diff --git a/src/plugins/newsfeed/public/lib/api.test.mocks.ts b/src/plugins/newsfeed/public/lib/api.test.mocks.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..677bc203cbef3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/newsfeed/public/lib/api.test.mocks.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
+ * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
+ * Side Public License, v 1.
+ */
+
+import { storageMock } from './storage.mock';
+import { driverMock } from './driver.mock';
+
+export const storageInstanceMock = storageMock.create();
+jest.doMock('./storage', () => ({
+  NewsfeedStorage: jest.fn().mockImplementation(() => storageInstanceMock),
+}));
+
+export const driverInstanceMock = driverMock.create();
+jest.doMock('./driver', () => ({
+  NewsfeedApiDriver: jest.fn().mockImplementation(() => driverInstanceMock),
+}));
diff --git a/src/plugins/newsfeed/public/lib/api.test.ts b/src/plugins/newsfeed/public/lib/api.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..9727557587cd1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/newsfeed/public/lib/api.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
+ * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
+ * Side Public License, v 1.
+ */
+
+import { driverInstanceMock, storageInstanceMock } from './api.test.mocks';
+import moment from 'moment';
+import { httpServiceMock } from '../../../../core/public/mocks';
+import { getApi } from './api';
+import { TestScheduler } from 'rxjs/testing';
+import { FetchResult, NewsfeedPluginBrowserConfig } from '../types';
+import { take } from 'rxjs/operators';
+
+const kibanaVersion = '8.0.0';
+const newsfeedId = 'test';
+
+const getTestScheduler = () =>
+  new TestScheduler((actual, expected) => {
+    expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+  });
+
+const createConfig = (mainInternal: number): NewsfeedPluginBrowserConfig => ({
+  mainInterval: moment.duration(mainInternal, 'ms'),
+  fetchInterval: moment.duration(mainInternal, 'ms'),
+  service: {
+    urlRoot: 'urlRoot',
+    pathTemplate: 'pathTemplate',
+  },
+});
+
+const createFetchResult = (parts: Partial<FetchResult>): FetchResult => ({
+  feedItems: [],
+  hasNew: false,
+  error: null,
+  kibanaVersion,
+  ...parts,
+});
+
+describe('getApi', () => {
+  let http: ReturnType<typeof httpServiceMock.createSetupContract>;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    http = httpServiceMock.createSetupContract();
+    driverInstanceMock.shouldFetch.mockReturnValue(true);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    storageInstanceMock.isAnyUnread$.mockReset();
+    driverInstanceMock.fetchNewsfeedItems.mockReset();
+  });
+
+  it('merges the newsfeed and unread observables', () => {
+    getTestScheduler().run(({ expectObservable, cold }) => {
+      storageInstanceMock.isAnyUnread$.mockImplementation(() => {
+        return cold<boolean>('a|', {
+          a: true,
+        });
+      });
+      driverInstanceMock.fetchNewsfeedItems.mockReturnValue(
+        cold<FetchResult>('a|', {
+          a: createFetchResult({ feedItems: ['item' as any] }),
+        })
+      );
+      const api = getApi(http, createConfig(1000), kibanaVersion, newsfeedId);
+
+      expectObservable(api.fetchResults$.pipe(take(1))).toBe('(a|)', {
+        a: createFetchResult({
+          feedItems: ['item' as any],
+          hasNew: true,
+        }),
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('emits based on the predefined interval', () => {
+    getTestScheduler().run(({ expectObservable, cold }) => {
+      storageInstanceMock.isAnyUnread$.mockImplementation(() => {
+        return cold<boolean>('a|', {
+          a: true,
+        });
+      });
+      driverInstanceMock.fetchNewsfeedItems.mockReturnValue(
+        cold<FetchResult>('a|', {
+          a: createFetchResult({ feedItems: ['item' as any] }),
+        })
+      );
+      const api = getApi(http, createConfig(2), kibanaVersion, newsfeedId);
+
+      expectObservable(api.fetchResults$.pipe(take(2))).toBe('a-(b|)', {
+        a: createFetchResult({
+          feedItems: ['item' as any],
+          hasNew: true,
+        }),
+        b: createFetchResult({
+          feedItems: ['item' as any],
+          hasNew: true,
+        }),
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('re-emits when the unread status changes', () => {
+    getTestScheduler().run(({ expectObservable, cold }) => {
+      storageInstanceMock.isAnyUnread$.mockImplementation(() => {
+        return cold<boolean>('a--b', {
+          a: true,
+          b: false,
+        });
+      });
+      driverInstanceMock.fetchNewsfeedItems.mockReturnValue(
+        cold<FetchResult>('(a|)', {
+          a: createFetchResult({}),
+        })
+      );
+      const api = getApi(http, createConfig(10), kibanaVersion, newsfeedId);
+
+      expectObservable(api.fetchResults$.pipe(take(2))).toBe('a--(b|)', {
+        a: createFetchResult({
+          hasNew: true,
+        }),
+        b: createFetchResult({
+          hasNew: false,
+        }),
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/plugins/newsfeed/public/lib/driver.mock.ts b/src/plugins/newsfeed/public/lib/driver.mock.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..8ae4ad1a82c4d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/newsfeed/public/lib/driver.mock.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
+ * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
+ * Side Public License, v 1.
+ */
+
+import { PublicMethodsOf } from '@kbn/utility-types';
+import type { NewsfeedApiDriver } from './driver';
+
+const createDriverMock = () => {
+  const mock: jest.Mocked<PublicMethodsOf<NewsfeedApiDriver>> = {
+    shouldFetch: jest.fn(),
+    fetchNewsfeedItems: jest.fn(),
+  };
+  return mock as jest.Mocked<NewsfeedApiDriver>;
+};
+
+export const driverMock = {
+  create: createDriverMock,
+};