diff --git a/sw/tests/axirt_budget.c b/sw/tests/axirt_budget.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ba27083f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sw/tests/axirt_budget.c
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+// Copyright 2023 ETH Zurich and University of Bologna.
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0, see LICENSE for details.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+// Thomas Benz <tbenz@iis.ee.ethz.ch>
+//
+// Validate the budget functionality of AXI RT
+
+#include "axirt.h"
+#include "dif/dma.h"
+#include "regs/axi_rt.h"
+#include "params.h"
+#include "util.h"
+
+// transfer
+#define SIZE_BYTES 256
+#define SRC_STRIDE 0
+#define DST_STRIDE 0
+#define NUM_REPS 8
+#define SRC_ADDR 0x0000000010000000
+#define DST_ADDR 0x0000000080000000
+
+#define TOTAL_SIZE SIZE_BYTES*NUM_REPS
+
+int main(void) {
+
+    // enable and configure axi rt with fragmentation of 8 beats
+    __axirt_claim(1, 1);
+    __axirt_set_len_limit_group(7, 0);
+
+    // configure CVA6
+    __axirt_set_region(0, 0xffffffff, 0, 0);
+    __axirt_set_region(0x100000000, 0xffffffffffffffff, 1, 0);
+    __axirt_set_budget(0x10000000, 0, 0);
+    __axirt_set_budget(0x10000000, 1, 0);
+    __axirt_set_period(0x10000000, 0, 0);
+    __axirt_set_period(0x10000000, 1, 0);
+
+    // configure DMA
+    __axirt_set_region(0, 0xffffffff, 0, 2);
+    __axirt_set_region(0x100000000, 0xffffffffffffffff, 1, 2);
+    __axirt_set_budget(0x10000000, 0, 2);
+    __axirt_set_budget(0x10000000, 1, 2);
+    __axirt_set_period(0x10000000, 0, 2);
+    __axirt_set_period(0x10000000, 1, 2);
+
+    // enable RT unit for DMA and CVA6
+    __axirt_enable(0x5);
+
+    // launch DMA transfer
+    sys_dma_2d_blk_memcpy(DST_ADDR, SRC_ADDR, SIZE_BYTES, DST_STRIDE, SRC_STRIDE, NUM_REPS);
+
+    // read budget registers and compare
+    volatile uint32_t read_budget  = *reg32(&__base_axirt, AXI_RT_READ_BUDGET_LEFT_2_REG_OFFSET);
+    volatile uint32_t write_budget = *reg32(&__base_axirt, AXI_RT_WRITE_BUDGET_LEFT_2_REG_OFFSET);
+
+    // check
+    volatile uint8_t difference = (TOTAL_SIZE - read_budget) + (TOTAL_SIZE - write_budget);
+    volatile uint8_t mismatch = read_budget != write_budget;
+
+    return mismatch | (difference << 1);
+}