diff --git a/beam/message_test.go b/beam/message_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8987cb199e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/beam/message_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+package beam
+
+import (
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestVerbArgs(t *testing.T) {
+	receiver, sender := Pipe()
+	sentMsg := &Message{Verb: Set, Args: []string{"foo", "bar"}}
+
+	go sender.Send(sentMsg)
+
+	receivedMsg, err := receiver.Receive(0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if receivedMsg == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Didn't get a message")
+	}
+	if receivedMsg.Verb != sentMsg.Verb {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %s, got %s", sentMsg.Verb.String(), receivedMsg.Verb.String())
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(receivedMsg.Args, sentMsg.Args) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %#v, got %#v", sentMsg.Args, receivedMsg.Args)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReturnChannel(t *testing.T) {
+	receiver, sender := Pipe()
+	replyReceiver, replySender := Pipe()
+
+	go func() {
+		receivedMsg, err := receiver.Receive(0)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if receivedMsg == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Didn't get a message")
+		}
+		receivedMsg.Ret.Send(&Message{Verb: Set})
+	}()
+
+	_, err := sender.Send(&Message{Verb: Get, Ret: replySender})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	reply, err := replyReceiver.Receive(0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if reply == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Didn't get a reply")
+	}
+	if reply.Verb != Set {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected Set, got %s", reply.Verb.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRetPipe(t *testing.T) {
+	receiver, sender := Pipe()
+
+	go func() {
+		receivedMsg, err := receiver.Receive(0)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if receivedMsg == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Didn't get a message")
+		}
+		receivedMsg.Ret.Send(&Message{Verb: Set})
+	}()
+
+	replyReceiver, err := sender.Send(&Message{Verb: Get, Ret: RetPipe})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	reply, err := replyReceiver.Receive(0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if reply == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Didn't get a reply")
+	}
+	if reply.Verb != Set {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected Set, got %s", reply.Verb.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAttachment(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedContents := "hello world\n"
+
+	f, err := ioutil.TempFile("/tmp", "libswarm-beam-TestAttachment-")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	if err = ioutil.WriteFile(f.Name(), []byte(expectedContents), 0700); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err = f.Sync(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	receiver, sender := Pipe()
+
+	go func() {
+		msg, err := receiver.Receive(0)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		msg.Ret.Send(&Message{Verb: Connect, Att: f})
+	}()
+
+	ret, err := sender.Send(&Message{Verb: Connect, Ret: RetPipe})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	reply, err := ret.Receive(0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if reply.Att == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Didn't get an attachment back")
+	}
+
+	contents, err := ioutil.ReadAll(reply.Att)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if string(contents) != expectedContents {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %#v, got %#v", expectedContents, string(contents))
+	}
+}