diff --git a/backend/copr-backend.spec b/backend/copr-backend.spec
index 74dc57a16..1a449ec2c 100644
--- a/backend/copr-backend.spec
+++ b/backend/copr-backend.spec
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ BuildRequires: python3-zstandard
 BuildRequires: python3-cachetools
 BuildRequires: modulemd-tools >= 0.6
 BuildRequires: prunerepo >= %prunerepo_version
+BuildRequires: resalloc-server
 BuildRequires: dnf
 
 Requires:   (copr-selinux if selinux-policy-targeted)
diff --git a/backend/fake_executables b/backend/fake_executables
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/backend/run/copr-backend-unknown-resalloc-tickets.py b/backend/run/copr-backend-unknown-resalloc-tickets.py
index f54fca191..65abb8f31 100755
--- a/backend/run/copr-backend-unknown-resalloc-tickets.py
+++ b/backend/run/copr-backend-unknown-resalloc-tickets.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 from copr_common.helpers import script_requires_user
 
+
 def used_ids():
     """
     Return a `set()` of ticket IDs currently in use by
@@ -34,7 +35,8 @@ def used_ids():
     output = output.strip()
     tickets = set()
     for ticket_id in output.split("\n"):
-        if ticket_id:  # ignore empty lines
+        ticket_id = ticket_id.strip()
+        if not ticket_id:  # ignore empty lines
             continue
         assert ticket_id.isdigit()
         tickets.add(int(ticket_id))
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ def print_once(message):
         print(message)
         storage[message] = True
 
+
 def _main():
     script_requires_user("resalloc")
 
diff --git a/backend/tests/fake_executables/unknown_tickets/ps b/backend/tests/fake_executables/unknown_tickets/ps
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..f3c59168b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/fake_executables/unknown_tickets/ps
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+
+cat <<EOF
+USER         PID %CPU %MEM    VSZ   RSS TTY      STAT START   TIME COMMAND
+root           1  0.2  0.0  76688 27632 ?        Ss   Aug20 164:48 /usr/lib/systemd/systemd --switched-root --system --deserialize=32
+root           2  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        S    Aug20   0:19 [kthreadd]
+root           3  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        S    Aug20   0:00 [pool_workqueue_release]
+copr       25312  0.2  0.1 575840 114196 ?       Sl   07:12   0:12 Builder for task 8112858-fedora-40-x86_64: Job 8112858-fedora-40-x86_64, host info: ResallocHost, ticket_id=5273994, hostname=2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c197 (command: /usr/bin/copr-backend-process-build --daemon --build-id 8112858 --chroot fedora-40-x86_64 --worker-id rpm_build_worker:8112858-fedora-40-x86_64)
+copr       25314  0.2  0.1 575840 114580 ?       Sl   07:12   0:12 Builder for task 8112859-fedora-rawhide-x86_64: Job 8112859-fedora-rawhide-x86_64, host info: ResallocHost, ticket_id=5273992, hostname=2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c15b (command: /usr/bin/copr-backend-process-build --daemon --build-id 8112859 --chroot fedora-rawhide-x86_64 --worker-id rpm_build_worker:8112859-fedora-rawhide-x86_64)
+copr       25332  0.2  0.1 575832 113908 ?       Sl   07:12   0:12 Builder for task 8112858-fedora-rawhide-x86_64: Job 8112858-fedora-rawhide-x86_64, host info: ResallocHost, ticket_id=5273997, hostname=2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c192 (command: /usr/bin/copr-backend-process-build --daemon --build-id 8112858 --chroot fedora-rawhide-x86_64 --worker-id rpm_build_worker:8112858-fedora-rawhide-x86_64)
+copr       25358  0.2  0.1 575840 114256 ?       Sl   07:12   0:12 Builder for task 8112858-fedora-41-x86_64: Job 8112858-fedora-41-x86_64, host info: ResallocHost, ticket_id=5274000, hostname=2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c1da (command: /usr/bin/copr-backend-process-build --daemon --build-id 8112858 --chroot fedora-41-x86_64 --worker-id rpm_build_worker:8112858-fedora-41-x86_64)
