diff --git a/test_service.py b/test_service.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5285041a0cd4c9a541d70e2a221e17630766c244
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_service.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import time
+
+import zmq
+
+
+def main(service_addr, service_time):
+    ctx = zmq.Context()
+    sock = zmq.Socket(ctx, zmq.REP)
+
+    sock.bind(service_addr)
+
+    def listen(service_time=service_time):
+        if sock.poll(timeout=100):
+            request = sock.recv()
+            if request == 'start':
+                sock.send('started')
+                time.sleep(service_time)
+            elif request == 'notify_completion':
+                sock.send('completed')
+            else:
+                sock.send('error')
+
+    while True:
+        listen(service_time)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    import sys
+
+    if len(sys.argv) not in (2, 3):
+        print >> sys.stderr, ('usage: %s <service bind addr> [service_time=1.]'
+                              % sys.argv[0])
+    else:
+        if len(sys.argv) < 3:
+            service_time = 1.
+        else:
+            service_time = float(sys.argv[2])
+        main(sys.argv[1], service_time)