diff --git a/tests/testthat/helper-cache.R b/tests/testthat/helper-cache.R
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..086889d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/helper-cache.R
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+# tools for caching results within testthat.
+
+is_object_available <- function(object, fail = FALSE, save_path = "saved_objects") {
+  cl <- match.call()
+  file_name <- paste0(cl$object, ".RData")
+  file_path <- file.path(save_path, file_name)
+  has_file <- file.exists(file_path)
+  if (fail && !has_file) {
+    msg <- paste0("File '", file_name, "' is not in '", save_path, "'.")
+    cli::cli_abort(msg)
+  }
+  has_file
+}
+
+save_object <- function(object, save_path = "saved_objects") {
+  cl <- match.call()
+  file_name <- paste0(cl$object, ".RData")
+  file_path <- file.path(save_path, file_name)
+  res <- try(save(object, file = file_path), silent = TRUE)
+  # returned NULL if it worked
+  if (is.null(res)) {
+    # verify
+    res <- file.exists(file_path)
+  } else {
+    # save failed
+    print(as.character(res))
+    res <- FALSE
+  }
+  res
+}
+
+return_object <- function(object, save_path = "saved_objects") {
+  cl <- match.call()
+  file_name <- paste0(cl$object, ".RData")
+  file_path <- file.path(save_path, file_name)
+  load(file_path)
+  object
+}
+
+purge_objects <- function(save_path = "saved_objects") {
+  all_files <- list.files(save_path, pattern = "RData$", full.names = TRUE)
+  res <- vapply(all_files, unlink, integer(1))
+  df_res <- tibble::tibble(file = names(res))
+  df_res$deleted <- ifelse(res == 0, TRUE, FALSE)
+  invisible(df_res)
+}
+
+# Example usage
+if (FALSE) {
+  pkg <- "tune"
+  is_object_available(pkg)
+
+  save_object(pkg)
+  is_object_available(pkg)
+
+  rm(pkg)
+  pkg <- return_object(pkg)
+  pkg
+
+  file_86 <- purge_objects()
+  file_86
+  is_object_available(pkg)
+
+  is_object_available(some_other_pkg, fail = TRUE)
+}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/saved_objects/grid_static_res.RData b/tests/testthat/saved_objects/grid_static_res.RData
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..00db0adc
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/testthat/saved_objects/grid_static_res.RData differ
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-survival-tune-grid.R b/tests/testthat/test-survival-tune-grid.R
index 6fbddace..1d98fd29 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-survival-tune-grid.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-survival-tune-grid.R
@@ -9,52 +9,70 @@ skip_if_not_installed("censored", minimum_version = "0.2.0.9000")
 skip_if_not_installed("tune", minimum_version = "1.1.1.9001")
 skip_if_not_installed("yardstick", minimum_version = "1.2.0.9001")
 
-test_that("grid tuning survival models with static metric", {
+test_that("grid tuning with static metric", {
   skip_if_not_installed("prodlim")
   skip_if_not_installed("coin") # required for partykit engine
 
-  stc_mtrc  <- metric_set(concordance_survival)
-
-  # standard setup start
-  set.seed(1)
-  sim_dat <- prodlim::SimSurv(500) %>%
-    mutate(event_time = Surv(time, event)) %>%
-    select(event_time, X1, X2)
-
-  set.seed(2)
-  split <- initial_split(sim_dat)
-  sim_tr <- training(split)
-  sim_te <- testing(split)
-  sim_rs <- vfold_cv(sim_tr)
-
-  time_points <- c(10, 1, 5, 15)
-
-  mod_spec <-
-    decision_tree(tree_depth = tune(), min_n = 4) %>%
-    set_engine("partykit") %>%
-    set_mode("censored regression")
+  if (is_object_available(grid_static_res)) {
+    grid_static_res <- return_object(grid_static_res)
+  } else {
+    stc_mtrc  <- metric_set(concordance_survival)
+
+    set.seed(1)
+    sim_dat <- prodlim::SimSurv(500) %>%
+      mutate(event_time = Surv(time, event)) %>%
+      select(event_time, X1, X2)
+
+    set.seed(2)
+    split <- initial_split(sim_dat)
+    sim_tr <- training(split)
+    sim_te <- testing(split)
+    sim_rs <- vfold_cv(sim_tr)
+
+    time_points <- c(10, 1, 5, 15)
+
+    mod_spec <-
+      decision_tree(tree_depth = tune(), min_n = 4) %>%
+      set_engine("partykit") %>%
+      set_mode("censored regression")
+
+    grid <- tibble(tree_depth = c(1, 2, 10))
+
+    gctrl <- control_grid(save_pred = TRUE)
+
+    set.seed(2193)
+    grid_static_res <-
+      mod_spec %>%
+      tune_grid(
+        event_time ~ X1 + X2,
+        resamples = sim_rs,
+        grid = grid,
+        metrics = stc_mtrc,
+        control = gctrl
+      )
+    save_object(grid_static_res)
+  }
+
+  expect_s3_class(grid_static_res, "tune_results")
+})
 
-  grid <- tibble(tree_depth = c(1, 2, 10))
 
-  gctrl <- control_grid(save_pred = TRUE)
-  # standard setup end
+test_that("grid tuning with static metric - check structure", {
 
-  set.seed(2193)
-  grid_static_res <-
-    mod_spec %>%
-    tune_grid(
-      event_time ~ X1 + X2,
-      resamples = sim_rs,
-      grid = grid,
-      metrics = stc_mtrc,
-      control = gctrl
-    )
+  is_object_available(grid_static_res, fail = TRUE)
+  grid_static_res <- return_object(grid_static_res)
 
   expect_false(".eval_time" %in% names(grid_static_res$.metrics[[1]]))
   expect_equal(
     names(grid_static_res$.predictions[[1]]),
     c(".pred_time", ".row", "tree_depth", "event_time", ".config")
   )
+})
+
+test_that("grid tuning with static metric - autoplot", {
+
+  is_object_available(grid_static_res, fail = TRUE)
+  grid_static_res <- return_object(grid_static_res)
 
   expect_snapshot_plot(
     print(autoplot(grid_static_res)),
@@ -62,6 +80,7 @@ test_that("grid tuning survival models with static metric", {
   )
 })
 
+
 test_that("grid tuning survival models with integrated metric", {
   skip_if_not_installed("prodlim")
   skip_if_not_installed("coin") # required for partykit engine