRAMS += t-oidtree
 UNIT_TEST_PROGRAMS += t-prio-queue
 UNIT_TEST_PROGRAMS += t-reftable-basics
+UNIT_TEST_PROGRAMS += t-reftable-block
 UNIT_TEST_PROGRAMS += t-reftable-merged
 UNIT_TEST_PROGRAMS += t-reftable-pq
 UNIT_TEST_PROGRAMS += t-reftable-record
@@ -2681,7 +2682,6 @@ REFTABLE_OBJS += reftable/stack.o
 REFTABLE_OBJS += reftable/tree.o
 REFTABLE_OBJS += reftable/writer.o
 
-REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/block_test.o
 REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/dump.o
 REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/readwrite_test.o
 REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/stack_test.o
diff --git a/reftable/block_test.c b/reftable/block_test.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 90aecd5a7c6f43..00000000000000
--- a/reftable/block_test.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,123 +0,0 @@
-/*
-Copyright 2020 Google LLC
-
-Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
-license that can be found in the LICENSE file or at
-https://developers.google.com/open-source/licenses/bsd
-*/
-
-#include "block.h"
-
-#include "system.h"
-#include "blocksource.h"
-#include "basics.h"
-#include "constants.h"
-#include "record.h"
-#include "test_framework.h"
-#include "reftable-tests.h"
-
-static void test_block_read_write(void)
-{
-	const int header_off = 21; /* random */
-	char *names[30];
-	const int N = ARRAY_SIZE(names);
-	const int block_size = 1024;
-	struct reftable_block block = { NULL };
-	struct block_writer bw = {
-		.last_key = STRBUF_INIT,
-	};
-	struct reftable_record rec = {
-		.type = BLOCK_TYPE_REF,
-	};
-	int i = 0;
-	int n;
-	struct block_reader br = { 0 };
-	struct block_iter it = BLOCK_ITER_INIT;
-	int j = 0;
-	struct strbuf want = STRBUF_INIT;
-
-	REFTABLE_CALLOC_ARRAY(block.data, block_size);
-	block.len = block_size;
-	block.source = malloc_block_source();
-	block_writer_init(&bw, BLOCK_TYPE_REF, block.data, block_size,
-			  header_off, hash_size(GIT_SHA1_FORMAT_ID));
-
-	rec.u.ref.refname = (char *) "";
-	rec.u.ref.value_type = REFTABLE_REF_DELETION;
-	n = block_writer_add(&bw, &rec);
-	EXPECT(n == REFTABLE_API_ERROR);
-
-	for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
-		char name[100];
-		snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "branch%02d", i);
-
-		rec.u.ref.refname = name;
-		rec.u.ref.value_type = REFTABLE_REF_VAL1;
-		memset(rec.u.ref.value.val1, i, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ);
-
-		names[i] = xstrdup(name);
-		n = block_writer_add(&bw, &rec);
-		rec.u.ref.refname = NULL;
-		rec.u.ref.value_type = REFTABLE_REF_DELETION;
-		EXPECT(n == 0);
-	}
-
-	n = block_writer_finish(&bw);
-	EXPECT(n > 0);
-
-	block_writer_release(&bw);
-
-	block_reader_init(&br, &block, header_off, block_size, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ);
-
-	block_iter_seek_start(&it, &br);
-
-	while (1) {
-		int r = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
-		EXPECT(r >= 0);
-		if (r > 0) {
-			break;
-		}
-		EXPECT_STREQ(names[j], rec.u.ref.refname);
-		j++;
-	}
-
-	reftable_record_release(&rec);
-	block_iter_close(&it);
-
-	for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
-		struct block_iter it = BLOCK_ITER_INIT;
-		strbuf_reset(&want);
-		strbuf_addstr(&want, names[i]);
-
-		n = block_iter_seek_key(&it, &br, &want);
-		EXPECT(n == 0);
-
-		n = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
-		EXPECT(n == 0);
-
-		EXPECT_STREQ(names[i], rec.u.ref.refname);
-
-		want.len--;
-		n = block_iter_seek_key(&it, &br, &want);
-		EXPECT(n == 0);
-
-		n = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
-		EXPECT(n == 0);
-		EXPECT_STREQ(names[10 * (i / 10)], rec.u.ref.refname);
-
-		block_iter_close(&it);
-	}
-
-	reftable_record_release(&rec);
-	reftable_block_done(&br.block);
-	strbuf_release(&want);
-	for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
-		reftable_free(names[i]);
-	}
-}
-
-int block_test_main(int argc, const char *argv[])
-{
-	RUN_TEST(test_block_read_write);
-	return 0;
-}
diff --git a/reftable/reftable-tests.h b/reftable/reftable-tests.h
index 4b666810af568f..3d9118b91b84b7 100644
--- a/reftable/reftable-tests.h
