diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/create-release.yaml
index 97998a5..71fbbbc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create-release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create-release.yaml
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ jobs:
         python-version: [ 3.11 ]
         node-version: [ 18.16.0 ]
 
-        ganache-version: [ 7.8.0 ]
+        ganache-version: [ 7.9.1 ]
 
-        solc-version: [ v0.8.20 ]
+        solc-version: [ v0.8.21 ]
 
     env:
       SOLC_BIN: ${{ github.workspace }}/build/solc-static-linux
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pubsub-solidity-unittesting.yaml b/.github/workflows/pubsub-solidity-unittesting.yaml
index 80c3e12..af9321f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pubsub-solidity-unittesting.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pubsub-solidity-unittesting.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         os: [ ubuntu-22.04 ]
-        solc-version: [ 0.8.20 ]
+        solc-version: [ 0.8.21 ]
         chain-fork: [ shanghai ]
         opt-runs: [ 200 ]
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c3945f4..75a23aa 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 MODULES        := \
 	PubSub \
 	tests
-SOLC_VERSION   := v0.8.20
+SOLC_VERSION   := v0.8.21
 MKFILE_PATH    := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
 CURRENT_DIR    := $(dir $(MKFILE_PATH))
 SOLC_BIN       := $(CURRENT_DIR)/build/solc-static-linux
diff --git a/tests/BasicActionGasCost.sol b/tests/BasicActionGasCost.sol
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..67eaa93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/BasicActionGasCost.sol
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+pragma solidity >=0.4.17 <0.9.0;
+
+
+contract GasEvalSubscriber {
+	constructor() {
+	}
+
+	function onNotify(bytes memory data) external {
+		// do nothing
+	}
+}
+
+
+contract BasicActionGasCost {
+
+	event LogGasCost(uint8 idx, uint256 gasUsed);
+
+	address m_subAddr = address(0);
+	bool m_someBool = false;
+	mapping(address => bool) m_someMap;
+	address m_someAddr = 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000;
+
+	constructor() {
+		GasEvalSubscriber sub = new GasEvalSubscriber();
+		m_subAddr = address(sub);
+
+		m_someMap[m_someAddr] = true;
+	}
+
+	function eval() external {
+		bytes memory data = new bytes(0);
+
+		uint256 gasStart = 0;
+		uint256 gasUsed = 0;
+		bool someBool = !m_someBool;
+		address someAddr = msg.sender;
+		address someAddr2 = m_someAddr;
+
+		gasStart = gasleft();
+		GasEvalSubscriber(m_subAddr).onNotify(data);
+		gasUsed = gasStart - gasleft();
+		emit LogGasCost(1, gasUsed);
+
+		gasStart = gasleft();
+		m_someBool = someBool;
+		gasUsed = gasStart - gasleft();
+		emit LogGasCost(2, gasUsed);
+
+		gasStart = gasleft();
+		m_someMap[someAddr] = someBool;
+		gasUsed = gasStart - gasleft();
+		emit LogGasCost(3, gasUsed);
+
+		gasStart = gasleft();
+		delete m_someMap[someAddr2];
+		gasUsed = gasStart - gasleft();
+		emit LogGasCost(4, gasUsed);
+
+		m_someBool = false;
+		m_someMap[someAddr2] = true;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
index 315f3ec..9a6fbc3 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 MODULE_NAME := tests
 CONTRACTS   := \
 	HelloWorldPublisher \
-	HelloWorldSubscriber
+	HelloWorldSubscriber \
+	BasicActionGasCost
 
