diff --git a/test_spec.lua b/test_spec.lua
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..5546cd3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_spec.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env lua
+
+local VISUALTEST = os.getenv("VISUALTEST")
+ 
+local visual = VISUALTEST or false
+local visual_delay = VISUALTEST and (tonumber(VISUALTEST)) or 0.1
+
+local signal = require("posix.signal")
+local unistd = require("posix.unistd")
+local time = require("posix.time")
+local curses = require("posix.curses")
+local rote = require("rote")
+
+local rt = rote.RoteTerm(24, 80)
+
+os.execute("make coverage")
+os.execute("rm -f *.gcda */*.gcda")
+os.execute("rm -f coverage.info test.htoprc")
+os.execute("rm -rf lcov")
+
+rt:forkPty("HTOPRC=./test.htoprc ./htop")
+
+local stdscr, term_win
+-- Curses initalization needed even when not in visual mode
+-- because luaposix only initializes KEY_* constants after initscr().
+stdscr = curses.initscr()
+if visual then
+   curses.echo(false)
+   curses.start_color()
+   curses.raw(true)
+   curses.halfdelay(1)
+   stdscr:keypad(true)
+   term_win = curses.newwin(24, 80, 0, 0)
+   local function makePair(foreground, background)
+      return background * 8 + 7 - foreground
+   end
+   -- initialize the color pairs the way rt:draw() expects it
+   for foreground = 0, 7 do
+      for background = 0, 7 do
+         if foreground ~= 7 or background ~= 0 then
+            local pair = makePair(foreground, background)
+            curses.init_pair(pair, foreground, background)
+         end
+      end
+   end
+else
+   curses.endwin()
+end
+
+local function delay(t)
+   time.nanosleep({ tv_sec = math.floor(t), tv_nsec = (t - math.floor(t)) * 1000000000 })
+end
+
+local function show(key)
+   rt:update()
+   if visual then
+      rt:draw(term_win, 0, 0)
+      if key then
+         term_win:mvaddstr(0, 0, tostring(key))
+      end
+      term_win:refresh()
+      
+      delay(visual_delay)
+   end
+end
+
+local function send(key, times)
+   for i = 1, times or 1 do 
+      delay(0.003) -- 30ms delay to avoid clobbering Esc sequences
+      if type(key) == "string" then
+         for c in key:gmatch('.') do
+            rt:keyPress(string.byte(c))
+         end
+      else
+         rt:keyPress(key)
+      end
+      show(key)
+   end
+end
+
+local function string_at(x, y, len)
+   rt:update()
+   local out = {}
+   for i = 1, len do
+      out[#out+1] = rt:cellChar(y-1, x+i-2)
+   end
+   return table.concat(out)
+end
+
+local function is_string_at(x, y, str)
+   return string_at(x, y, #str) == str
+end
+
+local function check_string_at(x, y, str)
+   return { str, string_at(x, y, #str) }
+end
+
+local ESC = 27
+
+time.nanosleep({ tv_sec = 0, tv_nsec = 150000000 }) -- give some time for htop to initialize.
+
+local pos_panelhdr = (function()
+   for i = 1, 24 do
+      if is_string_at(3, i, "PID") then
+         return i
+      end
+   end
+end)() or 1
+
+show()
+
+local terminated = false
+signal.signal(signal.SIGCHLD, function(_)
+   terminated = true
+end)
+
+local function running_it(desc, fn)
+   it(desc, function()
+      assert(not terminated)
+      show()
+      fn()
+      assert(not terminated)
+   end)
+end
+
+local function check(t)
+   return t[1], t[2]
+end
+
+describe("htop test suite", function()
+   running_it("visits each setup screen", function()
+      send("S")
+      send(curses.KEY_DOWN, 3)
+      send(curses.KEY_F10)
+   end)
+   running_it("changes CPU affinity for a process", function()
+      send("a")
+      send(" \n")
+      send(ESC)
+   end)
+   running_it("adds and removes a clock widget", function()
+      send("S")
+      send(curses.KEY_RIGHT, 3)
+      send("\n")
+      send(curses.KEY_UP, 4)
+      send("\n")
+      local time = check_string_at(41, 2, "Time")
+      send(curses.KEY_DC)
+      delay(0.1)
+      local not_time = check_string_at(41, 2, "Time")
+      send(ESC)
+      assert.equal(check(time))
+      assert.not_equal(check(not_time))
+   end)
+   running_it("adds a hostname widget", function()
+      send("S")
+      send(curses.KEY_RIGHT, 3)
+      send(curses.KEY_DOWN, 8)
+      send("\n")
+      send("\n")
+      send(ESC)
+   end)
+   it("finally quits", function()
+      assert(not terminated)
+      send("q")
+      while not terminated do
+         unistd.sleep(1)
+      end
+      assert(terminated)
+      if visual then
+         curses.endwin()
+      end
+      os.execute("make lcov && xdg-open lcov/index.html")
+   end)
+end)
+