diff --git a/nova/tests/test_periodic_tasks.py b/nova/tests/test_periodic_tasks.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5804ea49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nova/tests/test_periodic_tasks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+# vim: tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
+
+# Copyright 2012 OpenStack LLC
+# All Rights Reserved.
+#
+#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#    a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#    under the License.
+
+
+import fixtures
+
+from nova import manager
+from nova import test
+
+
+class ManagerMetaTestCase(test.TestCase):
+    """Tests for the meta class which manages the creation of periodic tasks.
+    """
+
+    def test_meta(self):
+        class Manager(object):
+            __metaclass__ = manager.ManagerMeta
+
+            @manager.periodic_task
+            def foo(self):
+                return 'foo'
+
+            @manager.periodic_task(spacing=4)
+            def bar(self):
+                return 'bar'
+
+            @manager.periodic_task(enabled=False)
+            def baz(self):
+                return 'baz'
+
+        m = Manager()
+        self.assertEqual(2, len(m._periodic_tasks))
+        self.assertEqual(None, m._periodic_spacing['foo'])
+        self.assertEqual(4, m._periodic_spacing['bar'])
+        self.assertFalse('baz' in m._periodic_spacing)
+
+
+class Manager(test.TestCase):
+    """Tests the periodic tasks portion of the manager class."""
+
+    def test_periodic_tasks_with_idle(self):
+        class Manager(manager.Manager):
+            @manager.periodic_task(spacing=200)
+            def bar(self):
+                return 'bar'
+
+        m = Manager()
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(m._periodic_tasks))
+        self.assertEqual(200, m._periodic_spacing['bar'])
+
+        # Now a single pass of the periodic tasks
+        idle = m.periodic_tasks(None)
+        self.assertAlmostEqual(60, idle, 1)
+
+    def test_periodic_tasks_constant(self):
+        class Manager(manager.Manager):
+            @manager.periodic_task(spacing=0)
+            def bar(self):
+                return 'bar'
+
+        m = Manager()
+        idle = m.periodic_tasks(None)
+        self.assertAlmostEqual(60, idle, 1)
+
+    def test_periodic_tasks_disabled(self):
+        class Manager(manager.Manager):
+            @manager.periodic_task(spacing=-1)
+            def bar(self):
+                return 'bar'
+
+        m = Manager()
+        idle = m.periodic_tasks(None)
+        self.assertAlmostEqual(60, idle, 1)
+
+    def test_external_running_here(self):
+        self.flags(run_external_periodic_tasks=True)
+
+        class Manager(manager.Manager):
+            @manager.periodic_task(spacing=200, external_process_ok=True)
+            def bar(self):
+                return 'bar'
+
+        m = Manager()
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(m._periodic_tasks))
+
+    def test_external_running_elsewhere(self):
+        self.flags(run_external_periodic_tasks=False)
+
+        class Manager(manager.Manager):
+            @manager.periodic_task(spacing=200, external_process_ok=True)
+            def bar(self):
+                return 'bar'
+
+        m = Manager()
+        self.assertEqual(0, len(m._periodic_tasks))