diff --git a/src/test/alert_tests.cpp b/src/test/alert_tests.cpp
index a7e668222..5ecf24a5b 100644
--- a/src/test/alert_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/alert_tests.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "alert.h"
 #include "data/alertTests.raw.h"
 
+#include "key.h"
 #include "serialize.h"
 #include "util.h"
 #include "version.h"
@@ -15,12 +16,57 @@
 #include <boost/foreach.hpp>
 #include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
 
-#if 0
+/*this test relies on signed alerts in src/test/data/alertTests.raw
+
+how to create this data:
+1. set secretKey below to the secret key belonging to the mainnet vAlertPubKey from chainparams.cpp
+2. delete the file src/test/alertTests.raw if it exists
+3. compile the test suite with CREATE_ALERTS defined
+4. execute this test suite
+5. move the now created file src/test/data/alertTests.raw to src/test/data/alertTests.raw
+6. undefine CREATE_ALERTS and compile the test suite again
+*/
+
+#ifdef CREATE_ALERTS
+void SignAndSave(CAlert alert, const std::string filename) {
+    //serialze alert message
+    CDataStream sMsg(SER_NETWORK, PROTOCOL_VERSION);
+    sMsg << (CUnsignedAlert)alert;
+    alert.vchMsg.reserve(sMsg.size());
+    for(size_t i=0; i<sMsg.size(); i++) {
+        alert.vchMsg.push_back(sMsg[i]);
+    }
+
+    //a dummy secret key with the public key
+    //0469204F0E1800E16C1F85176BDC27A245F09987DB71A1EF5C4BD48A42F9AFD1D74F21469488DB552B594AC29CE667AD60DAAD0FFBCE03FB0C2AC49FFB07B36DC5
+    //set to match the mainnet vAlertPubKey from chainparams.cpp
+    const std::vector<unsigned char> secretKey = ParseHex("1A4976EE6174D80B8B3FF5E9B9C6E638CABFA9A5975557FEA967BC089A5584EE");
+    CKey secret;
+    secret.Set(secretKey.begin(), secretKey.end(), false);
+    assert(secret.IsValid());
+    
+    //sign alert
+    secret.Sign(alert.GetHash(), alert.vchSig);
+    assert(alert.CheckSignature());
+    
+    //serialize alert
+    CDataStream ss(SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
+    ss << alert;
+    
+    //write alert
+    std::ofstream fs;
+    fs.open(filename.c_str(), std::ios::out | std::ios::app | std::ios::binary);
+    fs.write((char*)&ss[0], ss.size());
+    fs.close();
+}
+
 //
 // alertTests contains 7 alerts, generated with this code:
-// (SignAndSave code not shown, alert signing key is secret)
 //
+void CreateAlerts()
 {
+    std::string filename("src/test/alertTests.raw");
+
     CAlert alert;
     alert.nRelayUntil   = 60;
     alert.nExpiration   = 24 * 60 * 60;
@@ -32,43 +78,43 @@
     alert.strComment    = "Alert comment";
     alert.strStatusBar  = "Alert 1";
 
-    SignAndSave(alert, "test/alertTests");
+    SignAndSave(alert, filename);
 
     alert.setSubVer.insert(std::string("/Satoshi:0.1.0/"));
     alert.strStatusBar  = "Alert 1 for Satoshi 0.1.0";
-    SignAndSave(alert, "test/alertTests");
+    SignAndSave(alert, filename);
 
     alert.setSubVer.insert(std::string("/Satoshi:0.2.0/"));
     alert.strStatusBar  = "Alert 1 for Satoshi 0.1.0, 0.2.0";
-    SignAndSave(alert, "test/alertTests");
+    SignAndSave(alert, filename);
 
     alert.setSubVer.clear();
     ++alert.nID;
     alert.nCancel = 1;
     alert.nPriority = 100;
     alert.strStatusBar  = "Alert 2, cancels 1";
-    SignAndSave(alert, "test/alertTests");
+    SignAndSave(alert, filename);
 
     alert.nExpiration += 60;
     ++alert.nID;
-    SignAndSave(alert, "test/alertTests");
+    SignAndSave(alert, filename);
 
     ++alert.nID;
     alert.nMinVer = 11;
     alert.nMaxVer = 22;
-    SignAndSave(alert, "test/alertTests");
+    SignAndSave(alert, filename);
 
     ++alert.nID;
     alert.strStatusBar  = "Alert 2 for Satoshi 0.1.0";
     alert.setSubVer.insert(std::string("/Satoshi:0.1.0/"));
-    SignAndSave(alert, "test/alertTests");
+    SignAndSave(alert, filename);
 
     ++alert.nID;
     alert.nMinVer = 0;
     alert.nMaxVer = 999999;
     alert.strStatusBar  = "Evil Alert'; /bin/ls; echo '";
     alert.setSubVer.clear();
-    SignAndSave(alert, "test/alertTests");
+    SignAndSave(alert, filename);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -76,6 +122,9 @@ struct ReadAlerts
 {
     ReadAlerts()
     {
+#ifdef CREATE_ALERTS
+        CreateAlerts();
+#endif
         std::vector<unsigned char> vch(alert_tests::alertTests, alert_tests::alertTests + sizeof(alert_tests::alertTests));
         CDataStream stream(vch, SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
         try {