diff --git a/test/pc_rpc.py b/test/pc_rpc.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..805eee856
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/pc_rpc.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import unittest
+import sys
+import subprocess
+import asyncio
+import time
+
+import numpy as np
+
+from artiq.management import pc_rpc
+
+
+test_address = "::1"
+test_port = 7777
+
+
+class RPCCase(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_echo(self):
+        # running this file outside of unittest starts the echo server
+        with subprocess.Popen([sys.executable,
+                               sys.modules[__name__].__file__]) as proc:
+            try:
+                test_object = [5, 2.1, None, True, False,
+                               {"a": 5, 2: np.linspace(0, 10, 1)},
+                               (4, 5), (10,)]
+                time.sleep(.5)  # wait for the server to start
+                remote = pc_rpc.Client(test_address, test_port)
+                try:
+                    test_object_back = remote.echo(test_object)
+                    with self.assertRaises(pc_rpc.RemoteError):
+                        remote.non_existing_method()
+                    remote.quit()
+                finally:
+                    remote.close_rpc()
+            finally:
+                try:
+                    proc.wait(timeout=1)
+                except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+                    proc.kill()
+                    raise
+            self.assertEqual(test_object, test_object_back)
+
+
+class Echo(pc_rpc.WaitQuit):
+    def __init__(self):
+        pc_rpc.WaitQuit.__init__(self)
+
+    def echo(self, x):
+        return x
+
+
+def run_server():
+    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+    try:
+        echo = Echo()
+        server = pc_rpc.Server(echo)
+        loop.run_until_complete(server.start(test_address, test_port))
+        try:
+            loop.run_until_complete(echo.wait_quit())
+        finally:
+            loop.run_until_complete(server.stop())
+    finally:
+        loop.close()
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    run_server()