diff --git a/src/tests/backend/specs/Pad.js b/src/tests/backend/specs/Pad.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e385097e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/backend/specs/Pad.js
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const Pad = require('../../../node/db/Pad');
+const assert = require('assert').strict;
+const authorManager = require('../../../node/db/AuthorManager');
+const common = require('../common');
+const padManager = require('../../../node/db/PadManager');
+const plugins = require('../../../static/js/pluginfw/plugin_defs');
+const settings = require('../../../node/utils/Settings');
+
+describe(__filename, function () {
+  const backups = {};
+  let pad;
+  let padId;
+
+  before(async function () {
+    backups.hooks = {
+      padDefaultContent: plugins.hooks.padDefaultContent,
+    };
+    backups.defaultPadText = settings.defaultPadText;
+  });
+
+  beforeEach(async function () {
+    backups.hooks.padDefaultContent = [];
+    padId = common.randomString();
+    assert(!(await padManager.doesPadExist(padId)));
+  });
+
+  afterEach(async function () {
+    Object.assign(plugins.hooks, backups.hooks);
+    if (pad != null) await pad.remove();
+    pad = null;
+  });
+
+  describe('cleanText', function () {
+    const testCases = [
+      ['', ''],
+      ['\n', '\n'],
+      ['x', 'x'],
+      ['x\n', 'x\n'],
+      ['x\ny\n', 'x\ny\n'],
+      ['x\ry\n', 'x\ny\n'],
+      ['x\r\ny\n', 'x\ny\n'],
+      ['x\r\r\ny\n', 'x\n\ny\n'],
+    ];
+    for (const [input, want] of testCases) {
+      it(`${JSON.stringify(input)} -> ${JSON.stringify(want)}`, async function () {
+        assert.equal(Pad.cleanText(input), want);
+      });
+    }
+  });
+
+  describe('padDefaultContent hook', function () {
+    it('runs when a pad is created without specific text', async function () {
+      const p = new Promise((resolve) => {
+        plugins.hooks.padDefaultContent.push({hook_fn: () => resolve()});
+      });
+      pad = await padManager.getPad(padId);
+      await p;
+    });
+
+    it('not run if pad is created with specific text', async function () {
+      plugins.hooks.padDefaultContent.push(
+          {hook_fn: () => { throw new Error('should not be called'); }});
+      pad = await padManager.getPad(padId, '');
+    });
+
+    it('defaults to settings.defaultPadText', async function () {
+      const p = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        plugins.hooks.padDefaultContent.push({hook_fn: async (hookName, ctx) => {
+          try {
+            assert.equal(ctx.type, 'text');
+            assert.equal(ctx.content, settings.defaultPadText);
+          } catch (err) {
+            return reject(err);
+          }
+          resolve();
+        }});
+      });
+      pad = await padManager.getPad(padId);
+      await p;
+    });
+
+    it('passes the pad object', async function () {
+      const gotP = new Promise((resolve) => {
+        plugins.hooks.padDefaultContent.push({hook_fn: async (hookName, {pad}) => resolve(pad)});
+      });
+      pad = await padManager.getPad(padId);
+      assert.equal(await gotP, pad);
+    });
+
+    it('passes empty authorId if not provided', async function () {
+      const gotP = new Promise((resolve) => {
+        plugins.hooks.padDefaultContent.push(
+            {hook_fn: async (hookName, {authorId}) => resolve(authorId)});
+      });
+      pad = await padManager.getPad(padId);
+      assert.equal(await gotP, '');
+    });
+
+    it('passes provided authorId', async function () {
+      const want = await authorManager.getAuthor4Token(`t.${padId}`);
+      const gotP = new Promise((resolve) => {
+        plugins.hooks.padDefaultContent.push(
+            {hook_fn: async (hookName, {authorId}) => resolve(authorId)});
+      });
+      pad = await padManager.getPad(padId, null, want);
+      assert.equal(await gotP, want);
+    });
+
+    it('uses provided content', async function () {
+      const want = 'hello world';
+      assert.notEqual(want, settings.defaultPadText);
+      plugins.hooks.padDefaultContent.push({hook_fn: async (hookName, ctx) => {
+        ctx.type = 'text';
+        ctx.content = want;
+      }});
+      pad = await padManager.getPad(padId);
+      assert.equal(pad.text(), `${want}\n`);
+    });
+  });
+});