diff --git a/requirements-test.txt b/requirements-test.txt
--- a/requirements-test.txt
+++ b/requirements-test.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 Click
 dulwich
 pytest
+pytz
diff --git a/swh/model/tests/generate_testdata.py b/swh/model/tests/generate_testdata.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/model/tests/generate_testdata.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2019 The Software Heritage developers
+# See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
+# License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
+# See top-level LICENSE file for more information
+
+from datetime import datetime
+from pytz import all_timezones, timezone
+from random import choice, randint, random, shuffle
+from typing import List, Dict
+
+from swh.model.hashutil import MultiHash
+
+
+PROTOCOLS = ['git', 'http', 'https', 'deb', 'svn', 'mock']
+DOMAINS = ['example.com', 'some.long.host.name', 'xn--n28h.tld']
+PATHS = ['', '/', '/stuff', '/stuff/',
+         '/path/to/resource',
+         '/path/with/anchor#id=42',
+         '/path/with/qargs?q=1&b']
+CONTENT_STATUS = ['visible', 'hidden', 'absent']
+MAX_DATE = 3e9  # around 2065
+
+
+def gen_all_origins():
+    for protocol in PROTOCOLS:
+        for domain in DOMAINS:
+            for urlpath in PATHS:
+                yield {'url': '%s://%s%s' % (protocol, domain, urlpath)}
+
+
+ORIGINS = list(gen_all_origins())
+
+
+def gen_origins(n: int = 100) -> List:
+    """Returns a list of n randomly generated origins suitable for using as
+    Storage.add_origin() argument.
+
+    """
+    origins = ORIGINS[:]
+    shuffle(origins)
+    return origins[:n]
+
+
+def gen_content():
+    size = randint(1, 10 * 1024)
+    data = bytes(randint(0, 255) for i in range(size))
+    status = choice(CONTENT_STATUS)
+    h = MultiHash.from_data(data)
+    ctime = datetime.fromtimestamp(
+        random() * MAX_DATE, timezone(choice(all_timezones)))
+    content = {'data': data,
+               'status': status,
+               'length': size,
+               'ctime': ctime,
+               **h.digest()}
+    if status == 'absent':
+        content['reason'] = 'why not'
+        content['data'] = b''
+    return content
+
+
+def gen_contents(n=20) -> List[Dict]:
+    """Returns a list of n randomly generated content objects (as dict) suitable
+    for using as Storage.content_add() argument.
+    """
+    return [gen_content() for i in range(n)]
diff --git a/swh/model/tests/test_generate_testdata.py b/swh/model/tests/test_generate_testdata.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/model/tests/test_generate_testdata.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2019 The Software Heritage developers
+# See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
+# License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
+# See top-level LICENSE file for more information
+
+from .generate_testdata import gen_contents, gen_origins, ORIGINS
+
+from swh.model.model import Origin, Content
+
+
+def test_gen_origins_empty():
+    origins = gen_origins(0)
+    assert not origins
+
+
+def test_gen_origins_one():
+    origins = gen_origins(1)
+    assert len(origins) == 1
+    assert [Origin.from_dict(d) for d in origins]
+
+
+def test_gen_origins_default():
+    origins = gen_origins()
+    assert len(origins) == 100
+    models = [Origin.from_dict(d).url for d in origins]
+    assert len(origins) == len(set(models))
+
+
+def test_gen_origins_max():
+    nmax = len(ORIGINS)
+    origins = gen_origins(nmax+1)
+    assert len(origins) == nmax
+    models = {Origin.from_dict(d).url for d in origins}
+    # ensure we did not generate the same origin twice
+    assert len(origins) == len(models)
+
+
+def test_gen_contents_empty():
+    contents = gen_contents(0)
+    assert not contents
+
+
+def test_gen_contents_one():
+    contents = gen_contents(1)
+    assert len(contents) == 1
+    assert [Content.from_dict(d) for d in contents]
+
+
+def test_gen_contents_default():
+    contents = gen_contents()
+    assert len(contents) == 20
+    models = {Content.from_dict(d) for d in contents}
+    # ensure we did not generate the same content twice
+    assert len(contents) == len(models)