diff --git a/src/tasks.js b/src/tasks.js
index 7f42319d3..590e030fe 100644
--- a/src/tasks.js
+++ b/src/tasks.js
@@ -16,7 +16,12 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     TASK_BACKUP: 'backup',
     TASK_UPDATE: 'update',
     TASK_MIGRATE: 'migrate',
-    TASK_RENEW_CERTS: 'renewcerts'
+    TASK_RENEW_CERTS: 'renewcerts',
+
+    // testing
+    _TASK_IDENTITY: '_identity',
+    _TASK_CRASH: '_crash',
+    _TASK_ERROR: '_error',
 };
 
 let assert = require('assert'),
diff --git a/src/taskworker.js b/src/taskworker.js
index 9b5f0c636..1c272e682 100755
--- a/src/taskworker.js
+++ b/src/taskworker.js
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ const NOOP_CALLBACK = function (error) { if (error) debug(error); };
 const TASKS = { // indexed by task type
     backup: backups.backupBoxAndApps,
     update: updater.update,
-    renewcerts: reverseProxy.renewCerts
+    renewcerts: reverseProxy.renewCerts,
+
+    _identity: (arg, progressCallback, callback) => callback(null, arg),
+    _error: (arg, progressCallback, callback) => callback(new Error(`Failed for arg: ${arg}`)),
+    _crash: (arg) => { throw new Error(`Crashing for arg: ${arg}`); }
 };
 
 process.on('SIGTERM', function () {
@@ -36,7 +40,7 @@ database.initialize(function (error) {
 
         const progressCallback = (progress) => tasks.update(taskId, progress, NOOP_CALLBACK);
         const resultCallback = (error, result) => {
-            const progress = { percent: 100, result: result || '', errorMessage: error ? error.message : '' };
+            const progress = { percent: 100, result: result || null, errorMessage: error ? error.message : null };
 
             tasks.update(taskId, progress, () => process.exit(error ? 50 : 0));
         };
diff --git a/src/test/tasks-test.js b/src/test/tasks-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4e657ff6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/tasks-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+/* jslint node:true */
+/* global it:false */
+/* global before:false */
+/* global after:false */
+/* global describe:false */
+
+'use strict';
+
+var async = require('async'),
+    database = require('../database.js'),
+    expect = require('expect.js'),
+    fs = require('fs'),
+    paths = require('../paths.js'),
+    tasks = require('../tasks.js');
+
+let AUDIT_SOURCE = { ip: '1.2.3.4' };
+
+function setup(done) {
+    async.series([
+        database.initialize,
+        database._clear
+    ], done);
+}
+
+function cleanup(done) {
+    async.series([
+        database._clear,
+        database.uninitialize
+    ], done);
+}
+
+describe('task', function () {
+    before(setup);
+    after(cleanup);
+
+    it('can run valid task - success', function (done) {
+        let taskId = null;
+        let task = tasks.startTask(tasks._TASK_IDENTITY, [ 'ping' ], AUDIT_SOURCE);
+        task.on('error', done);
+        task.on('start', (tid) => { taskId = tid; });
+        task.on('finish', function (error, result) {
+            if (error) return done(error);
+            expect(result).to.equal('ping');
+            expect(taskId).to.be.ok();
+            done();
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('can run valid task - error', function (done) {
+        let taskId = null;
+        let task = tasks.startTask(tasks._TASK_ERROR, [ 'ping' ], AUDIT_SOURCE);
+        task.on('error', done);
+        task.on('start', (tid) => { taskId = tid; });
+        task.on('finish', function (error, result) {
+            expect(error).to.be.ok();
+            expect(error.message).to.be('Failed for arg: ping');
+            expect(result).to.be(null);
+            expect(taskId).to.be.ok();
+            done();
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('can run valid task - crash', function (done) {
+        let taskId = null;
+        let task = tasks.startTask(tasks._TASK_CRASH, [ 'ping' ], AUDIT_SOURCE);
+        task.on('error', done);
+        task.on('start', (tid) => { taskId = tid; });
+        task.on('finish', function (error, result) {
+            expect(error).to.be.ok();
+            expect(error.message).to.contain('task crashed');
+            expect(result).to.be(null);
+            expect(taskId).to.be.ok();
+
+            let logs = fs.readFileSync(`${paths.TASKS_LOG_DIR}/${taskId}.log`, 'utf8');
+            expect(logs).to.contain('Crashing for arg: ping');
+            done();
+        });
+    });
+
+});