 MKFILE_PATH  := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
 CURRENT_DIR  := $(dir $(MKFILE_PATH))
diff --git a/utils/GanacheBasicActionTest.py b/utils/GanacheBasicActionTest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..810c1e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/GanacheBasicActionTest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# -*- coding:utf-8 -*-
+###
+# Copyright (c) 2023 Roy Shadmon, Haofan Zheng
+# Use of this source code is governed by an MIT-style
+# license that can be found in the LICENSE file or at
+# https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT.
+###
+
+
+import logging
+import os
+import signal
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import time
+
+from typing import List
+from web3 import Web3
+
+
+BASE_DIR_PATH       = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
+BUILD_DIR_PATH      = os.path.join(BASE_DIR_PATH, 'build')
+UTILS_DIR_PATH      = os.path.join(BASE_DIR_PATH, 'utils')
+PYHELPER_DIR        = os.path.join(UTILS_DIR_PATH, 'PyEthHelper')
+PROJECT_CONFIG_PATH = os.path.join(UTILS_DIR_PATH, 'project_conf.json')
+CHECKSUM_KEYS_PATH  = os.path.join(BUILD_DIR_PATH, 'ganache_keys_checksum.json')
+GANACHE_KEYS_PATH   = os.path.join(BUILD_DIR_PATH, 'ganache_keys.json')
+GANACHE_PORT        = 7545
+NUM_OF_ACCOUNTS     = 100
+GANACHE_NET_ID      = 1337
+
+
+sys.path.append(PYHELPER_DIR)
+from PyEthHelper import EthContractHelper
+from PyEthHelper import GanacheAccounts
+
+
+def StartGanache() -> subprocess.Popen:
+	cmd = [
+		'ganache-cli',
+		'-p', str(GANACHE_PORT),
+		'-d',
+		'-a', str(NUM_OF_ACCOUNTS),
+		'--network-id', str(GANACHE_NET_ID),
+		'--chain.hardfork', 'shanghai',
+		'--wallet.accountKeysPath', str(GANACHE_KEYS_PATH),
+	]
+	proc = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+
+	return proc
+
+
+def ReadEvalLogEvents(logs: List[dict]) -> None:
+	for log in logs:
+		if (
+			(len(log['topics']) > 0) and
+			(
+				log['topics'][0].hex() ==
+				'0xe1ae46340cc3bb84afacee6678b86b538a6d5e4ce754adb3bfa9ce4e41d196ba'
+			)
+		):
+			hexData = log['data'].hex()
+			assert len(hexData) == 2 + (2 * (32 + 32)), 'Invalid log data length'
+			bData = bytes.fromhex(hexData[2:])
+			idx = int.from_bytes(bData[:32], byteorder='big')
+			gasUsed = int.from_bytes(bData[32:], byteorder='big')
+			print(f'Evaluated action at index {idx} with gas used {gasUsed}')
+
+
+def RunTests() -> dict:
+	# connect to ganache
+	ganacheUrl = 'http://localhost:{}'.format(GANACHE_PORT)
+	w3 = Web3(Web3.HTTPProvider(ganacheUrl))
+	while not w3.is_connected():
+		print('Attempting to connect to ganache...')
+		time.sleep(1)
+	print('Connected to ganache')
+
+	# checksum keys
+	GanacheAccounts.ChecksumGanacheKeysFile(
+		CHECKSUM_KEYS_PATH,
+		GANACHE_KEYS_PATH
+	)
+
+	# setup account
+	privKey = EthContractHelper.SetupSendingAccount(
+		w3=w3,
+		account=0,
+		keyJson=CHECKSUM_KEYS_PATH
+	)
+
+	# deploy BasicActionGasCost contract
+	print('Deploying BasicActionGasCost contract...')
+	baContract = EthContractHelper.LoadContract(
+		w3=w3,
+		projConf=PROJECT_CONFIG_PATH,
+		contractName='BasicActionGasCost',
+		release=None, # use locally built contract
+		address=None, # deploy new contract
+	)
+	baReceipt = EthContractHelper.DeployContract(
+		w3=w3,
+		contract=baContract,
+		arguments=[ ],
+		privKey=privKey,
+		gas=None, # let web3 estimate
+		value=0,
+		confirmPrompt=False # don't prompt for confirmation
+	)
+	baAddr = baReceipt.contractAddress
+	print('BasicActionGasCost contract deployed at {}'.format(baAddr))
+
+	# load deployed BasicActionGasCost contract
+	baContract = EthContractHelper.LoadContract(
+		w3=w3,
+		projConf=PROJECT_CONFIG_PATH,
+		contractName='BasicActionGasCost',
+		release=None, # use locally built contract
+		address=baAddr, # use deployed contract
+	)
+
+	evalTxReceipt = EthContractHelper.CallContractFunc(
+		w3=w3,
+		contract=baContract,
+		funcName='eval',
+		arguments=[ ],
+		privKey=privKey,
+		gas=None, # let web3 estimate
+		value=0,
+		confirmPrompt=False # don't prompt for confirmation
+	)
+	ReadEvalLogEvents(evalTxReceipt.logs)
+
+
+def StopGanache(ganacheProc: subprocess.Popen) -> None:
+	print('Shutting down ganache (it may take ~15 seconds)...')
+	waitEnd = time.time() + 20
+	ganacheProc.terminate()
+	while ganacheProc.poll() is None:
+		try:
+			if time.time() > waitEnd:
+				print('Force to shut down ganache')
+				ganacheProc.kill()
+			else:
+				print('Still waiting for ganache to shut down...')
+				ganacheProc.send_signal(signal.SIGINT)
+			ganacheProc.wait(timeout=2)
+		except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+			continue
+	print('Ganache has been shut down')
+
+
+def main():
+	logging.basicConfig(
+		level=logging.DEBUG,
+		format='%(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(name)s %(message)s'
+	)
+
+	ganacheProc = StartGanache()
+
+	try:
+		RunTests()
+
+	finally:
+		# finish and exit
+		StopGanache(ganacheProc)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+	main()
+
diff --git a/utils/project_conf.json b/utils/project_conf.json
index ff720d0..db4b4e6 100644
--- a/utils/project_conf.json
+++ b/utils/project_conf.json
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 		"PubSubService"       : "PubSub",
 		"EventManager"        : "PubSub",
 		"HelloWorldPublisher" : "tests",
-		"HelloWorldSubscriber": "tests"
+		"HelloWorldSubscriber": "tests",
+		"BasicActionGasCost"  : "tests"
 	},
 	"releaseUrl": "https://github.com/lsd-ucsc/decent-pubsub-onchain/releases/download/{version}/{contract}",
 	"buildDir"  : "build"