diff --git a/test/stress.py b/test/stress.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba7da6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/stress.py
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+from __future__ import print_function
+
+
+"""stress.py: retr0chat stress tester"""
+__version__   = "0.9"
+__author__    = "ed <a@ocv.me>"
+__credits__   = ["stackoverflow.com"]
+__license__   = "MIT"
+__copyright__ = 2018
+
+
+import threading
+import asyncore
+import socket
+import signal
+import time
+import sys
+
+PY2 = (sys.version_info[0] == 2)
+
+if PY2:
+	from Queue import Queue
+else:
+	from queue import Queue
+
+
+class Client(asyncore.dispatcher):
+	
+	def __init__(self):
+		asyncore.dispatcher.__init__(self)
+		self.in_text = u''
+		self.outbox = Queue()
+		self.backlog = None
+		self.dead = False
+		self.slp = None
+		self.stage = 'start'
+		self.create_socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+		self.connect(('127.0.0.1', 23))
+
+	def handle_close(self):
+		self.dead = True
+
+	def tx(self, bv):
+		self.outbox.put(bv.encode('utf-8'))
+
+	def readable(self):
+		return not self.dead
+
+	def writable(self):
+		return self.backlog or not self.outbox.empty()
+
+	def handle_write(self):
+		msg = self.backlog
+		if not msg:
+			msg = self.outbox.get()
+		sent = self.send(msg)
+		self.backlog = msg[sent:]
+		if self.slp is not None:
+			time.sleep(self.slp)
+
+	def handle_read(self):
+		if self.dead:
+			print('!!! read when dead')
+			return
+
+		data = self.recv(8192)
+		if not data:
+			self.dead = True
+			return
+		
+		self.in_text += data.decode('utf-8', 'ignore')
+		print(self.in_text)
+
+		if self.stage == 'start':
+			if 'type the text below, then hit [Enter]:' in self.in_text:
+				self.stage = 'qwer'
+				self.in_text = u''
+				self.slp = 0.01
+				for ch in u'qwer asdf\n':
+					self.tx(ch)
+
+		elif self.stage == 'qwer':
+			if 'text appeared as you typed' in self.in_text:
+				self.stage = 'color'
+				self.in_text = u''
+				self.slp = None
+				self.tx(u'b')
+				self.outbox.put(b'\xff\xfa\x1f\x00\x80\x00\x24\xff\xf0')  # 128x36
+
+		elif self.stage == 'color':
+			if 'does colours work?' in self.in_text:
+				self.stage = 'codec'
+				self.in_text = u''
+				self.slp = None
+				self.tx(u'y')
+
+		elif self.stage == 'codec':
+			if 'which line looks like' in self.in_text:
+				self.stage = 'main'
+				self.in_text = u''
+				self.slp = None
+				self.tx(u'a')
+
+class Core(object):
+
+	def __init__(self):
+		self.clients = []
+		for n in range(1):
+			self.clients.append(Client())
+
+		signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, self.signal_handler)
+
+		self.stopping = False
+		self.asyncore_alive = False
+		self.asyncore_thr = threading.Thread(target=self.asyncore_worker)
+		self.asyncore_thr.start()
+
+	def run(self):
+		print('  *  test is running')
+		
+		while not self.stopping:
+			time.sleep(0.1)
+
+		print('  *  asyncore terminating')
+		clean_shutdown = False
+		for n in range(0, 40):  # 2sec
+			if not self.asyncore_alive:
+				print('  *  asyncore stopped cleanly')
+				clean_shutdown = True
+				break
+			time.sleep(0.05)
+		
+		if not clean_shutdown:
+			print(' -X- asyncore is stuck')
+
+		print('  *  asyncore cleanup')
+		for c in self.clients:
+			c.close()
+
+		print('  *  bye')
+
+	def asyncore_worker(self):
+		self.asyncore_alive = True
+
+		timeout = 0.05
+		while not self.stopping:
+			asyncore.loop(timeout, count=0.5/timeout)
+
+		self.asyncore_alive = False
+
+	def shutdown(self):
+		self.stopping = True
+
+	def signal_handler(self, signal, frame):
+		self.shutdown()
+
+
+core = Core()
+core.run()