diff --git a/test/serialization.py b/test/serialization.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..542c20ded
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/serialization.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import unittest
+import json
+from fractions import Fraction
+
+import numpy as np
+
+from artiq.management import pyon
+
+
+_pyon_test_object = {
+    (1, 2): [(3, 4.2), (2, )],
+    Fraction(3, 4): np.linspace(5, 10, 1)
+}
+
+
+class PYON(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_encdec(self):
+        for enc in pyon.encode, lambda x: pyon.encode(x, True):
+            self.assertEqual(pyon.decode(enc(_pyon_test_object)),
+                             _pyon_test_object)
+
+
+_json_test_object = {
+    "a": "b",
+    "x": [1, 2, {}],
+    "foo\nbaz\\qux\"": ["bar", 1.2, {"x": "y"}],
+    "bar": [True, False, None]
+}
+
+
+class JSONPYON(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_encdec(self):
+        for enc in pyon.encode, lambda x: pyon.encode(x, True), json.dumps:
+            for dec in pyon.decode, json.loads:
+                self.assertEqual(dec(enc(_json_test_object)),
+                                 _json_test_object)