diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/throttle/AckThrottlerTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/throttle/AckThrottlerTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..45001ff365a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/throttle/AckThrottlerTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+package org.elasticsearch.alerts.throttle;
+
+import org.elasticsearch.alerts.Alert;
+import org.elasticsearch.alerts.ExecutionContext;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.joda.time.DateTime;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchTestCase;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import static org.elasticsearch.alerts.support.AlertsDateUtils.formatDate;
+import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.nullValue;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
+
+/**
+ *
+ */
+public class AckThrottlerTests extends ElasticsearchTestCase {
+
+    @Test
+    public void testWhenAcked() throws Exception {
+        DateTime timestamp = new DateTime();
+        ExecutionContext ctx = mock(ExecutionContext.class);
+        Alert alert = mock(Alert.class);
+        Alert.Status status = mock(Alert.Status.class);
+        when(status.ackStatus()).thenReturn(new Alert.Status.AckStatus(Alert.Status.AckStatus.State.ACKED, timestamp));
+        when(alert.status()).thenReturn(status);
+        when(alert.name()).thenReturn("_alert");
+        when(alert.acked()).thenReturn(true);
+        when(ctx.alert()).thenReturn(alert);
+        AckThrottler throttler = new AckThrottler();
+        Throttler.Result result = throttler.throttle(ctx);
+        assertThat(result.throttle(), is(true));
+        assertThat(result.reason(), is("alert [_alert] was acked at [" + formatDate(timestamp) + "]"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testWhenNotAcked() throws Exception {
+        DateTime timestamp = new DateTime();
+        ExecutionContext ctx = mock(ExecutionContext.class);
+        Alert alert = mock(Alert.class);
+        Alert.Status status = mock(Alert.Status.class);
+        Alert.Status.AckStatus.State state = randomFrom(Alert.Status.AckStatus.State.AWAITS_EXECUTION, Alert.Status.AckStatus.State.ACKABLE);
+        when(status.ackStatus()).thenReturn(new Alert.Status.AckStatus(state, timestamp));
+        when(alert.status()).thenReturn(status);
+        when(alert.name()).thenReturn("_alert");
+        when(alert.acked()).thenReturn(false);
+        when(ctx.alert()).thenReturn(alert);
+        AckThrottler throttler = new AckThrottler();
+        Throttler.Result result = throttler.throttle(ctx);
+        assertThat(result.throttle(), is(false));
+        assertThat(result.reason(), nullValue());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/throttle/AlertThrottlerTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/throttle/AlertThrottlerTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..37fb496e75a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/throttle/AlertThrottlerTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+package org.elasticsearch.alerts.throttle;
+
+import org.elasticsearch.alerts.ExecutionContext;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchTestCase;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.notNullValue;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.sameInstance;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
+
+/**
+ *
+ */
+public class AlertThrottlerTests extends ElasticsearchTestCase {
+
+    @Test
+    public void testThrottle_DueToAck() throws Exception {
+        PeriodThrottler periodThrottler = mock(PeriodThrottler.class);
+        AckThrottler ackThrottler = mock(AckThrottler.class);
+        ExecutionContext ctx = mock(ExecutionContext.class);
+        when(periodThrottler.throttle(ctx)).thenReturn(Throttler.Result.NO);
+        Throttler.Result expectedResult = Throttler.Result.throttle("_reason");
+        when(ackThrottler.throttle(ctx)).thenReturn(expectedResult);
+        AlertThrottler throttler = new AlertThrottler(periodThrottler, ackThrottler);
+        Throttler.Result result = throttler.throttle(ctx);
+        assertThat(result, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(result, is(expectedResult));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testThrottle_DueToPeriod() throws Exception {
+        PeriodThrottler periodThrottler = mock(PeriodThrottler.class);
+        AckThrottler ackThrottler = mock(AckThrottler.class);
+        ExecutionContext ctx = mock(ExecutionContext.class);
+        Throttler.Result expectedResult = Throttler.Result.throttle("_reason");
+        when(periodThrottler.throttle(ctx)).thenReturn(expectedResult);
+        when(ackThrottler.throttle(ctx)).thenReturn(Throttler.Result.NO);
+        AlertThrottler throttler = new AlertThrottler(periodThrottler, ackThrottler);
+        Throttler.Result result = throttler.throttle(ctx);
+        assertThat(result, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(result, is(expectedResult));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testThrottle_DueBoth() throws Exception {
+        PeriodThrottler periodThrottler = mock(PeriodThrottler.class);
