diff --git a/model_server/api.py b/api.py
similarity index 86%
rename from model_server/api.py
rename to api.py
index 47471e3216d9f7cdd8553c827b8d881533ecb225..512083625be5b0d4a1a56539efe5b20108a90d34 100644
--- a/model_server/api.py
+++ b/api.py
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ from pathlib import Path
 
 from fastapi import FastAPI, HTTPException
 
-from session import Session
-from workflow import infer_image_to_image
+from model_server.session import Session
+from model_server.workflow import infer_image_to_image
 
 app = FastAPI()
 session = Session()
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ def startup():
 
 @app.get('/')
 def read_root():
-    return {'test': 'success'}
+    return {'success': True}
 
 @app.get('/models')
 def list_active_models():
@@ -27,9 +27,6 @@ def load_model(model_id: str, project_file: Path) -> Path: # does API autoencode
             status_code=409,
             detail=f'Model with id {model_id} has already been loaded'
         )
-    # model = new_ilastik_shell
-    # session.models[model_id] = model
-    pass
 
 @app.post('/i2i/infer/{model_id}') # image file in, image file out
 def infer_img(model_id: str, imgf: str, channel: int = None) -> dict:
diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2bdd245195e29fd20b8eb923c035fd5776595239
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+from multiprocessing import Process
+import requests
+import unittest
+import uvicorn
+
+class TestApiFromAutomatedClient(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self) -> None:
+        import uvicorn
+        host = '127.0.0.1'
+        port = 5000
+
+        self.server_process = Process(
+            target=uvicorn.run,
+            args=('api:app', ),
+            kwargs={'host': host, 'port': port, 'log_level': 'info'},
+            daemon=True
+        )
+        self.uri = f'http://{host}:{port}/'
+        self.server_process.start()
+
+    def tearDown(self) -> None:
+        self.server_process.terminate()
+
+    def test_trivial_api_response(self):
+        resp = requests.get(self.uri, )
+        self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200)
+