diff --git a/ovos_core/skill_installer.py b/ovos_core/skill_installer.py
index 4d3716ba089..51324818b40 100644
--- a/ovos_core/skill_installer.py
+++ b/ovos_core/skill_installer.py
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@ def shutdown(self):
         pass
 
     def play_error_sound(self):
-        snd = Configuration().get("sounds", {}).get("pip_error", "snd/error.mp3")
+        snd = self.config.get("sounds", {}).get("pip_error", "snd/error.mp3")
         self.bus.emit(Message("mycroft.audio.play_sound", {"uri": snd}))
 
     def play_success_sound(self):
-        snd = Configuration().get("sounds", {}).get("pip_success", "snd/acknowledge.mp3")
+        snd = self.config.get("sounds", {}).get("pip_success", "snd/acknowledge.mp3")
         self.bus.emit(Message("mycroft.audio.play_sound", {"uri": snd}))
 
     def pip_install(self, packages: list,
@@ -81,7 +81,9 @@ def pip_install(self, packages: list,
                     proc = Popen(pip_command, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE)
                 pip_code = proc.wait()
                 if pip_code != 0:
-                    stderr = proc.stderr.read().decode()
+                    stderr = proc.stderr
+                    if stderr:
+                        stderr = stderr.read().decode()
                     self.play_error_sound()
                     raise RuntimeError(stderr)
 
