diff --git a/pymisp/api.py b/pymisp/api.py
index 0ce9eaf..b658c98 100644
--- a/pymisp/api.py
+++ b/pymisp/api.py
@@ -120,14 +120,7 @@ class PyMISP(object):
             raise PyMISPError('Unable to connect to MISP ({}). Please make sure the API key and the URL are correct (http/https is required): {}'.format(self.root_url, e))
 
         try:
-            response = self.__prepare_request('GET', urljoin(self.root_url, 'attributes/describeTypes.json'))
-            describe_types = self._check_response(response)
-            if describe_types.get('error'):
-                for e in describe_types.get('error'):
-                    raise PyMISPError('Failed: {}'.format(e))
-            self.describe_types = describe_types['result']
-            if not self.describe_types.get('sane_defaults'):
-                raise PyMISPError('The MISP server your are trying to reach is outdated (<2.4.52). Please use PyMISP v2.4.51.1 (pip install -I PyMISP==v2.4.51.1) and/or contact your administrator.')
+            self.describe_types = self.get_live_describe_types()
         except Exception:
             with open(os.path.join(self.resources_path, 'describeTypes.json'), 'r') as f:
                 describe_types = json.load(f)
@@ -138,6 +131,17 @@ class PyMISP(object):
         self.category_type_mapping = self.describe_types['category_type_mappings']
         self.sane_default = self.describe_types['sane_defaults']
 
+    def get_live_describe_types(self):
+        response = self.__prepare_request('GET', urljoin(self.root_url, 'attributes/describeTypes.json'))
+        describe_types = self._check_response(response)
+        if describe_types.get('error'):
+            for e in describe_types.get('error'):
+                raise PyMISPError('Failed: {}'.format(e))
+        describe_types = describe_types['result']
+        if not describe_types.get('sane_defaults'):
+            raise PyMISPError('The MISP server your are trying to reach is outdated (<2.4.52). Please use PyMISP v2.4.51.1 (pip install -I PyMISP==v2.4.51.1) and/or contact your administrator.')
+        return describe_types
+
     def __prepare_request(self, request_type, url, data=None,
                           background_callback=None, output_type='json'):
         if logger.isEnabledFor(logging.DEBUG):
diff --git a/tests/test.py b/tests/test.py
index 3910725..a8f22da 100755
--- a/tests/test.py
+++ b/tests/test.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ class TestBasic(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.maxDiff = None
         self.misp = PyMISP(url, key, True, 'json')
+        self.live_describe_types = self.misp.get_live_describe_types()
 
     def _clean_event(self, event):
         event['Event'].pop('orgc_id', None)
@@ -253,5 +254,34 @@ class TestBasic(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_create_organisation(self):
         self.add_organisation()
 
+    def test_describeTypes_sane_default(self):
+        sane_default = self.live_describe_types['sane_defaults']
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(sane_default.keys()), sorted(self.live_describe_types['types']))
+
+    def test_describeTypes_categories(self, m):
+        category_type_mappings = self.live_describe_types['category_type_mappings']
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(category_type_mappings.keys()), sorted(self.live_describe_types['categories']))
+
+    def test_describeTypes_types_in_categories(self, m):
+        category_type_mappings = self.live_describe_types['category_type_mappings']
+        for category, types in category_type_mappings.items():
+                existing_types = [t for t in types if t in self.live_describe_types['types']]
+                self.assertEqual(sorted(existing_types), sorted(types))
+
+    def test_describeTypes_types_have_category(self, m):
+        category_type_mappings = self.live_describe_types['category_type_mappings']
+        all_types = set()
+        for category, types in category_type_mappings.items():
+            all_types.update(types)
+        self.assertEqual(sorted(list(all_types)), sorted(self.live_describe_types['types']))
+
+    def test_describeTypes_sane_default_valid_category(self, m):
+        sane_default = self.live_describe_types['sane_defaults']
+        categories = self.live_describe_types['categories']
+        for t, sd in sane_default.items():
+            self.assertTrue(sd['to_ids'] in [0, 1])
+            self.assertTrue(sd['default_category'] in categories)
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()