diff --git a/tests/test-selection-getter.lua b/tests/test-selection-getter.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a11296ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-selection-getter.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+-- Test the selection getter API
+
+local runner = require("_runner")
+local spawn = require("awful.spawn")
+local dump_return = require("gears.debug").dump_return
+local gtable = require("gears.table")
+local lgi = require("lgi")
+local Gio = lgi.Gio
+local GdkPixbuf = lgi.GdkPixbuf
+
+local header = [[
+local lgi = require("lgi")
+local Gdk = lgi.Gdk
+local Gtk = lgi.Gtk
+local GLib = lgi.GLib
+local clipboard = Gtk.Clipboard.get(Gdk.SELECTION_CLIPBOARD)
+]]
+
+local set_text = [[
+clipboard:set_text("This is an experiment", -1)
+]]
+
+local set_pixbuf = [[
+local GdkPixbuf = lgi.GdkPixbuf
+local buf = GdkPixbuf.Pixbuf.new(GdkPixbuf.Colorspace.RGB, true, 8, 1900, 1600)
+clipboard:set_image(buf)
+]]
+
+local common_tail = [[
+GLib.timeout_add_seconds(GLib.PRIORITY_DEFAULT, 60, Gtk.main_quit)
+GLib.idle_add(GLib.PRIORITY_DEFAULT, function()
+    print("initialisation done")
+    io.stdout:flush()
+end)
+Gtk.main()
+]]
+
+local acquire_and_clear_clipboard = header .. set_text .. [[
+GLib.idle_add(GLib.PRIORITY_DEFAULT, Gtk.main_quit)
+Gtk.main()
+]]
+
+local acquire_clipboard_text = header .. set_text .. common_tail
+local acquire_clipboard_pixbuf = header .. set_pixbuf .. common_tail
+
+local continue = false
+runner.run_steps{
+
+    -- Clear the clipboard to get to a known state
+    function()
+        spawn.with_line_callback({ "lua", "-e", acquire_and_clear_clipboard },
+            { exit = function() continue = true end })
+        return true
+    end,
+
+    function()
+        -- Wait for the clipboard to be cleared
+        if not continue then
+            return
+        end
+
+        -- Now query the state of the clipboard (should be empty)
+        continue = false
+        local s = selection_getter("CLIPBOARD", "TARGETS")
+        s:connect_signal("data", function(...) error("Got unexpected data: " .. dump_return{...}) end)
+        s:connect_signal("data_end", function()
+            assert(not continue)
+            continue = true
+        end)
+
+        return true
+    end,
+
+    function()
+        -- Wait for the above check to be done
+        if not continue then
+            return
+        end
+
+        -- Now set the clipboard to some text
+        continue = false
+        spawn.with_line_callback({ "lua", "-e", acquire_clipboard_text },
+            { stdout = function(line)
+                assert(line == "initialisation done",
+                    "Unexpected line: " .. line)
+                continue = true
+            end })
+
+        return true
+    end,
+
+    function()
+        -- Wait for the clipboard to be set
+        if not continue then
+            return
+        end
+
+        -- Query whether the clipboard contains a text (UTF8_STRING)
+        continue = false
+        local s = selection_getter("CLIPBOARD", "TARGETS")
+        local data = nil
+        s:connect_signal("data", function(_, d)
+            assert(not data)
+            data = d
+        end)
+        s:connect_signal("data_end", function()
+            assert(gtable.hasitem(data, "UTF8_STRING"))
+            assert(not continue)
+            continue = true
+        end)
+
+        return true
+    end,
+
+    function()
+        -- Wait for the above check to be done
+        if not continue then
+            return
+        end
+
+        -- Query the text in the clipboard
+        continue = false
+        local s = selection_getter("CLIPBOARD", "UTF8_STRING")
+        local data = nil
+        s:connect_signal("data", function(_, d)
+            assert(data == nil)
+            data = d
+        end)
+        s:connect_signal("data_end", function()
+            assert(data == "This is an experiment")
+            assert(not continue)
+            continue = true
+        end)
+
+        return true
+    end,
+
+    function()
+        -- Wait for the above check to be done
+        if not continue then
+            return
+        end
+
+        -- Now set the clipboard to an image
+        continue = false
+        spawn.with_line_callback({ "lua", "-e", acquire_clipboard_pixbuf },
+            { stdout = function(line)
+                assert(line == "initialisation done",
+                    "Unexpected line: " .. line)
+                continue = true
+            end })
+
+        return true
+    end,
+
+    function()
+        -- Wait for the above check to be done
+        if not continue then
+            return
+        end
+
+        -- Query the image in the clipboard
+        continue = false
+        local s = selection_getter("CLIPBOARD", "image/bmp")
+        local data = {}
+        s:connect_signal("data", function(_, d)
+            table.insert(data, d)
+        end)
+        s:connect_signal("data_end", function()
+            local image = table.concat(data)
+            local stream = Gio.MemoryInputStream.new_from_data(image)
+            local pixbuf, err = GdkPixbuf.Pixbuf.new_from_stream(stream)
+            assert(not err, tostring(err))
+            assert(pixbuf.width == 1900)
+            assert(pixbuf.height == 1600)
+            assert(pixbuf.colorspace == "RGB")
+            assert(pixbuf["has-alpha"] == false)
+
+            assert(not continue)
+            continue = true
+        end)
+
+        return true
+    end,
+
+    function()
+        -- Wait for the above check to be done
+        if not continue then
+            return
+        end
+
+        return true
+    end,
+}
+
+-- vim: filetype=lua:expandtab:shiftwidth=4:tabstop=8:softtabstop=4:textwidth=80