diff --git a/backend/gvadm/soapserver.py b/backend/gvadm/soapserver.py
index 42a30a5..65993df 100644
--- a/backend/gvadm/soapserver.py
+++ b/backend/gvadm/soapserver.py
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ class GnuviechAdminSOAPServer(SOAPServer):
     """
     SOAP Server class for the gnuviech administration tool backend
     """
-    def echo(self, s):
-        self.logger.debug("calling echo with " + s)        
-        return s + s
+    def echo(self, param0):
+        self.logger.debug("calling echo with " + param0)
+        return param0 + param0
     
     def __init__(self):
         SOAPServer.__init__(self, ("127.0.0.1", 8080))
diff --git a/php/.htaccess b/php/.htaccess
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f565327
--- /dev/null
+++ b/php/.htaccess
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# configuration for PEAR
+php_value include_path "/home/jan/pear/php/"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/php/SOAPRequester.php b/php/SOAPRequester.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a348b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/php/SOAPRequester.php
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * SOAP client class for accessing the gnuviech adminstration tool SOAP
+ * service.
+ * @author Jan Dittberner <jan@dittberner.info>
+ * @version $Id$
+ */
+require_once('SOAP/Client.php');
+
+/**
+ * SOAP requester.
+ */
+class SOAPRequester {
+	/**
+	 * SOAP_Client-Instanz.
+	 * @access private
+	 */
+	var $soapclient;
+
+	/**
+	 * Constructor expecting a settings array.
+	 * @param settings with options protocol, hostname, portnumber, path
+	 * @access public
+	 */
+	function SOAPRequester($settings) {
+		$this->soapclient = new SOAP_Client(sprintf("%s://%s:%d/%s",
+																								$settings['protocol'],
+																								$settings['hostname'],
+																								$settings['portnumber'],
+																								$settings['path']));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Calls the echo method at the remote SOAP server.
+	 * @param String parameter
+	 * @return twice the String if the remote call is successful
+	 */
+	function callecho($param) {
+		$options = array('trace' => 1);
+
+		$ret = $this->soapclient->call('echo',
+																	 $params = array('param0' => $param),
+																	 $options);
+		
+		return $ret;
+	}
+}
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/php/TestSOAPRequester.php b/php/TestSOAPRequester.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c3fabdc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/php/TestSOAPRequester.php
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Unittest for the SOAPRequester.
+ * @author Jan Dittberner <jan@dittberner.info>
+ * @version $Id$
+ */
+require_once('PHPUnit.php');
+require_once('SOAPRequester.php');
+
+/**
+ * TestCase for SOAPRequester.
+ */
+class TestSOAPRequester extends PHPUnit_TestCase {
+	/**
+	 * SOAPRequester-Instanz.
+	 */
+	var $requester;
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets up the test case.
+	 * @see PHPUnit_TestCase#setUp()
+	 */
+	function setUp() {
+		$settings = array('protocol' => 'http',
+											'hostname' => 'localhost',
+											'portnumber' => 8080,
+											'path' => '');
+		$this->requester = new SOAPRequester($settings);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests the SOAPRequester class's callEcho method.
+	 * @see SOAPRequester#callEcho(string)
+	 */
+	function testCallEcho() {
+		$result = $this->requester->callEcho('Test');
+		$this->assertEquals('TestTest', $result);
+	}
+}
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/php/runtests.php b/php/runtests.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0bb19f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/php/runtests.php
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Test runner.
+ * @author Jan Dittberner <jan@dittberner.info>
+ * @version $Id$
+ */
+require_once('TestSOAPRequester.php');
+require_once('PHPUnit.php');
+
+$suite = new PHPUnit_TestSuite('TestSOAPRequester');
+$result = PHPUnit::run($suite);
+
+printf($result->toHTML());
+?>
\ No newline at end of file