diff --git a/types/match_test.go b/types/match_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a078598e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/types/match_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+package types
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/prometheus/common/model"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestMatcherValidate(t *testing.T) {
+
+	validLabelName := "valid_label_name"
+	validStringValue := "value"
+	validRegexValue := ".*"
+
+	invalidLabelName := "123_invalid_name"
+	invalidStringValue := ""
+	invalidRegexValue := "]*.["
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		matcher  Matcher
+		valid    bool
+		errorMsg string
+	}{
+		//valid tests
+		{
+			matcher: Matcher{Name: validLabelName, Value: validStringValue},
+			valid:   true,
+		},
+		{
+			matcher: Matcher{Name: validLabelName, Value: validRegexValue, IsRegex: true},
+			valid:   true,
+		},
+		// invalid tests
+		{
+			matcher:  Matcher{Name: invalidLabelName, Value: validStringValue},
+			valid:    false,
+			errorMsg: fmt.Sprintf("invalid name %q", invalidLabelName),
+		},
+		{
+			matcher:  Matcher{Name: validLabelName, Value: invalidStringValue},
+			valid:    false,
+			errorMsg: fmt.Sprintf("invalid value %q", invalidStringValue),
+		},
+		{
+			matcher:  Matcher{Name: validLabelName, Value: invalidRegexValue, IsRegex: true},
+			valid:    false,
+			errorMsg: fmt.Sprintf("invalid regular expression %q", invalidRegexValue),
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		test.matcher.Init()
+
+		if test.valid {
+			require.NoError(t, test.matcher.Validate())
+			continue
+		}
+
+		require.EqualError(t, test.matcher.Validate(), test.errorMsg)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMatcherInit(t *testing.T) {
+	m := Matcher{Name: "label", Value: ".*", IsRegex: true}
+	require.NoError(t, m.Init())
+	require.EqualValues(t, "^(?:.*)$", m.regex.String())
+
+	m = Matcher{Name: "label", Value: "]*.[", IsRegex: true}
+	require.Error(t, m.Init())
+}
+
+func TestMatcherMatch(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		matcher  Matcher
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{matcher: Matcher{Name: "label", Value: "value"}, expected: true},
+		{matcher: Matcher{Name: "label", Value: "val"}, expected: false},
+		{matcher: Matcher{Name: "label", Value: "val.*", IsRegex: true}, expected: true},
+		{matcher: Matcher{Name: "label", Value: "diffval.*", IsRegex: true}, expected: false},
+		//unset label
+		{matcher: Matcher{Name: "difflabel", Value: "value"}, expected: false},
+	}
+
+	lset := model.LabelSet{"label": "value"}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		test.matcher.Init()
+
+		actual := test.matcher.Match(lset)
+		require.EqualValues(t, test.expected, actual)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMatcherString(t *testing.T) {
+	m := NewMatcher("foo", "bar")
+
+	if m.String() != "foo=\"bar\"" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected matcher string %#v", m.String())
+	}
+
+	re, err := regexp.Compile(".*")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	m = NewRegexMatcher("foo", re)
+
+	if m.String() != "foo=~\".*\"" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected matcher string %#v", m.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMatchersString(t *testing.T) {
+	m1 := NewMatcher("foo", "bar")
+
+	re, err := regexp.Compile(".*")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	m2 := NewRegexMatcher("bar", re)
+
+	matchers := NewMatchers(m1, m2)
+
+	if matchers.String() != "{bar=~\".*\",foo=\"bar\"}" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected matcher string %#v", matchers.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMatchersMatch(t *testing.T) {
+
+	m1 := &Matcher{Name: "label1", Value: "value1"}
+	m1.Init()
+	m2 := &Matcher{Name: "label2", Value: "val.*", IsRegex: true}
+	m2.Init()
+	m3 := &Matcher{Name: "label3", Value: "value3"}
+	m3.Init()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		matchers Matchers
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{matchers: Matchers{m1, m2}, expected: true},
+		{matchers: Matchers{m1, m3}, expected: false},
+	}
+
+	lset := model.LabelSet{"label1": "value1", "label2": "value2"}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		actual := test.matchers.Match(lset)
+		require.EqualValues(t, test.expected, actual)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMatchersEqual(t *testing.T) {
+
+	m1 := &Matcher{Name: "label1", Value: "value1"}
+	m1.Init()
+	m2 := &Matcher{Name: "label2", Value: "val.*", IsRegex: true}
+	m2.Init()
+	m3 := &Matcher{Name: "label3", Value: "value3"}
+	m3.Init()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		matchers1 Matchers
+		matchers2 Matchers
+		expected  bool
+	}{
+		{matchers1: Matchers{m1, m2}, matchers2: Matchers{m1, m2}, expected: true},
+		{matchers1: Matchers{m1, m3}, matchers2: Matchers{m1, m2}, expected: false},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		actual := test.matchers1.Equal(test.matchers2)
+		require.EqualValues(t, test.expected, actual)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/types/types_test.go b/types/types_test.go
index 8f89d0ad..bffda4fd 100644
--- a/types/types_test.go
+++ b/types/types_test.go
@@ -15,49 +15,12 @@ package types
 
 import (
 	"reflect"
-	"regexp"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/prometheus/common/model"
 )
 
-func TestMatcher(t *testing.T) {
-	m := NewMatcher("foo", "bar")
-
-	if m.String() != "foo=\"bar\"" {
-		t.Errorf("unexpected matcher string %#v", m.String())
-	}
-
-	re, err := regexp.Compile(".*")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	m = NewRegexMatcher("foo", re)
-
-	if m.String() != "foo=~\".*\"" {
-		t.Errorf("unexpected matcher string %#v", m.String())
-	}
-}
-
-func TestMatchers(t *testing.T) {
-	m1 := NewMatcher("foo", "bar")
-
-	re, err := regexp.Compile(".*")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	m2 := NewRegexMatcher("bar", re)
-
-	matchers := NewMatchers(m1, m2)
-
-	if matchers.String() != "{bar=~\".*\",foo=\"bar\"}" {
-		t.Errorf("unexpected matcher string %#v", matchers.String())
-	}
-}
-
 func TestAlertMerge(t *testing.T) {
 	now := time.Now()