+++ b/reftable/reftable-tests.h
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ license that can be found in the LICENSE file or at
 #define REFTABLE_TESTS_H
 
 int basics_test_main(int argc, const char **argv);
-int block_test_main(int argc, const char **argv);
 int record_test_main(int argc, const char **argv);
 int readwrite_test_main(int argc, const char **argv);
 int stack_test_main(int argc, const char **argv);
diff --git a/t/helper/test-reftable.c b/t/helper/test-reftable.c
index 623cf3f0f5ebaa..7bdd18430b29fb 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-reftable.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-reftable.c
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 int cmd__reftable(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
 	/* test from simple to complex. */
-	block_test_main(argc, argv);
 	readwrite_test_main(argc, argv);
 	stack_test_main(argc, argv);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-block.c b/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-block.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..582a8e6036735e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-block.c
@@ -0,0 +1,370 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2020 Google LLC
+
+Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+license that can be found in the LICENSE file or at
+https://developers.google.com/open-source/licenses/bsd
+*/
+
+#include "test-lib.h"
+#include "reftable/block.h"
+#include "reftable/blocksource.h"
+#include "reftable/constants.h"
+#include "reftable/reftable-error.h"
+
+static void t_ref_block_read_write(void)
+{
+	const int header_off = 21; /* random */
+	struct reftable_record recs[30];
+	const size_t N = ARRAY_SIZE(recs);
+	const size_t block_size = 1024;
+	struct reftable_block block = { 0 };
+	struct block_writer bw = {
+		.last_key = STRBUF_INIT,
+	};
+	struct reftable_record rec = {
+		.type = BLOCK_TYPE_REF,
+	};
+	size_t i = 0;
+	int ret;
+	struct block_reader br = { 0 };
+	struct block_iter it = BLOCK_ITER_INIT;
+	struct strbuf want = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+	REFTABLE_CALLOC_ARRAY(block.data, block_size);
+	block.len = block_size;
+	block.source = malloc_block_source();
+	block_writer_init(&bw, BLOCK_TYPE_REF, block.data, block_size,
+			  header_off, hash_size(GIT_SHA1_FORMAT_ID));
+
+	rec.u.ref.refname = (char *) "";
+	rec.u.ref.value_type = REFTABLE_REF_DELETION;
+	ret = block_writer_add(&bw, &rec);
+	check_int(ret, ==, REFTABLE_API_ERROR);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
+		rec.u.ref.refname = xstrfmt("branch%02"PRIuMAX, (uintmax_t)i);
+		rec.u.ref.value_type = REFTABLE_REF_VAL1;
+		memset(rec.u.ref.value.val1, i, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ);
+
+		recs[i] = rec;
+		ret = block_writer_add(&bw, &rec);
+		rec.u.ref.refname = NULL;
+		rec.u.ref.value_type = REFTABLE_REF_DELETION;
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+	}
+
+	ret = block_writer_finish(&bw);
+	check_int(ret, >, 0);
+
+	block_writer_release(&bw);
+
+	block_reader_init(&br, &block, header_off, block_size, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ);
+
+	block_iter_seek_start(&it, &br);
+
+	for (i = 0; ; i++) {
+		ret = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
+		check_int(ret, >=, 0);
+		if (ret > 0) {
+			check_int(i, ==, N);
+			break;
+		}
+		check(reftable_record_equal(&recs[i], &rec, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ));
+	}
+
+	for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
+		block_iter_reset(&it);
+		reftable_record_key(&recs[i], &want);
+
+		ret = block_iter_seek_key(&it, &br, &want);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+
+		ret = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+
+		check(reftable_record_equal(&recs[i], &rec, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ));
+
+		want.len--;
+		ret = block_iter_seek_key(&it, &br, &want);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+
+		ret = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+		check(reftable_record_equal(&recs[10 * (i / 10)], &rec, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ));
