diff --git a/tests/test_sourmash_compare.py b/tests/test_sourmash_compare.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fd299e6962
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_sourmash_compare.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+"""
+(More) sourmash compare & plot tests
+"""
+import os
+import glob
+import csv
+import pprint
+
+import sourmash_tst_utils as utils
+
+from sourmash import sourmash_args
+
+
+def test_sourmash_compare_labels_to(runtmp):
+    # test compare --labels-to
+    testsigs = utils.get_test_data('genome-s1*.sig')
+    testsigs = glob.glob(testsigs)
+    assert len(testsigs) == 4
+
+    labels_out = runtmp.output('labels.csv')
+
+    runtmp.sourmash('compare', '-o', 'cmp', '-k', '7',
+                    '--labels-to', labels_out,
+                    *testsigs)
+
+    assert os.path.exists(labels_out)
+
+    with sourmash_args.FileInputCSV(labels_out) as r:
+        assert set(r.fieldnames) == { 'order', 'md5', 'label', 'name',
+                                      'filename', 'signature_file' }
+
+        rows = list(r)
+
+    assert len(rows) == 4
+    print(rows)
+
+    d = {}
+    for row in rows:
+        d[row['md5']] = row['order'], row['label'], row['name'], row['filename'], row['signature_file']
+
+    pprint.pprint(d)
+    
+    r1 = d['76e45c8afb20b29a7fa022b1562b0971']
+    order, label, name, filename, location = r1
+    assert order == '1'
+    assert label == 'genome-s12'
+    assert name == 'genome-s12'
+    assert filename.endswith('genome-s12.fa.gz')
+    assert location.endswith('genome-s12.fa.gz.sig')
+
+    r2 = d['93d5d09abf399740a4506310680eb62c']
+    order, label, name, filename, location = r2
+    assert order == '4'
+    assert label == 'genome-s10+s11'
+    assert name == 'genome-s10+s11'
+    assert filename == '-'
+    assert location.endswith('-s10+s11.sig')
+
+
+def test_sourmash_plot_labels_from(runtmp):
+    # test plot --labels-from
+    testsigs = utils.get_test_data('genome-s1*.sig')
+    testsigs = glob.glob(testsigs)
+    assert len(testsigs) == 4
+
+    labels_out = runtmp.output('labels.csv')
+
+    runtmp.sourmash('compare', '-o', 'cmp', '-k', '7',
+                    '--labels-to', labels_out,
+                    *testsigs)
+
+    assert os.path.exists(labels_out)
+
+    runtmp.sourmash('plot', 'cmp', '--labels-from', labels_out)
+
+    print(runtmp.last_result.out)
+    print(runtmp.last_result.err)
+
+    assert 'loading labels from CSV file' in runtmp.last_result.err
+    assert '(NOTE: --labels-from implies --labels)' in runtmp.last_result.err