diff --git a/server/tests/Makefile.am b/server/tests/Makefile.am
index 2ff06d7a..0aae1fd6 100644
--- a/server/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/server/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ check_PROGRAMS =				\
 	test-empty-success			\
 	test-channel				\
 	test-stream-device			\
+	test-listen				\
 	$(NULL)
 
 noinst_PROGRAMS =				\
diff --git a/server/tests/test-listen.c b/server/tests/test-listen.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ab8bceab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/tests/test-listen.c
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+/* -*- Mode: C; c-basic-offset: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*- */
+/*
+   Copyright (C) 2018 Red Hat, Inc.
+
+   This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+   modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+   License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+   version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+   Lesser General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+   License along with this library; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+/*
+ * This tests the external API entry points to configure the address/port
+ * spice-server is listening on
+ */
+#include <config.h>
+
+#include "basic-event-loop.h"
+
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <gio/gio.h>
+
+/* Arbitrary base port, we want a port which is not in use by the system, and
+ * by another of our tests (in case of parallel runs)
+ */
+#define BASE_PORT 5728
+
+static SpiceCoreInterface *core;
+
+static bool error_is_set(GError **error)
+{
+    return ((error != NULL) && (*error != NULL));
+}
+
+static GIOStream *fake_client_connect(GSocketConnectable *connectable, GError **error)
+{
+    GSocketClient *client;
+    GSocketConnection *connection;
+
+    client = g_socket_client_new();
+    connection = g_socket_client_connect(client, connectable, NULL, error);
+
+    g_object_unref(client);
+
+    return G_IO_STREAM(connection);
+}
+
+static void check_magic(GIOStream *io_stream, GError **error)
+{
+    uint8_t buffer[4];
+    gsize bytes_read;
+    gsize bytes_written;
+    GInputStream *input_stream;
+    GOutputStream *output_stream;
+
+    /* send dummy data to trigger a response from the server */
+    output_stream = g_io_stream_get_output_stream(io_stream);
+    memset(buffer, 0xa5, G_N_ELEMENTS(buffer));
+    g_output_stream_write_all(output_stream, buffer, G_N_ELEMENTS(buffer), &bytes_written, NULL, error);
+    if (error_is_set(error)) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    input_stream = g_io_stream_get_input_stream(io_stream);
+    g_input_stream_read_all(input_stream, buffer, G_N_ELEMENTS(buffer), &bytes_read, NULL, error);
+    if (error_is_set(error)) {
+        return;
+    }
+    g_assert_cmpuint(bytes_read, ==, G_N_ELEMENTS(buffer));
+    g_assert_cmpint(memcmp(buffer, "REDQ", 4), ==, 0);
+}
+
+static void exit_mainloop_cb(SPICE_GNUC_UNUSED void *opaque)
+{
+    basic_event_loop_quit();
+}
+
+static gpointer check_magic_thread(gpointer data)
+{
+    GError *error = NULL;
+    GSocketConnectable *connectable = G_SOCKET_CONNECTABLE(data);
+    GIOStream *stream;
+    SpiceTimer *exit_mainloop_timer;
+
+    stream = fake_client_connect(connectable, &error);
+    g_assert_no_error(error);
+    check_magic(stream, &error);
+    g_assert_no_error(error);
+
+    g_object_unref(stream);
+    g_object_unref(connectable);
+    exit_mainloop_timer = core->timer_add(exit_mainloop_cb, NULL);
+    core->timer_start(exit_mainloop_timer, 0);
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static gpointer check_no_connect_thread(gpointer data)
+{
+    GError *error = NULL;
+    GSocketConnectable *connectable = G_SOCKET_CONNECTABLE(data);
+    GIOStream *stream;
+    SpiceTimer *exit_mainloop_timer;
+
+    stream = fake_client_connect(connectable, &error);
+    g_assert(error != NULL);
+    g_assert(stream == NULL);
+    g_clear_error(&error);
+
+    g_object_unref(connectable);
+    exit_mainloop_timer = core->timer_add(exit_mainloop_cb, NULL);
+    core->timer_start(exit_mainloop_timer, 0);
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static GThread *fake_client_new(GThreadFunc thread_func, const char *hostname, int port)
+{
+    GSocketConnectable *connectable;
+
+    g_assert_cmpuint(port, >, 0);
+    g_assert_cmpuint(port, <, 65536);
+    connectable = g_network_address_new(hostname, port);
+
+    /* check_magic_thread will assume ownership of 'connectable' */
+    return g_thread_new("fake-client-thread", thread_func, connectable);
+}
+
+static void test_connect_plain(void)
+{
+    GThread *thread;
+    int result;
+
+    /* server */
+    SpiceServer *server = spice_server_new();
+    core = basic_event_loop_init();
+    spice_server_set_name(server, "SPICE listen test");
+    spice_server_set_noauth(server);
+    spice_server_set_port(server, BASE_PORT);
+    result = spice_server_init(server, core);
+    g_assert_cmpint(result, ==, 0);
+
+    /* fake client */
+    thread = fake_client_new(check_magic_thread, "localhost", BASE_PORT);
+
+    basic_event_loop_mainloop();
+
+    g_assert_null(g_thread_join(thread));
+
+    g_thread_unref(thread);
+    basic_event_loop_destroy();
+    core = NULL;
+    spice_server_destroy(server);
+}
+
+static void test_connect_ko(void)
+{
+    GThread *thread;
+
+    core = basic_event_loop_init();
+
+    /* fake client */
+    thread = fake_client_new(check_no_connect_thread, "localhost", BASE_PORT);
+
+    basic_event_loop_mainloop();
+
+    g_assert_null(g_thread_join(thread));
+
+    g_thread_unref(thread);
+    basic_event_loop_destroy();
+    core = NULL;
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    g_test_init(&argc, &argv, NULL);
+
+    g_test_add_func("/server/listen/connect_plain", test_connect_plain);
+    g_test_add_func("/server/listen/connect_ko", test_connect_ko);
+
+    return g_test_run();
+}