+	}
+
+	block_reader_release(&br);
+	block_iter_close(&it);
+	reftable_record_release(&rec);
+	reftable_block_done(&br.block);
+	strbuf_release(&want);
+	for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
+		reftable_record_release(&recs[i]);
+}
+
+static void t_log_block_read_write(void)
+{
+	const int header_off = 21;
+	struct reftable_record recs[30];
+	const size_t N = ARRAY_SIZE(recs);
+	const size_t block_size = 2048;
+	struct reftable_block block = { 0 };
+	struct block_writer bw = {
+		.last_key = STRBUF_INIT,
+	};
+	struct reftable_record rec = {
+		.type = BLOCK_TYPE_LOG,
+	};
+	size_t i = 0;
+	int ret;
+	struct block_reader br = { 0 };
+	struct block_iter it = BLOCK_ITER_INIT;
+	struct strbuf want = STRBUF_INIT, buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+	REFTABLE_CALLOC_ARRAY(block.data, block_size);
+	block.len = block_size;
+	block_source_from_strbuf(&block.source ,&buf);
+	block_writer_init(&bw, BLOCK_TYPE_LOG, block.data, block_size,
+			  header_off, hash_size(GIT_SHA1_FORMAT_ID));
+
+	for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
+		rec.u.log.refname = xstrfmt("branch%02"PRIuMAX , (uintmax_t)i);
+		rec.u.log.update_index = i;
+		rec.u.log.value_type = REFTABLE_LOG_UPDATE;
+
+		recs[i] = rec;
+		ret = block_writer_add(&bw, &rec);
+		rec.u.log.refname = NULL;
+		rec.u.log.value_type = REFTABLE_LOG_DELETION;
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+	}
+
+	ret = block_writer_finish(&bw);
+	check_int(ret, >, 0);
+
+	block_writer_release(&bw);
+
+	block_reader_init(&br, &block, header_off, block_size, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ);
+
+	block_iter_seek_start(&it, &br);
+
+	for (i = 0; ; i++) {
+		ret = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
+		check_int(ret, >=, 0);
+		if (ret > 0) {
+			check_int(i, ==, N);
+			break;
+		}
+		check(reftable_record_equal(&recs[i], &rec, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ));
+	}
+
+	for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
+		block_iter_reset(&it);
+		strbuf_reset(&want);
+		strbuf_addstr(&want, recs[i].u.log.refname);
+
+		ret = block_iter_seek_key(&it, &br, &want);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+
+		ret = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+
+		check(reftable_record_equal(&recs[i], &rec, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ));
+
+		want.len--;
+		ret = block_iter_seek_key(&it, &br, &want);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+
+		ret = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+		check(reftable_record_equal(&recs[10 * (i / 10)], &rec, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ));
+	}
+
+	block_reader_release(&br);
+	block_iter_close(&it);
+	reftable_record_release(&rec);
+	reftable_block_done(&br.block);
+	strbuf_release(&want);
+	strbuf_release(&buf);
+	for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
+		reftable_record_release(&recs[i]);
+}
+
+static void t_obj_block_read_write(void)
+{
+	const int header_off = 21;
+	struct reftable_record recs[30];
+	const size_t N = ARRAY_SIZE(recs);
+	const size_t block_size = 1024;
+	struct reftable_block block = { 0 };
+	struct block_writer bw = {
+		.last_key = STRBUF_INIT,
+	};
+	struct reftable_record rec = {
+		.type = BLOCK_TYPE_OBJ,
+	};
+	size_t i = 0;
+	int ret;
+	struct block_reader br = { 0 };
+	struct block_iter it = BLOCK_ITER_INIT;
+	struct strbuf want = STRBUF_INIT, buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+	REFTABLE_CALLOC_ARRAY(block.data, block_size);
+	block.len = block_size;
+	block_source_from_strbuf(&block.source, &buf);
+	block_writer_init(&bw, BLOCK_TYPE_OBJ, block.data, block_size,
+			  header_off, hash_size(GIT_SHA1_FORMAT_ID));
+
+	for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
+		uint8_t bytes[] = { i, i + 1, i + 2, i + 3, i + 5 }, *allocated;
+		DUP_ARRAY(allocated, bytes, ARRAY_SIZE(bytes));
+
+		rec.u.obj.hash_prefix = allocated;
+		rec.u.obj.hash_prefix_len = 5;
+
+		recs[i] = rec;
+		ret = block_writer_add(&bw, &rec);
+		rec.u.obj.hash_prefix = NULL;
+		rec.u.obj.hash_prefix_len = 0;
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+	}
