diff --git a/tests/unit/contracts/graph/test_manifest.py b/tests/unit/contracts/graph/test_manifest.py
index 7f53951bdeb..ba503acc85a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/contracts/graph/test_manifest.py
+++ b/tests/unit/contracts/graph/test_manifest.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
     MockNode,
     MockSource,
     inject_plugin,
+    make_manifest,
 )
 
 REQUIRED_PARSED_NODE_KEYS = frozenset(
@@ -1090,20 +1091,6 @@ def setUp(self):
         )
 
 
-def make_manifest(nodes=[], sources=[], macros=[], docs=[]):
-    return Manifest(
-        nodes={n.unique_id: n for n in nodes},
-        macros={m.unique_id: m for m in macros},
-        sources={s.unique_id: s for s in sources},
-        docs={d.unique_id: d for d in docs},
-        disabled={},
-        files={},
-        exposures={},
-        metrics={},
-        selectors={},
-    )
-
-
 FindMacroSpec = namedtuple("FindMacroSpec", "macros,expected")
 
 macro_parameter_sets = [
diff --git a/tests/unit/graph/test_queue.py b/tests/unit/graph/test_queue.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..50671d03fb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/graph/test_queue.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import networkx as nx
+import pytest
+
+from dbt.contracts.graph.manifest import Manifest
+from dbt.graph.queue import GraphQueue
+from tests.unit.utils import MockNode, make_manifest
+
+
+class TestGraphQueue:
+    @pytest.fixture(scope="class")
+    def manifest(self) -> Manifest:
+        return make_manifest(
+            nodes=[
+                MockNode(package="test_package", name="upstream_model"),
+                MockNode(package="test_package", name="downstream_model"),
+            ]
+        )
+
+    @pytest.fixture(scope="class")
+    def graph(self) -> nx.DiGraph:
+        graph = nx.DiGraph()
+        graph.add_edge("model.test_package.upstream_model", "model.test_package.downstream_model")
+        return graph
+
+    def test_init_graph_queue(self, manifest, graph):
+        graph_queue = GraphQueue(graph=graph, manifest=manifest, selected={})
+
+        assert graph_queue.manifest == manifest
+        assert graph_queue.graph == graph
+        assert graph_queue.inner.queue == [(0, "model.test_package.upstream_model")]
+        assert graph_queue.in_progress == set()
+        assert graph_queue.queued == {"model.test_package.upstream_model"}
+        assert graph_queue.lock
+
+    def test_init_graph_queue_preserve_edges_false(self, manifest, graph):
+        graph_queue = GraphQueue(graph=graph, manifest=manifest, selected={}, preserve_edges=False)
+
+        # when preserve_edges is set to false, dependencies between nodes are no longer tracked in the priority queue
+        assert list(graph_queue.graph.edges) == []
+        assert graph_queue.inner.queue == [
+            (0, "model.test_package.downstream_model"),
+            (0, "model.test_package.upstream_model"),
+        ]
+        assert graph_queue.queued == {
+            "model.test_package.upstream_model",
+            "model.test_package.downstream_model",
+        }
diff --git a/tests/unit/utils/__init__.py b/tests/unit/utils/__init__.py
index 7df68c949cc..411ad6ae756 100644
--- a/tests/unit/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/unit/utils/__init__.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from dbt.config.project import PartialProject
+from dbt.contracts.graph.manifest import Manifest
 from dbt_common.dataclass_schema import ValidationError
 
 
@@ -387,3 +388,17 @@ def replace_config(n, **kwargs):
         config=n.config.replace(**kwargs),
         unrendered_config=dict_replace(n.unrendered_config, **kwargs),
     )
+
+
+def make_manifest(nodes=[], sources=[], macros=[], docs=[]) -> Manifest:
+    return Manifest(
+        nodes={n.unique_id: n for n in nodes},
+        macros={m.unique_id: m for m in macros},
+        sources={s.unique_id: s for s in sources},
+        docs={d.unique_id: d for d in docs},
+        disabled={},
+        files={},
+        exposures={},
+        metrics={},
+        selectors={},
+    )