+        AckThrottler ackThrottler = mock(AckThrottler.class);
+        ExecutionContext ctx = mock(ExecutionContext.class);
+        Throttler.Result periodResult = Throttler.Result.throttle("_reason_period");
+        when(periodThrottler.throttle(ctx)).thenReturn(periodResult);
+        Throttler.Result ackResult = Throttler.Result.throttle("_reason_ack");
+        when(ackThrottler.throttle(ctx)).thenReturn(ackResult);
+        AlertThrottler throttler = new AlertThrottler(periodThrottler, ackThrottler);
+        Throttler.Result result = throttler.throttle(ctx);
+        assertThat(result, notNullValue());
+        // we always check the period first... so the result will come for the period throttler
+        assertThat(result, is(periodResult));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNoThrottle() throws Exception {
+        PeriodThrottler periodThrottler = mock(PeriodThrottler.class);
+        AckThrottler ackThrottler = mock(AckThrottler.class);
+        ExecutionContext ctx = mock(ExecutionContext.class);
+        when(periodThrottler.throttle(ctx)).thenReturn(Throttler.Result.NO);
+        when(ackThrottler.throttle(ctx)).thenReturn(Throttler.Result.NO);
+        AlertThrottler throttler = new AlertThrottler(periodThrottler, ackThrottler);
+        Throttler.Result result = throttler.throttle(ctx);
+        assertThat(result, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(result, is(Throttler.Result.NO));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testWithoutPeriod() throws Exception {
+        AckThrottler ackThrottler = mock(AckThrottler.class);
+        ExecutionContext ctx = mock(ExecutionContext.class);
+        Throttler.Result ackResult = mock(Throttler.Result.class);
+        when(ackThrottler.throttle(ctx)).thenReturn(ackResult);
+        AlertThrottler throttler = new AlertThrottler(null, ackThrottler);
+        Throttler.Result result = throttler.throttle(ctx);
+        assertThat(result, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(result, sameInstance(ackResult));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/throttle/PeriodThrottlerTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/throttle/PeriodThrottlerTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6bd84b69613
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/throttle/PeriodThrottlerTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+package org.elasticsearch.alerts.throttle;
+
+import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Repeat;
+import org.elasticsearch.alerts.Alert;
+import org.elasticsearch.alerts.ExecutionContext;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.joda.time.DateTime;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.joda.time.PeriodType;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchTestCase;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.nullValue;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.notNullValue;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.startsWith;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
+
+/**
+ *
+ */
+public class PeriodThrottlerTests extends ElasticsearchTestCase {
+
+    @Test @Repeat(iterations = 10)
+    public void testBelowPeriod() throws Exception {
+        PeriodType periodType = randomFrom(PeriodType.millis(), PeriodType.seconds(), PeriodType.minutes());
+        TimeValue period = TimeValue.timeValueSeconds(randomIntBetween(2, 5));
+        PeriodThrottler throttler = new PeriodThrottler(period, periodType);
+
+        ExecutionContext ctx = mock(ExecutionContext.class);
+        Alert alert = mock(Alert.class);
+        Alert.Status status = mock(Alert.Status.class);
+        when(ctx.alert()).thenReturn(alert);
+        when(alert.status()).thenReturn(status);
+        when(status.lastExecuted()).thenReturn(new DateTime().minusSeconds((int) period.seconds() - 1));
+
+        Throttler.Result result = throttler.throttle(ctx);
+        assertThat(result, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(result.throttle(), is(true));
+        assertThat(result.reason(), notNullValue());
+        assertThat(result.reason(), startsWith("throttling interval is set to [" + period.format(periodType) + "]"));
+    }
+
+    @Test @Repeat(iterations = 10)
+    public void testAbovePeriod() throws Exception {
+        PeriodType periodType = randomFrom(PeriodType.millis(), PeriodType.seconds(), PeriodType.minutes());
+        TimeValue period = TimeValue.timeValueSeconds(randomIntBetween(2, 5));
+        PeriodThrottler throttler = new PeriodThrottler(period, periodType);
+
+        ExecutionContext ctx = mock(ExecutionContext.class);
+        Alert alert = mock(Alert.class);
+        Alert.Status status = mock(Alert.Status.class);
+        when(ctx.alert()).thenReturn(alert);
+        when(alert.status()).thenReturn(status);
+        when(status.lastExecuted()).thenReturn(new DateTime().minusSeconds((int) period.seconds() + 1));
+
+        Throttler.Result result = throttler.throttle(ctx);
+        assertThat(result, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(result.throttle(), is(false));
+        assertThat(result.reason(), nullValue());
+    }
+
+}