+
+	ret = block_writer_finish(&bw);
+	check_int(ret, >, 0);
+
+	block_writer_release(&bw);
+
+	block_reader_init(&br, &block, header_off, block_size, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ);
+
+	block_iter_seek_start(&it, &br);
+
+	for (i = 0; ; i++) {
+		ret = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
+		check_int(ret, >=, 0);
+		if (ret > 0) {
+			check_int(i, ==, N);
+			break;
+		}
+		check(reftable_record_equal(&recs[i], &rec, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ));
+	}
+
+	for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
+		block_iter_reset(&it);
+		reftable_record_key(&recs[i], &want);
+
+		ret = block_iter_seek_key(&it, &br, &want);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+
+		ret = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+
+		check(reftable_record_equal(&recs[i], &rec, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ));
+	}
+
+	block_reader_release(&br);
+	block_iter_close(&it);
+	reftable_record_release(&rec);
+	reftable_block_done(&br.block);
+	strbuf_release(&want);
+	strbuf_release(&buf);
+	for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
+		reftable_record_release(&recs[i]);
+}
+
+static void t_index_block_read_write(void)
+{
+	const int header_off = 21;
+	struct reftable_record recs[30];
+	const size_t N = ARRAY_SIZE(recs);
+	const size_t block_size = 1024;
+	struct reftable_block block = { 0 };
+	struct block_writer bw = {
+		.last_key = STRBUF_INIT,
+	};
+	struct reftable_record rec = {
+		.type = BLOCK_TYPE_INDEX,
+		.u.idx.last_key = STRBUF_INIT,
+	};
+	size_t i = 0;
+	int ret;
+	struct block_reader br = { 0 };
+	struct block_iter it = BLOCK_ITER_INIT;
+	struct strbuf want = STRBUF_INIT, buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+	REFTABLE_CALLOC_ARRAY(block.data, block_size);
+	block.len = block_size;
+	block_source_from_strbuf(&block.source, &buf);
+	block_writer_init(&bw, BLOCK_TYPE_INDEX, block.data, block_size,
+			  header_off, hash_size(GIT_SHA1_FORMAT_ID));
+
+	for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
+		strbuf_init(&recs[i].u.idx.last_key, 9);
+
+		recs[i].type = BLOCK_TYPE_INDEX;
+		strbuf_addf(&recs[i].u.idx.last_key, "branch%02"PRIuMAX, (uintmax_t)i);
+		recs[i].u.idx.offset = i;
+
+		ret = block_writer_add(&bw, &recs[i]);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+	}
+
+	ret = block_writer_finish(&bw);
+	check_int(ret, >, 0);
+
+	block_writer_release(&bw);
+
+	block_reader_init(&br, &block, header_off, block_size, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ);
+
+	block_iter_seek_start(&it, &br);
+
+	for (i = 0; ; i++) {
+		ret = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
+		check_int(ret, >=, 0);
+		if (ret > 0) {
+			check_int(i, ==, N);
+			break;
+		}
+		check(reftable_record_equal(&recs[i], &rec, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ));
+	}
+
+	for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
+		block_iter_reset(&it);
+		reftable_record_key(&recs[i], &want);
+
+		ret = block_iter_seek_key(&it, &br, &want);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+
+		ret = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+
+		check(reftable_record_equal(&recs[i], &rec, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ));
+
+		want.len--;
+		ret = block_iter_seek_key(&it, &br, &want);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+
+		ret = block_iter_next(&it, &rec);
+		check_int(ret, ==, 0);
+		check(reftable_record_equal(&recs[10 * (i / 10)], &rec, GIT_SHA1_RAWSZ));
+	}
+
+	block_reader_release(&br);
+	block_iter_close(&it);
+	reftable_record_release(&rec);
+	reftable_block_done(&br.block);
+	strbuf_release(&want);
+	strbuf_release(&buf);
+	for (i = 0; i < N; i++)
+		reftable_record_release(&recs[i]);
+}
+
+int cmd_main(int argc, const char *argv[])
+{
+	TEST(t_index_block_read_write(), "read-write operations on index blocks work");
+	TEST(t_log_block_read_write(), "read-write operations on log blocks work");
+	TEST(t_obj_block_read_write(), "read-write operations on obj blocks work");
+	TEST(t_ref_block_read_write(), "read-write operations on ref blocks work");
+
+	return test_done();
+}