+copr       25362  0.2  0.1 575828 114220 ?       Sl   07:12   0:12 Builder for task 8112858-fedora-39-x86_64: Job 8112858-fedora-39-x86_64, host info: ResallocHost, ticket_id=5273999, hostname=2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c1d8 (command: /usr/bin/copr-backend-process-build --daemon --build-id 8112858 --chroot fedora-39-x86_64 --worker-id rpm_build_worker:8112858-fedora-39-x86_64)
+copr       26017  0.0  0.0  11720  8064 ?        S    07:12   0:00 ssh -F /home/copr/.ssh/config mockbuilder@2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c15b copr-rpmbuild-log
+copr       26055  0.0  0.0  11724  7880 ?        S    07:12   0:00 ssh -F /home/copr/.ssh/config mockbuilder@2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c1da copr-rpmbuild-log
+copr       26059  0.0  0.0  11724  7800 ?        S    07:12   0:00 ssh -F /home/copr/.ssh/config mockbuilder@2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c1d8 copr-rpmbuild-log
+copr       26061  0.0  0.0  11724  7476 ?        S    07:12   0:00 ssh -F /home/copr/.ssh/config mockbuilder@2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c192 copr-rpmbuild-log
+copr      166357  0.1  0.1 575832 114212 ?       Sl   07:46   0:07 Builder for task 8112918-fedora-41-ppc64le: Job 8112918-fedora-41-ppc64le, host info: ResallocHost, ticket_id=5274329, hostname=2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c20e (command: /usr/bin/copr-backend-process-build --daemon --build-id 8112918 --chroot fedora-41-ppc64le --worker-id rpm_build_worker:8112918-fedora-41-ppc64le)
+root      300588  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        I    08:23   0:01 [kworker/u33:5-btrfs-delalloc]
+copr      414485  0.4  0.1 575828 114420 ?       Sl   08:45   0:01 Builder for task 8112989-epel-9-aarch64: Job 8112989-epel-9-aarch64, host info: ResallocHost, ticket_id=5274764, hostname=50.17.171.12 (command: /usr/bin/copr-backend-process-build --daemon --build-id 8112989 --chroot epel-9-aarch64 --worker-id rpm_build_worker:8112989-epel-9-aarch64)
+copr      414486  0.4  0.1 575828 114432 ?       Sl   08:45   0:01 Builder for task 8112989-epel-9-x86_64: Job 8112989-epel-9-x86_64, host info: ResallocHost, ticket_id=5274768, hostname=2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c150 (command: /usr/bin/copr-backend-process-build --daemon --build-id 8112989 --chroot epel-9-x86_64 --worker-id rpm_build_worker:8112989-epel-9-x86_64)
+copr      414526  0.4  0.1 575840 114448 ?       Sl   08:45   0:01 Builder for task 8112989-fedora-41-x86_64: Job 8112989-fedora-41-x86_64, host info: ResallocHost, ticket_id=5274772, hostname=2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c154 (command: /usr/bin/copr-backend-process-build --daemon --build-id 8112989 --chroot fedora-41-x86_64 --worker-id rpm_build_worker:8112989-fedora-41-x86_64)
+copr      414573  0.4  0.1 575832 114104 ?       Sl   08:45   0:02 Builder for task 8112989-fedora-39-x86_64: Job 8112989-fedora-39-x86_64, host info: ResallocHost, ticket_id=5274773, hostname=2620:52:3:1:dead:beef:cafe:c112 (command: /usr/bin/copr-backend-process-build --daemon --build-id 8112989 --chroot fedora-39-x86_64 --worker-id rpm_build_worker:8112989-fedora-39-x86_64)
+copr      414574  0.3  0.1 575700 114300 ?       Sl   08:45   0:01 Builder for task 8112989-epel-8-s390x: Job 8112989-epel-8-s390x, host info: ResallocHost, ticket_id=5274775, hostname=150.239.87.207 (command: /usr/bin/copr-backend-process-build --daemon --build-id 8112989 --chroot epel-8-s390x --worker-id rpm_build_worker:8112989-epel-8-s390x)
