diff --git a/src/database/database-dummy.cpp b/src/database/database-dummy.cpp
index cc885d38e..f23734b6f 100644
--- a/src/database/database-dummy.cpp
+++ b/src/database/database-dummy.cpp
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ void Database_Dummy::loadBlock(const v3s16 &pos, std::string *block)
 
 bool Database_Dummy::deleteBlock(const v3s16 &pos)
 {
-	m_database.erase(getBlockAsInteger(pos));
-	return true;
+	return m_database.erase(getBlockAsInteger(pos)) > 0;
 }
 
 void Database_Dummy::listAllLoadableBlocks(std::vector<v3s16> &dst)
diff --git a/src/database/database-sqlite3.cpp b/src/database/database-sqlite3.cpp
index 6fefce8d3..2ac6342ce 100644
--- a/src/database/database-sqlite3.cpp
+++ b/src/database/database-sqlite3.cpp
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ void MapDatabaseSQLite3::loadBlock(const v3s16 &pos, std::string *block)
 	bindPos(m_stmt_read, pos);
 
 	if (sqlite3_step(m_stmt_read) != SQLITE_ROW) {
+		block->clear();
 		sqlite3_reset(m_stmt_read);
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/src/unittest/CMakeLists.txt b/src/unittest/CMakeLists.txt
index b7ca17199..8a878cdd7 100644
--- a/src/unittest/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/unittest/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ set (UNITTEST_SRCS
 	${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test_lua.cpp
 	${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test_map.cpp
 	${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test_mapblock.cpp
+	${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test_mapdatabase.cpp
 	${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test_mapgen.cpp
 	${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test_map_settings_manager.cpp
 	${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test_mapnode.cpp
diff --git a/src/unittest/test_mapdatabase.cpp b/src/unittest/test_mapdatabase.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f206285a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/unittest/test_mapdatabase.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+// Luanti
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
+// Copyright (C) 2024 sfan5
+
+#include "cmake_config.h"
+
+#include "test.h"
+
+#include <functional>
+#include <memory>
+#include <optional>
+#include "database/database-dummy.h"
+#include "database/database-sqlite3.h"
+#if USE_LEVELDB
+#include "database/database-leveldb.h"
+#endif
+#if USE_POSTGRESQL
+#include "database/database-postgresql.h"
+#endif
+
+namespace
+{
+
+class MapDatabaseProvider
+{
+public:
+	typedef std::function<MapDatabase*(void)> F;
+
+	MapDatabaseProvider(MapDatabase *db) : can_create(false), m_db(db) {
+		sanity_check(m_db);
+	}
+	MapDatabaseProvider(const F &creator) : can_create(true), m_creator(creator) {
+		sanity_check(m_creator);
+	}
+
+	~MapDatabaseProvider() {
+		if (m_db)
+			m_db->endSave();
+		if (can_create)
+			delete m_db;
+	}
+
+	MapDatabase *get() {
+		if (m_db)
+			m_db->endSave();
+		if (can_create) {
+			delete m_db;
+			m_db = m_creator();
+		}
+		m_db->beginSave();
+		return m_db;
+	}
+
+private:
+	bool can_create;
+	F m_creator;
+	MapDatabase *m_db = nullptr;
+};
+
+}
+
+class TestMapDatabase : public TestBase
+{
+public:
+	TestMapDatabase() { TestManager::registerTestModule(this); }
+	const char *getName() { return "TestMapDatabase"; }
+
+	void runTests(IGameDef *gamedef);
+	void runTestsForCurrentDB();
+
+	void testSave();
+	void testLoad();
+	void testList(int expect);
+	void testRemove();
+
+private:
+	MapDatabaseProvider *provider = nullptr;
+
+	std::string test_data;
+};
+
+static TestMapDatabase g_test_instance;
+
+void TestMapDatabase::runTests(IGameDef *gamedef)
+{
+	// fixed directory, for persistence
+	const std::string test_dir = getTestTempDirectory();
+
+	for (int c = 255; c >= 0; c--)
+		test_data.push_back(static_cast<char>(c));
+	sanity_check(!test_data.empty());
+
+	rawstream << "-------- Dummy" << std::endl;
+
+	// We can't re-create this object since it would lose the data
+	{
+		auto dummy_db = std::make_unique<Database_Dummy>();
+		provider = new MapDatabaseProvider(dummy_db.get());
+		runTestsForCurrentDB();
+		delete provider;
+	}
+
+	rawstream << "-------- SQLite3" << std::endl;
+
+	provider = new MapDatabaseProvider([&] () {
+		return new MapDatabaseSQLite3(test_dir);
+	});
+	runTestsForCurrentDB();
+	delete provider;
+
+#if USE_LEVELDB
+	rawstream << "-------- LevelDB" << std::endl;
+
+	provider = new MapDatabaseProvider([&] () {
+		return new Database_LevelDB(test_dir);
+	});
+	runTestsForCurrentDB();
+	delete provider;
+#endif
+
+#if USE_POSTGRESQL
+	const char *connstr = getenv("MINETEST_POSTGRESQL_CONNECT_STRING");
+	if (connstr) {
+		rawstream << "-------- PostgreSQL" << std::endl;
+
+		provider = new MapDatabaseProvider([&] () {
+			return new MapDatabasePostgreSQL(connstr);
+		});
+		runTestsForCurrentDB();
+		delete provider;
+	}
+#endif
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+void TestMapDatabase::runTestsForCurrentDB()
+{
+	// order-sensitive
+	TEST(testSave);
+	TEST(testLoad);
+	TEST(testList, 1);
+	TEST(testRemove);
+	TEST(testList, 0);
+}
+
+void TestMapDatabase::testSave()
+{
+	auto *db = provider->get();
+	std::string_view stuff{"wrong wrong wrong"};
+	UASSERT(db->saveBlock({1, 2, 3}, stuff));
+	// overwriting is valid too
+	UASSERT(db->saveBlock({1, 2, 3}, test_data));
+}
+
+void TestMapDatabase::testLoad()
+{
+	auto *db = provider->get();
+	std::string dest;
+
+	// successful load
+	db->loadBlock({1, 2, 3}, &dest);
+	UASSERT(!dest.empty());
+	UASSERT(dest == test_data);
+
+	// failed load
+	v3s16 pp[] = {{1, 2, 4}, {0, 0, 0}, {-1, -2, -3}};
+	for (v3s16 p : pp) {
+		dest = "not empty";
+		db->loadBlock(p, &dest);
+		UASSERT(dest.empty());
+	}
+}
+
+void TestMapDatabase::testList(int expect)
+{
+	auto *db = provider->get();
+	std::vector<v3s16> dest;
+	db->listAllLoadableBlocks(dest);
+	UASSERTEQ(size_t, dest.size(), expect);
+	if (expect == 1)
+		UASSERT(dest.front() == v3s16(1, 2, 3));
+}
+
+void TestMapDatabase::testRemove()
+{
+	auto *db = provider->get();
+
+	// successful remove
+	UASSERT(db->deleteBlock({1, 2, 3}));
+
+	// failed remove
+	// FIXME: this isn't working consistently, maybe later
+	//UASSERT(!db->deleteBlock({1, 2, 4}));
+}