diff --git a/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/recoverer_test.go b/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/recoverer_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8583efd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/recoverer_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+package manager
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/packethost/packngo"
+	"golang.org/x/time/rate"
+
+	"source.monogon.dev/cloud/bmaas/bmdb"
+	"source.monogon.dev/cloud/bmaas/bmdb/model"
+	"source.monogon.dev/cloud/lib/component"
+)
+
+type recovererDut struct {
+	f    *fakequinix
+	r    *Recoverer
+	bmdb *bmdb.Connection
+	ctx  context.Context
+}
+
+func newRecovererDut(t *testing.T) *recovererDut {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	rc := RecovererConfig{
+		ControlLoopConfig: ControlLoopConfig{
+			DBQueryLimiter: rate.NewLimiter(rate.Every(time.Second), 10),
+		},
+	}
+
+	f := newFakequinix("fake", 100)
+	r, err := NewRecoverer(f, rc)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Could not create Initializer: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	b := bmdb.BMDB{
+		Config: bmdb.Config{
+			Database: component.CockroachConfig{
+				InMemory: true,
+			},
+			ComponentName: "test",
+			RuntimeInfo:   "test",
+		},
+	}
+	conn, err := b.Open(true)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Could not create in-memory BMDB: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	ctx, ctxC := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	t.Cleanup(ctxC)
+
+	go RunControlLoop(ctx, conn, r)
+
+	return &recovererDut{
+		f:    f,
+		r:    r,
+		bmdb: conn,
+		ctx:  ctx,
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRecoverySmokes makes sure that the Initializer in recovery mode doesn't go
+// up in flames on the happy path.
+func TestRecoverySmokes(t *testing.T) {
+	dut := newRecovererDut(t)
+	f := dut.f
+	ctx := dut.ctx
+	conn := dut.bmdb
+
+	reservations, _ := f.ListReservations(ctx, "fake")
+
+	sess, err := conn.StartSession(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create BMDB session: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Create test machine that should be selected for recovery.
+	// First in Fakequinix...
+	dev, _ := f.CreateDevice(ctx, &packngo.DeviceCreateRequest{
+		Hostname:              "test-devices",
+		OS:                    "fake",
+		ProjectID:             "fake",
+		HardwareReservationID: reservations[0].ID,
+		ProjectSSHKeys:        []string{},
+	})
+	// ... and in BMDB.
+	err = sess.Transact(ctx, func(q *model.Queries) error {
+		machine, err := q.NewMachine(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		err = q.MachineAddProvided(ctx, model.MachineAddProvidedParams{
+			MachineID:  machine.MachineID,
+			Provider:   model.ProviderEquinix,
+			ProviderID: dev.ID,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return q.MachineSetAgentStarted(ctx, model.MachineSetAgentStartedParams{
+			MachineID:      machine.MachineID,
+			AgentStartedAt: time.Now().Add(time.Hour * -10),
+			AgentPublicKey: []byte("fakefakefakefake"),
+		})
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create test machine: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Expect to find 0 machines needing recovery.
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(10 * time.Second)
+	for {
+		if time.Now().After(deadline) {
+			t.Fatalf("Machines did not get processed in time")
+		}
+		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+
+		var machines []model.MachineProvided
+		err = sess.Transact(ctx, func(q *model.Queries) error {
+			var err error
+			machines, err = q.GetMachineForAgentRecovery(ctx, 100)
+			return err
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to run Transaction: %v", err)
+		}
+		if len(machines) == 0 {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Expect the target machine to have been rebooted.
+	dut.f.mu.Lock()
+	reboots := dut.f.reboots[dev.ID]
+	dut.f.mu.Unlock()
+	if want, got := 1, reboots; want != got {
+		t.Fatalf("Wanted %d reboot, got %d", want, got)
+	}
+
+	// Expect machine to now be available again for agent start.
+	var machines []model.MachineProvided
+	err = sess.Transact(ctx, func(q *model.Queries) error {
+		var err error
+		machines, err = q.GetMachinesForAgentStart(ctx, 100)
+		return err
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to run Transaction: %v", err)
+	}
+	if want, got := 1, len(machines); want != got {
+		t.Fatalf("Wanted %d machine ready for agent start, got %d", want, got)
+	}
+}