+copr      414575  0.3  0.1 575700 114064 ?       Sl   08:45   0:01 Builder for task 8112989-fedora-41-s390x: Job 8112989-fedora-41-s390x, host info: ResallocHost, ticket_id=5274774, hostname=169.59.165.222 (command: /usr/bin/copr-backend-process-build --daemon --build-id 8112989 --chroot fedora-41-s390x --worker-id rpm_build_worker:8112989-fedora-41-s390x)
+EOF
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_unknown_resalloc_tickets.py b/backend/tests/test_unknown_resalloc_tickets.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..614762b1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/test_unknown_resalloc_tickets.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+"""
+Test the ./run/copr-backend-unknown-resalloc-tickets.py script
+"""
+
+import contextlib
+import importlib
+import io
+from unittest import mock
+
+from testlib import patch_path_run, patch_path_fake_executables, patch_getpwuid
+
+SCRIPT_NAME = 'copr-backend-unknown-resalloc-tickets.py'
+SPEC = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("spec", "run/" + SCRIPT_NAME)
+SCRIPT = importlib.util.module_from_spec(SPEC)
+SPEC.loader.exec_module(SCRIPT)
+
+EXPECTED_TICKETS = {5273992, 5273994, 5273997, 5273999, 5274000, 5274329,
+                    5274764, 5274768, 5274772, 5274773, 5274774, 5274775}
+
+
+def main_output(ids):
+    with mock.patch.object(SCRIPT, "all_ids", return_value=ids):
+        f = io.StringIO()
+        with contextlib.redirect_stdout(f):
+            SCRIPT._main()  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+            return f.getvalue()
+
+
+@patch_path_run
+@patch_path_fake_executables("unknown_tickets")
+@patch_getpwuid("resalloc")
+def test_unknown_tickets():
+    # not ticket found in DB
+    assert main_output({}) == "no tickets taken\n"
+    assert SCRIPT.used_ids() == EXPECTED_TICKETS
+
+    # no unused ticket
+    assert main_output(EXPECTED_TICKETS) == ""
+
+    assert main_output(EXPECTED_TICKETS | {1}) == """\
+These are old tickets, Copr only uses newer tickets, close them:
+resalloc ticket-close 1
+"""
+    assert main_output(EXPECTED_TICKETS | {6000000}) == """\
+These tickets are relatively new for closing blindly, double check!
+resalloc ticket-check 6000000
+"""
+    assert main_output(EXPECTED_TICKETS | {1, 6000000}) == """\
+resalloc ticket-close 1
+resalloc ticket-check 6000000
+"""
diff --git a/backend/tests/testlib/__init__.py b/backend/tests/testlib/__init__.py
index 51c2c826d..97cc05ad5 100644
--- a/backend/tests/testlib/__init__.py
+++ b/backend/tests/testlib/__init__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import json
 import os
 import shutil
-from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
 from copr_backend.background_worker_build import COMMANDS
 from copr_backend.sshcmd import SSHConnection, SSHConnectionError, DEFAULT_SUBPROCESS_TIMEOUT
@@ -262,3 +262,37 @@ def get(self, dirname, overrides=None, done=False):
         self.redis.hset(key, "task", task_json)
         if done:
             self.redis.hset(key, "status", "success")
+
+
+def patch_path(method, directory):
+    directory = os.path.realpath(directory)
+
+    def _wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {'PATH': directory + ":" + os.environ['PATH']}):
+            method(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    return _wrapper
+
+
+def patch_path_run(method):
+    """ Add the /backend/run/ directory on PATH """
+    runpath = os.path.join(__file__, "..", "..", "..", "run")
+    return patch_path(method, runpath)
+
+
+def patch_path_fake_executables(fake_subdir):
+    runpath = os.path.join(__file__, "..", "..", "fake_executables", fake_subdir)
+
+    def _decorator(func):
+        return patch_path(func, runpath)
+
+    return _decorator
+
+
+def patch_getpwuid(username):
+    def _decorator(func):
+        def _wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+            with patch('copr_common.helpers.pwd.getpwuid', return_value=(username,)):
+                return func(*args, **kwargs)
+        return _wrapper
+    return _decorator