diff --git a/test/test_queue.py b/test/test_queue.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c29568951
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_queue.py
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+import unittest
+import json
+import time
+
+from initdb import setup_database_for_testing, finished_database_for_testing
+from data.queue import WorkQueue
+
+
+QUEUE_NAME = 'testqueuename'
+
+
+class QueueTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+  TEST_MESSAGE_1 = json.dumps({'data': 1})
+  TEST_MESSAGE_2 = json.dumps({'data': 2})
+
+  def setUp(self):
+    self.queue = WorkQueue(QUEUE_NAME)
+    setup_database_for_testing(self)
+
+  def tearDown(self):
+    finished_database_for_testing(self)
+
+
+class TestQueue(QueueTestCase):
+  def test_same_canonical_names(self):
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1)
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_2)
+
+    one = self.queue.get()
+    self.assertNotEqual(None, one)
+    self.assertEqual(self.TEST_MESSAGE_1, one.body)
+
+    two_fail = self.queue.get()
+    self.assertEqual(None, two_fail)
+
+    self.queue.complete(one)
+
+    two = self.queue.get()
+    self.assertNotEqual(None, two)
+    self.assertEqual(self.TEST_MESSAGE_2, two.body)
+
+  def test_different_canonical_names(self):
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1)
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'ghi'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_2)
+
+    one = self.queue.get()
+    self.assertNotEqual(None, one)
+    self.assertEqual(self.TEST_MESSAGE_1, one.body)
+
+    two = self.queue.get()
+    self.assertNotEqual(None, two)
+    self.assertEqual(self.TEST_MESSAGE_2, two.body)
+
+  def test_canonical_name(self):
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1)
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def', 'ghi'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1)
+
+    one = self.queue.get()
+    self.assertNotEqual(QUEUE_NAME + '/abc/def/', one)
+
+    two = self.queue.get()
+    self.assertNotEqual(QUEUE_NAME + '/abc/def/ghi/', two)
+
+  def test_expiration(self):
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1)
+
+    one = self.queue.get(processing_time=0.5)
+    self.assertNotEqual(None, one)
+
+    one_fail = self.queue.get()
+    self.assertEqual(None, one_fail)
+
+    time.sleep(1)
+
+    one_again = self.queue.get()
+    self.assertNotEqual(None, one_again)
+
+  def test_specialized_queue(self):
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1)
+    self.queue.put(['def', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_2)
+
+    my_queue = WorkQueue(QUEUE_NAME, ['def'])
+
+    two = my_queue.get()
+    self.assertNotEqual(None, two)
+    self.assertEqual(self.TEST_MESSAGE_2, two.body)
+
+    one_fail = my_queue.get()
+    self.assertEqual(None, one_fail)
+
+    one = self.queue.get()
+    self.assertNotEqual(None, one)
+    self.assertEqual(self.TEST_MESSAGE_1, one.body)