diff --git a/fasta2a/client.py b/fasta2a/client.py
index cd84499..e4a2071 100644
--- a/fasta2a/client.py
+++ b/fasta2a/client.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import pydantic
 
 from .schema import (
+    AgentCard,
     GetTaskRequest,
     GetTaskResponse,
     Message,
@@ -31,7 +32,23 @@
 class A2AClient:
     """A client for the A2A protocol."""
 
-    def __init__(self, base_url: str = 'http://localhost:8000', http_client: httpx.AsyncClient | None = None) -> None:
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        agent: str | AgentCard,
+        http_client: httpx.AsyncClient | None = None,
+        fetch_card: bool = False,
+        relative_card_path: str | None = None,
+    ) -> None:
+        self.agent_card = None
+        if fetch_card and isinstance(agent, str):
+            if relative_card_path is None:
+                relative_card_path = '/.well-known/agent-card.json'
+            agent_url = agent.rstrip('/') + relative_card_path
+            response = httpx.get(agent_url)
+            response.raise_for_status()
+            agent = AgentCard(**response.json())
+            self.agent_card = agent
+        base_url = agent if isinstance(agent, str) else agent['url']
         if http_client is None:
             self.http_client = httpx.AsyncClient(base_url=base_url)
         else:
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 2af3b7d..0f4b669 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ dev = [
     "pytest",
     "ruff",
     "pyright",
+    "pytest_asyncio",
+    "uvicorn"
 ]
 docs = [
     "mkdocs-material[imaging]",
diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02f4877
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import asyncio
+import socket
+import threading
+from collections.abc import AsyncGenerator
+
+import httpx
+import pytest
+import pytest_asyncio
+import uvicorn
+
+from fasta2a.applications import FastA2A
+from fasta2a.broker import InMemoryBroker
+from fasta2a.client import A2AClient
+from fasta2a.storage import InMemoryStorage
+
+SERVER_HOST = '127.0.0.1'
+
+
+def get_free_port() -> int:
+    """Ask OS for a free port."""
+    with socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM) as s:
+        s.bind(('', 0))
+        return s.getsockname()[1]
+
+
+async def _wait_server(url: str, retries: int = 100, delay: float = 0.1):
+    """Wait until the server responds (any response, even 404)."""
+    async with httpx.AsyncClient() as client:
+        for _ in range(retries):
+            try:
+                await client.get(url)
+                return
+            except httpx.RequestError:
+                await asyncio.sleep(delay)
+        raise RuntimeError(f'Server at {url} did not start in time')
+
+
+def _start_server_in_thread(app: FastA2A, host: str, port: int):
+    """Run uvicorn server in a background thread."""
+
+    def _run_uvicorn():
+        uvicorn.run(app, host=host, port=port, log_level='error')
+
+    thread = threading.Thread(target=_run_uvicorn, daemon=True)
+    thread.start()
+
+
+@pytest_asyncio.fixture(scope='function')
+async def run_server(request: pytest.FixtureRequest) -> AsyncGenerator[str, None]:
+    """
+    Generic fixture to run a FastA2A server.
+
+    Accepts optional parameters via `request.param`:
+        - name: agent name
+        - description: agent description
+    """
+    params = getattr(request, 'param', {})
+    port = get_free_port()
+    url = f'http://{SERVER_HOST}:{port}'
+
+    app = FastA2A(
+        storage=InMemoryStorage(),
+        broker=InMemoryBroker(),
+        url=url,
+        name=params.get('name'),
+        description=params.get('description'),
+    )
+
+    _start_server_in_thread(app, SERVER_HOST, port)
+    await _wait_server(url)
+    yield url
+
+
+# ----------------------
+# Tests
+# ----------------------
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_client_basic(run_server: str):
+    client = A2AClient(agent=run_server)
+    assert str(client.http_client.base_url) == run_server
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_client_fetch_card(run_server: str):
+    client = A2AClient(agent=run_server, fetch_card=True)
+    assert hasattr(client, 'agent_card') and client.agent_card is not None
+    assert client.http_client.base_url == run_server
+
+
+# Parameterize the fixture for tests needing a named agent
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'run_server',
+    [{'name': 'Test Agent', 'description': 'A test agent for unit tests.'}],
+    indirect=True,
+)
+async def test_client_check_agent_card(run_server: str):
+    client = A2AClient(agent=run_server, fetch_card=True)
+    assert client.http_client.base_url == run_server
+    assert hasattr(client, 'agent_card') and client.agent_card is not None
+    card = getattr(client, 'agent_card', {})
+    assert card.get('name') == 'Test Agent'
+    assert card.get('description') == 'A test agent for unit tests.'