@@ -198,7 +200,7 @@ def handle_install_python(self, message: Message):
             self.bus.emit(message.reply("ovos.pip.install.failed",
                                         {"error": InstallError.DISABLED.value}))
             return
-        pkgs = message.data["packages"]
+        pkgs = message.data.get("packages")
         if pkgs:
             if self.pip_install(pkgs):
                 self.bus.emit(message.reply("ovos.pip.install.complete"))
@@ -216,7 +218,7 @@ def handle_uninstall_python(self, message: Message):
             self.bus.emit(message.reply("ovos.pip.uninstall.failed",
                                         {"error": InstallError.DISABLED.value}))
             return
-        pkgs = message.data["packages"]
+        pkgs = message.data.get("packages")
         if pkgs:
             if self.pip_uninstall(pkgs):
                 self.bus.emit(message.reply("ovos.pip.uninstall.complete"))
diff --git a/test/unittests/skills/test_skill_installer.py b/test/unittests/skills/test_skill_installer.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2450a0217f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unittests/skills/test_skill_installer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,220 @@
+from unittest.mock import Mock
+import pytest
+from ovos_bus_client import Message
+from ..mocks import MessageBusMock
+from ovos_core.skill_installer import SkillsStore
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="function", autouse=True)
+def skills_store(request):
+    config = getattr(request, 'param', {})
+    return SkillsStore(bus=MessageBusMock(), config=config)
+
+
+def test_shutdown(skills_store):
+    assert skills_store.shutdown() is None
+
+
+def test_play_error_sound(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound()
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {
+        "uri": "snd/error.mp3"
+    }
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "mycroft.audio.play_sound"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("skills_store", [{"sounds": {"pip_error": "snd/custom_error.mp3"}}], indirect=True)
+def test_play_error_sound_custom(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound()
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {
+        "uri": "snd/custom_error.mp3"
+    }
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "mycroft.audio.play_sound"
+
+
+def test_play_success_sound(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_success_sound()
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {
+        "uri": "snd/acknowledge.mp3"
+    }
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "mycroft.audio.play_sound"
+
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("skills_store", [{"sounds": {"pip_success": "snd/custom_success.mp3"}}], indirect=True)
+def test_play_success_sound_custom(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_success_sound()
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {
+        "uri": "snd/custom_success.mp3"
+    }
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "mycroft.audio.play_sound"
+
+
+def test_pip_install_no_packages(skills_store):
+    # TODO: This method should be refactored in 0.1.0 for easier unit testing
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    res = skills_store.pip_install([])
+    assert res is False
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_called_once()
+
+
+def test_pip_install_no_constraints(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    res = skills_store.pip_install(["foo", "bar"], constraints="not/real")
+    assert res is False
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_called_once()
+
+def test_pip_install_happy_path():
+    # TODO: This method should be refactored in 0.1.0 for easier unit testing
+    assert True
+
+
+def test_pip_uninstall_no_packages(skills_store):
+    # TODO: This method should be refactored in 0.1.0 for easier unit testing
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    res = skills_store.pip_uninstall([])
+    assert res is False
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_called_once()
+
+
+def test_pip_uninstall_no_constraints(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    res = skills_store.pip_uninstall(["foo", "bar"], constraints="not/real")
+    assert res is False
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_called_once()
+
+def test_pip_uninstall_happy_path():
+    # TODO: This method should be refactored in 0.1.0 for easier unit testing
+    assert True
+
+
+def test_validate_skill(skills_store):
+    assert skills_store.validate_skill("https://github.com/openvoiceos/skill-foo") is True
+    assert skills_store.validate_skill("https://gitlab.com/foo/skill-bar") is False
+    assert skills_store.validate_skill("literally-anything-else") is False
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('skills_store', [{"allow_pip": False}], indirect=True)
+def test_handle_install_skill_not_allowed(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    skills_store.validate_skill = Mock()
+    skills_store.handle_install_skill(Message(msg_type="test", data={}))
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_called_once()
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "ovos.skills.install.failed"
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {"error": "pip disabled in mycroft.conf"}
+    skills_store.validate_skill.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('skills_store', [{"allow_pip": True}], indirect=True)
+def test_handle_install_skill_not_from_github(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    skills_store.handle_install_skill(Message(msg_type="test", data={"url": "beautifulsoup4"}))
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_called_once()
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "ovos.skills.install.failed"
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {"error": "skill url validation failed"}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('skills_store', [{"allow_pip": True}], indirect=True)
+def test_handle_install_skill_from_github(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    skills_store.pip_install = Mock(return_value=True)
+    skills_store.handle_install_skill(Message(msg_type="test", data={"url": "https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/skill-foo"}))
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_not_called()
+    skills_store.pip_install.assert_called_once_with(["git+https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/skill-foo"])
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "ovos.skills.install.complete"
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('skills_store', [{"allow_pip": True}], indirect=True)
+def test_handle_install_skill_from_github_failure(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    skills_store.pip_install = Mock(return_value=False)
+    skills_store.handle_install_skill(Message(msg_type="test", data={"url": "https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/skill-foo"}))
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_not_called()
+    skills_store.pip_install.assert_called_once_with(["git+https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/skill-foo"])
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "ovos.skills.install.failed"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('skills_store', [{"allow_pip": False}], indirect=True)
+def test_handle_uninstall_skill_not_allowed(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    skills_store.handle_uninstall_skill(Message(msg_type="test", data={}))
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_called_once()
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "ovos.skills.uninstall.failed"
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {"error": "pip disabled in mycroft.conf"}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('skills_store', [{"allow_pip": True}], indirect=True)
+def test_handle_uninstall_skill(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    skills_store.handle_uninstall_skill(Message(msg_type="test", data={}))
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_called_once()
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "ovos.skills.uninstall.failed"
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {"error": "not implemented"}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('skills_store', [{"allow_pip": False}], indirect=True)
+def test_handle_install_python_not_allowed(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    skills_store.pip_install = Mock()
+    skills_store.handle_install_python(Message(msg_type="test", data={}))
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_called_once()
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "ovos.pip.install.failed"
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {"error": "pip disabled in mycroft.conf"}
+    skills_store.pip_install.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('skills_store', [{"allow_pip": True}], indirect=True)
+def test_handle_install_python_no_packages(skills_store):
+    skills_store.pip_install = Mock()
+    skills_store.handle_install_python(Message(msg_type="test", data={}))
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "ovos.pip.install.failed"
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {"error": "no packages to install"}
+    skills_store.pip_install.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('skills_store', [{"allow_pip": True}], indirect=True)
+def test_handle_install_python_success(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    skills_store.pip_install = Mock()
+    packages = ["requests", "fastapi"]
+    skills_store.handle_install_python(Message(msg_type="test", data={"packages": packages}))
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_not_called()
+    skills_store.pip_install.assert_called_once_with(packages)
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "ovos.pip.install.complete"
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('skills_store', [{"allow_pip": False}], indirect=True)
+def test_handle_uninstall_python_not_allowed(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    skills_store.pip_uninstall = Mock()
+    skills_store.handle_uninstall_python(Message(msg_type="test", data={}))
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_called_once()
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "ovos.pip.uninstall.failed"
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {"error": "pip disabled in mycroft.conf"}
+    skills_store.pip_uninstall.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('skills_store', [{"allow_pip": True}], indirect=True)
+def test_handle_uninstall_python_no_packages(skills_store):
+    skills_store.pip_uninstall = Mock()
+    skills_store.handle_uninstall_python(Message(msg_type="test", data={}))
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "ovos.pip.uninstall.failed"
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {"error": "no packages to install"}
+    skills_store.pip_uninstall.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('skills_store', [{"allow_pip": True}], indirect=True)
+def test_handle_uninstall_python_success(skills_store):
+    skills_store.play_error_sound = Mock()
+    skills_store.pip_uninstall = Mock()
+    packages = ["requests", "fastapi"]
+    skills_store.handle_uninstall_python(Message(msg_type="test", data={"packages": packages}))
+    skills_store.play_error_sound.assert_not_called()
+    skills_store.pip_uninstall.assert_called_once_with(packages)
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_types[-1] == "ovos.pip.uninstall.complete"
+    assert skills_store.bus.message_data[-1] == {}
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    pytest.main()