diff --git a/python/tests/real_providers.py b/python/tests/real_providers.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f05856ac9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/tests/real_providers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import pytest
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def acprovider(acfactory, real_provider_config):
+    ac = acfactory.make_account_from_real_config(real_provider_config)
+    ac.update_config(real_provider_config)
+    ac._configtracker = ac.configure()
+    return ac
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def actest(acfactory):
+    return acfactory.get_online_configuring_account()
+
+
+def test_configure_success(acfactory, acprovider, lp):
+    lp.sec("waiting for successful configuration of provider account")
+    acfactory.wait_configure_and_start_io()
+
+    assert acprovider.is_configured()
+    for name in ("inbox", "mvbox", "sentbox"):
+        folder = acprovider.get_config("configured_" + name + "_folder")
+        if not folder:
+            lp.sec("found no {} folder".format(name))
+            continue
+
+        lp.sec("removing provider account IMAP folder {}".format(folder))
+        acprovider.direct_imap.select_folder(folder)
+        acprovider.direct_imap.delete("1:*")
+
+
+def test_basic_send_receive(acprovider, actest, acfactory, lp):
+    acfactory.wait_configure_and_start_io()
+
+    lp.sec("sending message from test account to provider account")
+    chat = actest.create_chat(acprovider)
+    chat.send_text("hello")
+
+    lp.sec("receiving message with the provider account")
+    msg = acprovider._evtracker.wait_next_messages_changed()
+    assert msg.chat.is_deaddrop() and not msg.is_encrypted()
+
+    lp.sec("sending message back from provider to test account")
+    back_chat = acprovider.create_chat(actest)
+    back_chat.send_text("world")
+
+    lp.sec("waiting with test account for provider mail")
+    msg = actest._evtracker.wait_next_incoming_message()
+    assert msg.text == "world"
+    assert msg.is_encrypted()
+
+
+def test_group_messages(acprovider, actest, acfactory, lp):
+    acfactory.wait_configure_and_start_io()
+
+    lp.sec("sending message from test account to provider account")
+    chat = actest.create_chat(acprovider)
+    chat.send_text("hello")
+
+    lp.sec("receiving message with the provider account")
+    msg = acprovider._evtracker.wait_next_messages_changed()
+    assert msg.chat.is_deaddrop() and not msg.is_encrypted()
+
+    lp.sec("sending message back from provider to test account")
+    back_chat = acprovider.create_chat(actest)
+    back_chat.send_text("world")
+
+    lp.sec("waiting with test account for provider mail")
+    msg = actest._evtracker.wait_next_incoming_message()
+    assert msg.text == "world"
+    assert msg.is_encrypted()