diff --git a/spec/vmpooler/backingservice/base_spec.rb b/spec/vmpooler/backingservice/base_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5256c28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/vmpooler/backingservice/base_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+# This spec does not really exercise code paths but is merely used
+# to enforce that certain methods are defined in the base classes
+
+describe 'Vmpooler::PoolManager::BackingService::Base' do
+  let(:config) { {} }
+  let(:fake_vm) {
+    fake_vm = {}
+    fake_vm['name'] = 'vm1'
+    fake_vm['hostname'] = 'vm1'
+    fake_vm['template'] = 'pool1'
+    fake_vm['boottime'] = Time.now
+    fake_vm['powerstate'] = 'PoweredOn'
+
+    fake_vm
+  }
+
+  subject { Vmpooler::PoolManager::BackingService::Base.new(config) }
+
+  describe '#name' do
+    it 'should be base' do
+      expect(subject.name).to eq('base')
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#vms_in_pool' do
+    it 'should raise error' do
+      expect{subject.vms_in_pool('pool')}.to raise_error(/does not implement vms_in_pool/)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#get_vm_host' do
+    it 'should raise error' do
+      expect{subject.get_vm_host('vm')}.to raise_error(/does not implement get_vm_host/)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#find_least_used_compatible_host' do
+    it 'should raise error' do
+      expect{subject.find_least_used_compatible_host('vm')}.to raise_error(/does not implement find_least_used_compatible_host/)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#migrate_vm_to_host' do
+    it 'should raise error' do
+      expect{subject.migrate_vm_to_host('vm','host')}.to raise_error(/does not implement migrate_vm_to_host/)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#get_vm' do
+    it 'should raise error' do
+      expect{subject.get_vm('vm')}.to raise_error(/does not implement get_vm/)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#create_vm' do
+    it 'should raise error' do
+      expect{subject.create_vm('pool','newname')}.to raise_error(/does not implement create_vm/)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#destroy_vm' do
+    it 'should raise error' do
+      expect{subject.destroy_vm('vm','pool')}.to raise_error(/does not implement destroy_vm/)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#is_vm_ready?' do
+    it 'should raise error' do
+      expect{subject.is_vm_ready?('vm','pool','timeout')}.to raise_error(/does not implement is_vm_ready?/)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#vm_exists?' do
+    it 'should raise error' do
+      expect{subject.vm_exists?('vm')}.to raise_error(/does not implement/)
+    end
+
+    it 'should return true when get_vm is returns an object' do
+      allow(subject).to receive(:get_vm).with('vm').and_return(fake_vm)
+
+      expect(subject.vm_exists?('vm')).to eq(true)
+    end
+
+    it 'should return false when get_vm is returns nil' do
+      allow(subject).to receive(:get_vm).with('vm').and_return(nil)
+
+      expect(subject.vm_exists?('vm')).to eq(false)
+    end
+  end
+end