diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e20650d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+python_prctl
+psutil
diff --git a/src/tests/test_api.py b/src/tests/test_api.py
index ca2ec90d..841c9482 100644
--- a/src/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/src/tests/test_api.py
@@ -1,26 +1,25 @@
-import unittest
-import subprocess
 import xmlrpclib
 import base64
 import json
-import os
-import tempfile
 from time import sleep
 
+from test_process import TestProcessProto
+
+
+class TestAPI(TestProcessProto):
+    _process_cmd = ['pybitmessage', '-t']
 
-class TestAPI(unittest.TestCase):
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
-        subprocess.call(['pybitmessage', '-t'])
+        super(TestAPI, cls).setUpClass()
         cls.addresses = []
         cls.api = xmlrpclib.ServerProxy(
             "http://username:password@127.0.0.1:8442/")
-        for tick in range(0, 10):
-            sleep(1)
-            if os.path.isfile(os.path.join(
-                    tempfile.gettempdir(), '.api_started')):
+        for tick in range(0, 5):
+            if cls._get_readline('.api_started'):
                 print('API start detected!')
                 return
+            sleep(1)
 
     def _add_random_address(self, label):
         return self.api.createRandomAddress(base64.encodestring(label))
diff --git a/src/tests/test_process.py b/src/tests/test_process.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0a2f200f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/test_process.py
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+import unittest
+import subprocess
+import os
+import signal
+import tempfile
+from time import sleep
+
+import psutil
+
+
+class TestProcessProto(unittest.TestCase):
+    _process_cmd = ['pybitmessage', '-d']
+    _threads_count = 14
+    _files = ('keys.dat', 'debug.log', 'messages.dat', 'knownnodes.dat')
+
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls):
+        cls.home = os.environ['BITMESSAGE_HOME'] = tempfile.gettempdir()
+        subprocess.call(cls._process_cmd)
+        sleep(5)
+        cls.pid = int(cls._get_readline('singleton.lock'))
+        cls.process = psutil.Process(cls.pid)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _get_readline(cls, pfile):
+        pfile = os.path.join(cls.home, pfile)
+        try:
+            return open(pfile, 'rb').readline().strip()
+        except (OSError, IOError):
+            pass
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _cleanup_files(cls):
+        for pfile in cls._files:
+            try:
+                os.remove(os.path.join(cls.home, pfile))
+            except OSError:
+                pass
+
+    @classmethod
+    def tearDownClass(cls):
+        cls.process.send_signal(signal.SIGTERM)
+        try:
+            cls.process.wait(5)
+        except psutil.TimeoutExpired:
+            print(open(os.path.join(cls.home, 'debug.log'), 'rb').read())
+            cls.process.kill()
+        finally:
+            cls._cleanup_files()
+
+    def _test_threads(self):
+        # only count for now
+        # because of https://github.com/giampaolo/psutil/issues/613
+        # PyBitmessage
+        #   - addressGenerator
+        #   - singleWorker
+        #   - SQL
+        #   - objectProcessor
+        #   - singleCleaner
+        #   - singleAPI
+        #   - Asyncore
+        #   - ReceiveQueue_0
+        #   - ReceiveQueue_1
+        #   - ReceiveQueue_2
+        #   - Announcer
+        #   - InvBroadcaster
+        #   - AddrBroadcaster
+        #   - Downloader
+        self.assertEqual(
+            len(self.process.threads()), self._threads_count)
+
+
+class TestProcess(TestProcessProto):
+    def test_process_name(self):
+        """Check PyBitmessage process name"""
+        self.assertEqual(self.process.name(), 'PyBitmessage')
+
+    def test_files(self):
+        """Check existence of PyBitmessage files"""
+        for pfile in self._files:
+            self.assertIsNot(
+                self._get_readline(pfile), None,
+                'Failed to read file %s' % pfile
+            )
+
+    def test_threads(self):
+        """Testing PyBitmessage threads"""
+        self._test_threads()