diff --git a/test/framework/utils.cc b/test/framework/utils.cc
index ccb9b47..c02442c 100644
--- a/test/framework/utils.cc
+++ b/test/framework/utils.cc
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 #include "utils.hh"
 
 #include <iostream>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <fstream>
 
 #include <pEp/identity_list.h>
 
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ namespace pEp {
         namespace Log {
             void logH1(string msg)
             {
-                char decoration{'='};
+                char decoration{ '=' };
                 cout << endl
                      << endl
                      << std::string(30, decoration) << ' ' << msg << ' '
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ namespace pEp {
 
             void logH2(string msg)
             {
-                char decoration{'-'};
+                char decoration{ '-' };
                 cout << endl
                      << std::string(10, decoration) << ' ' << msg << ' '
                      << std::string(10, decoration) << endl;
@@ -35,9 +37,9 @@ namespace pEp {
         } // namespace Log
 
         namespace Utils {
+
             string identity_to_string(::pEp_identity *ident, bool full, int indent)
             {
-
                 stringstream builder;
                 if (ident != nullptr) {
                     if (full) {
@@ -161,17 +163,48 @@ namespace pEp {
                 return builder.str();
             }
 
-            void print_exception(const exception& e, int level)
+            void print_exception(const exception &e, int level)
             {
                 cerr << string(level, ' ') << "exception: " << e.what() << endl;
                 try {
                     rethrow_if_nested(e);
-                } catch (const exception& e) {
+                } catch (const exception &e) {
                     print_exception(e, level + 1);
                 } catch (...) {
                 }
             }
 
-        } // namespace Utils
+            // File utils
+            ofstream file_create(const string &filename)
+            {
+                ofstream outfile{ filename };
+                return outfile;
+            }
+
+            bool file_exists(const string &filename)
+            {
+
+                ifstream ifile(filename.c_str());
+                return (bool)ifile;
+            }
+
+            void file_delete(const string &filename)
+            {
+                int status = remove(filename.c_str());
+                if (status) {
+                    runtime_error e{ string(
+                        "file_delete(\"" + filename + "\") -  " + strerror(errno)) };
+                    throw(e);
+                }
+            }
+
+            void file_ensure_not_existing(string path)
+            {
+                while (file_exists(path)) {
+                    file_delete(path);
+                }
+            }
+
+} // namespace Utils
     }     // namespace Test
 } // namespace pEp
diff --git a/test/framework/utils.hh b/test/framework/utils.hh
index 9a1119a..5507f0a 100644
--- a/test/framework/utils.hh
+++ b/test/framework/utils.hh
@@ -17,16 +17,25 @@ namespace pEp {
             void logH2(std::string msg);
         }
         namespace Utils {
+            // pEpEngine datatypes to string
             std::string identity_to_string(::pEp_identity *ident, bool full = true, int indent = 0);
             std::string identitylist_to_string(::identity_list *idl, bool full = true, int indent = 0);
             std::string member_to_string(::pEp_member *member, bool full = true, int indent = 0);
             std::string memberlist_to_string(::member_list *mbl, bool full = true, int indent = 0);
             std::string group_to_string(::pEp_group *group, bool full = true, int indent = 0);
 
+            // C++/STL data types to string
             template<typename T>
             std::string vector_to_string(std::vector<T> v);
 
+            // exception utils
             void print_exception(const std::exception& e, int level = 0);
+
+            // file utils
+            std::ofstream file_create(const std::string &filename);
+            bool file_exists(const std::string &filename);
+            void file_delete(const std::string &filename);
+            void file_ensure_not_existing(std::string path);
         }
     } // namespace Test
 } // namespace pEp
diff --git a/test/test_pEpSQLite.cc b/test/test_pEpSQLite.cc
index 4a17eb7..aa10543 100644
--- a/test/test_pEpSQLite.cc
+++ b/test/test_pEpSQLite.cc
@@ -1,51 +1,18 @@
 #include "test_pEpSQLite.hh"
-#include "../src/sqlite3.h"
-#include "../src/pEpLog.hh"
 #include "../src/pEpSQLite.hh"
+#include "../src/pEpLog.hh"
 #include "framework/utils.hh"
-#include <exception>
-#include <iostream>
+
 #include <fstream>
-#include <cstdio>
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace pEp;
 using namespace pEp::Test;
-
-using namespace Test::Log;
-
-ofstream file_create(const string& filename)
-{
-    ofstream outfile{ filename };
-    return outfile;
-}
-
-bool file_exists(const string& filename)
-{
-
-    ifstream ifile(filename.c_str());
-    return (bool)ifile;
-}
-
-void file_delete(const string& filename)
-{
-    int status = remove(filename.c_str());
-    if (status) {
-        runtime_error e{ string("file_delete(\"" + filename + "\") -  " + strerror(errno)) };
-        throw(e);
-    }
-}
-
+using namespace pEp::Test::Log;
+using namespace pEp::Test::Utils;
 
 namespace pEp {
     namespace Test {
-        // Util
-        void ensure_file_not_existing(string path)
-        {
-            while (file_exists(path)) {
-                file_delete(path);
-            }
-        }
         // --------------------------------- FIXTURES ---------------------------------
         // filenames
         string fixture_db_filename_new()
@@ -82,7 +49,7 @@ namespace pEp {
             //            pEpLog("called");
             string path = fixture_db_filename_new();
             //            cout << "fixture: \"" << path << "\" not existing" << endl;
-            ensure_file_not_existing(path);
+            file_ensure_not_existing(path);
             return path;
         }
 
@@ -91,7 +58,7 @@ namespace pEp {
             //            pEpLog("called");
             string path = "existing.db";
             //            cout << "fixture: \"" << path << "\" not existing" << endl;
-            ensure_file_not_existing(path);
+            file_ensure_not_existing(path);
             return path;
         }
 
@@ -100,7 +67,7 @@ namespace pEp {
             //            pEpLog("called");
             //            cout << "creating corrupt db" << endl;
             string path = fixture_db_filename_corrupt();
-            ensure_file_not_existing(path);
+            file_ensure_not_existing(path);
             ofstream db_corrupt = file_create(path);
             db_corrupt << "G4rbage" << endl;
             db_corrupt.close();