diff --git a/nixos/tests/all-tests.nix b/nixos/tests/all-tests.nix
index 8b27ff808e6..5efa4dc72d0 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/all-tests.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/all-tests.nix
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ in
   osrm-backend = handleTest ./osrm-backend.nix {};
   ostree = handleTest ./ostree.nix {};
   overlayfs = handleTest ./overlayfs.nix {};
+  packagekit = handleTest ./packagekit.nix {};
   pam-oath-login = handleTest ./pam-oath-login.nix {};
   pam-u2f = handleTest ./pam-u2f.nix {};
   pantheon = handleTest ./pantheon.nix {};
diff --git a/nixos/tests/packagekit.nix b/nixos/tests/packagekit.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e2d68af661f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nixos/tests/packagekit.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import ./make-test.nix ({ pkgs, ... }: {
+  name = "packagekit";
+  meta = with pkgs.stdenv.lib.maintainers; {
+    maintainers = [ peterhoeg ];
+  };
+
+  machine = { ... }: {
+    environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [ dbus ];
+    services.packagekit = {
+      enable = true;
+      backend = "test_nop";
+    };
+  };
+
+  testScript = ''
+    startAll;
+
+    # send a dbus message to activate the service
+    $machine->succeed("dbus-send --system --type=method_call --print-reply --dest=org.freedesktop.PackageKit /org/freedesktop/PackageKit org.freedesktop.DBus.Introspectable.Introspect");
+
+    # so now it should be running
+    $machine->succeed("systemctl is-active packagekit.service");
+  '';
+})