diff --git a/jbmc/unit/java_bytecode/java_static_initializers/java_static_initializers.cpp b/jbmc/unit/java_bytecode/java_static_initializers/java_static_initializers.cpp
index e64314cacec..3f9e4a77349 100644
--- a/jbmc/unit/java_bytecode/java_static_initializers/java_static_initializers.cpp
+++ b/jbmc/unit/java_bytecode/java_static_initializers/java_static_initializers.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,12 @@ Author: Diffblue Ltd.
 \*******************************************************************/
 
 #include <java_bytecode/java_static_initializers.h>
+
+#include <java_bytecode/java_bytecode_language.h>
+#include <java_bytecode/java_utils.h>
+#include <testing-utils/expr_query.h>
 #include <testing-utils/use_catch.h>
+#include <util/json.h>
 
 SCENARIO("is_clinit_function", "[core][java_static_initializers]")
 {
@@ -52,3 +57,105 @@ SCENARIO(
     }
   }
 }
+
+SCENARIO("get_user_specified_clinit_body", "[core][java_static_initializers]")
+{
+  json_objectt static_values_json{};
+  symbol_tablet symbol_table;
+  const std::size_t max_user_array_length = 100;
+  std::unordered_map<std::string, object_creation_referencet> references;
+  std::unordered_multimap<irep_idt, symbolt> class_to_declared_symbols;
+
+  GIVEN(
+    "A class which has no entry in the JSON object but a clinit defined "
+    "in the symbol table")
+  {
+    symbolt clinit_symbol;
+    clinit_symbol.name = "java::TestClass.<clinit>:()V";
+    symbol_table.insert(clinit_symbol);
+
+    const code_blockt clinit_body = get_user_specified_clinit_body(
+      "java::TestClass",
+      static_values_json,
+      symbol_table,
+      {},
+      max_user_array_length,
+      references,
+      class_to_declared_symbols);
+
+    THEN("User provided clinit body is composed of one call to clinit")
+    {
+      const exprt function_called =
+        make_query(clinit_body)[0].as<code_function_callt>().get().function();
+      REQUIRE(
+        make_query(function_called).as<symbol_exprt>().get().get_identifier() ==
+        clinit_symbol.name);
+    }
+  }
+  GIVEN("A class which has no entry in the JSON object and no clinit defined")
+  {
+    const auto clinit_body = get_user_specified_clinit_body(
+      "java::TestClass",
+      static_values_json,
+      symbol_table,
+      {},
+      max_user_array_length,
+      references,
+      class_to_declared_symbols);
+
+    THEN("User provided clinit body is empty")
+    {
+      REQUIRE(clinit_body == code_blockt{});
+    }
+  }
+  GIVEN("A class which has a static number in the provided JSON")
+  {
+    static_values_json["TestClass"] = [] {
+      json_objectt entry{};
+      entry["field_name"] = json_numbert{"42"};
+      return entry;
+    }();
+    class_to_declared_symbols.emplace("java::TestClass", [] {
+      symbolt field_symbol;
+      field_symbol.base_name = "field_name";
+      field_symbol.name = "field_name_for_codet";
+      field_symbol.type = java_int_type();
+      field_symbol.is_static_lifetime = true;
+      return field_symbol;
+    }());
+    symbol_table.insert([] {
+      symbolt clinit_symbol;
+      clinit_symbol.name = "java::TestClass.<clinit>:()V";
+      set_declaring_class(clinit_symbol, "java::TestClass");
+      return clinit_symbol;
+    }());
+    symbol_table.insert([] {
+      symbolt test_class_symbol;
+      test_class_symbol.name = "java::TestClass";
+      test_class_symbol.type = [] {
+        java_class_typet type;
+        type.components().emplace_back("field_name", java_int_type());
+        return type;
+      }();
+      return test_class_symbol;
+    }());
+    const auto clinit_body = get_user_specified_clinit_body(
+      "java::TestClass",
+      static_values_json,
+      symbol_table,
+      {},
+      max_user_array_length,
+      references,
+      class_to_declared_symbols);
+    THEN("User provided clinit body set the field to the given value")
+    {
+      auto assignment = make_query(clinit_body)[0].as<code_assignt>().get();
+      REQUIRE(
+        make_query(assignment.lhs())
+          .as<symbol_exprt>()
+          .get()
+          .get_identifier() == "field_name_for_codet");
+      REQUIRE(assignment.rhs() == from_integer(42, java_int_type()));
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/jbmc/unit/java_bytecode/java_static_initializers/module_dependencies.txt b/jbmc/unit/java_bytecode/java_static_initializers/module_dependencies.txt
index 7c65cd85bde..58b93bbf8f1 100644
--- a/jbmc/unit/java_bytecode/java_static_initializers/module_dependencies.txt
+++ b/jbmc/unit/java_bytecode/java_static_initializers/module_dependencies.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 java_bytecode
 testing-utils
+util
diff --git a/unit/testing-utils/expr_query.h b/unit/testing-utils/expr_query.h
index 684a6a53e75..41ce00bf410 100644
--- a/unit/testing-utils/expr_query.h
+++ b/unit/testing-utils/expr_query.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class expr_queryt
   T value;
 };
 
-expr_queryt<exprt> make_query(exprt e)
+inline expr_queryt<exprt> make_query(exprt e)
 {
   return expr_queryt<exprt>(std::move(e));
 }