diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_fetch.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_fetch.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9ad691ddf0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/message_fetch.js
@@ -0,0 +1,255 @@
+set_global('$', global.make_zjquery());
+set_global('document', 'document-stub');
+
+zrequire('message_fetch');
+
+var noop = function () {};
+
+set_global('MessageListView', function () { return {}; });
+
+zrequire('FetchStatus', 'js/fetch_status');
+zrequire('Filter', 'js/filter');
+zrequire('message_list');
+zrequire('util');
+
+set_global('page_params', {
+    have_initial_messages: true,
+    pointer: 444,
+});
+
+set_global('activity', {});
+set_global('channel', {});
+set_global('document', 'document-stub');
+set_global('message_util', {});
+set_global('message_store', {});
+set_global('muting', {});
+set_global('pm_list', {});
+set_global('resize', {});
+set_global('server_events', {});
+set_global('stream_list', {});
+
+muting.is_topic_muted = function () { return false; };
+resize.resize_bottom_whitespace = noop;
+server_events.home_view_loaded = noop;
+
+function stub_message_view(list) {
+    list.view.append = noop;
+    list.view.maybe_rerender = noop;
+    list.view.prepend = noop;
+}
+
+function make_home_msg_list() {
+    var table_name = 'whatever';
+    var filter = new Filter();
+    var opts = {};
+
+    var list = new message_list.MessageList(table_name, filter, opts);
+    return list;
+}
+
+function make_all_list() {
+    return new message_list.MessageList();
+}
+
+function reset_lists() {
+    set_global('home_msg_list', make_home_msg_list());
+    set_global('current_msg_list', home_msg_list);
+    message_list.all = make_all_list();
+    stub_message_view(home_msg_list);
+    stub_message_view(message_list.all);
+}
+
+function config_fake_channel(conf) {
+    var self = {};
+    var called;
+
+    channel.get = function (opts) {
+        if (called) {
+            throw "only use this for one call";
+        }
+        assert(self.success === undefined);
+        assert.equal(opts.url, '/json/messages');
+        assert.deepEqual(opts.data, conf.expected_opts_data);
+        self.success = opts.success;
+        called = true;
+    };
+
+    return self;
+}
+
+function config_process_results(messages) {
+    var self = {};
+
+    var messages_processed_for_bools = [];
+
+    message_store.set_message_booleans = function (message) {
+        messages_processed_for_bools.push(message);
+    };
+
+    message_util.do_unread_count_updates = function (arg) {
+        assert.deepEqual(arg, messages);
+    };
+
+    message_util.add_messages = function (new_messages, msg_list, opts) {
+        assert.deepEqual(new_messages, messages);
+        msg_list.add_messages(new_messages, opts);
+    };
+
+    activity.process_loaded_messages = function (arg) {
+        assert.deepEqual(arg, messages);
+    };
+
+    stream_list.update_streams_sidebar = noop;
+
+    pm_list.update_private_messages = noop;
+
+    self.verify = function () {
+        assert.deepEqual(messages_processed_for_bools, messages);
+    };
+
+    return self;
+}
+
+function message_range(start, end) {
+    return _.map(_.range(start, end), function (idx) {
+        return { id: idx };
+    });
+}
+
+var initialize_data = {
+    initial_fetch: {
+        req: {
+            anchor: 444,
+            num_before: 200,
+            num_after: 200,
+            client_gravatar: true,
+        },
+        resp: {
+            messages: message_range(201, 801),
+            found_newest: false,
+        },
+    },
+
+    forward_fill: {
+        req: {
+            anchor: '800',
+            num_before: 0,
+            num_after: 1000,
+            client_gravatar: true,
+        },
+        resp: {
+            messages: message_range(800, 1000),
+            found_newest: true,
+        },
+    },
+
+    back_fill: {
+        req: {
+            anchor: '201',
+            num_before: 1000,
+            num_after: 0,
+            client_gravatar: true,
+        },
+        resp: {
+            messages: message_range(100, 200),
+            found_oldest: true,
+        },
+    },
+};
+
+function test_fetch_success(opts) {
+    var response = opts.response;
+    var messages = response.messages;
+
+    var process_results = config_process_results(messages);
+    opts.fetch.success(response);
+    process_results.verify();
+}
+
+function initial_fetch_step() {
+    var self = {};
+
+    var fetch;
+    var response = initialize_data.initial_fetch.resp;
+
+    self.prep = function () {
+        fetch = config_fake_channel({
+            expected_opts_data: initialize_data.initial_fetch.req,
+        });
+
+        message_fetch.initialize();
+    };
+
+    self.finish = function () {
+        test_fetch_success({
+            fetch: fetch,
+            response: response,
+        });
+    };
+
+    return self;
+}
+
+function forward_fill_step() {
+    var self = {};
+
+    var fetch;
+
+    self.prep = function () {
+        fetch = config_fake_channel({
+            expected_opts_data: initialize_data.forward_fill.req,
+        });
+    };
+
+    self.finish = function () {
+        var response = initialize_data.forward_fill.resp;
+
+        var idle_config;
+        $('document-stub').idle = function (config) {
+            idle_config = config;
+        };
+
+        test_fetch_success({
+            fetch: fetch,
+            response: response,
+        });
+
+        assert.equal(idle_config.idle, 10000);
+
+        return idle_config;
+    };
+
+    return self;
+}
+
+function test_backfill_idle(idle_config) {
+    var fetch = config_fake_channel({
+        expected_opts_data: initialize_data.back_fill.req,
+    });
+
+    var response = initialize_data.back_fill.resp;
+
+    idle_config.onIdle();
+
+    test_fetch_success({
+        fetch: fetch,
+        response: response,
+    });
+}
+
+(function test_initialize() {
+    reset_lists();
+
+    var step1 = initial_fetch_step();
+
+    step1.prep();
+
+    var step2 = forward_fill_step();
+
+    step2.prep();
+    step1.finish();
+
+    var idle_config = step2.finish();
+
+    test_backfill_idle(idle_config);
+}());