diff --git a/xfer/background_publisher_test.go b/xfer/background_publisher_test.go
index 60a1a6283d..c4eeffc9b2 100644
--- a/xfer/background_publisher_test.go
+++ b/xfer/background_publisher_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,29 @@
 package xfer_test
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"runtime"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/weaveworks/scope/test"
+	"github.com/weaveworks/scope/xfer"
+)
 
 func TestBackgroundPublisher(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Skip("TODO")
+	mp := mockPublisher{}
+	backgroundPublisher := xfer.NewBackgroundPublisher(&mp)
+	defer backgroundPublisher.Stop()
+	runtime.Gosched()
+
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		err := backgroundPublisher.Publish(&bytes.Buffer{})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("%v", err)
+		}
+
+		test.Poll(t, 100*time.Millisecond, i, func() interface{} {
+			return mp.count
+		})
+	}
 }
diff --git a/xfer/multi_publisher_test.go b/xfer/multi_publisher_test.go
index 2664340b7d..943f4dca9a 100644
--- a/xfer/multi_publisher_test.go
+++ b/xfer/multi_publisher_test.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ func TestMultiPublisher(t *testing.T) {
 			return "", nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid endpoint %s", endpoint)
 		}
 	})
+	defer mp.Stop()
 
 	mp.Set("a", []string{"a1", "a2"})
 	mp.Set("b", []string{"b2", "b3"})