diff --git a/swh/scheduler/celery_backend/config.py b/swh/scheduler/celery_backend/config.py
--- a/swh/scheduler/celery_backend/config.py
+++ b/swh/scheduler/celery_backend/config.py
@@ -254,7 +254,8 @@
     )
 
 # Instantiate the Celery app
-app = Celery(broker=CONFIG['task_broker'])
+app = Celery(broker=CONFIG['task_broker'],
+             task_cls='swh.scheduler.task:SWHTask')
 app.add_defaults(CELERY_DEFAULT_CONFIG)
 
 # XXX for BW compat
diff --git a/swh/scheduler/tests/conftest.py b/swh/scheduler/tests/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/scheduler/tests/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import pytest
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
+def celery_enable_logging():
+    return True
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
+def celery_includes():
+    return [
+        'swh.scheduler.tests.tasks',
+    ]
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
+def celery_parameters():
+    return {
+        'task_cls':  'swh.scheduler.task:SWHTask',
+        }
+
+
+# override the celery_session_app fixture to monkeypatch the 'main'
+# swh.scheduler.celery_backend.config.app Celery application
+# with the test application.
+@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
+def swh_app(celery_session_app):
+    import swh.scheduler.celery_backend.config
+    swh.scheduler.celery_backend.config.app = celery_session_app
+    yield celery_session_app
diff --git a/swh/scheduler/tests/tasks.py b/swh/scheduler/tests/tasks.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/scheduler/tests/tasks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+from celery import group
+
+from swh.scheduler.celery_backend.config import app
+
+
+@app.task(name='swh.scheduler.tests.tasks.ping',
+          bind=True)
+def ping(self, **kw):
+    # check this is a SWHTask
+    assert hasattr(self, 'log')
+    assert not hasattr(self, 'run_task')
+    assert 'SWHTask' in [x.__name__ for x in self.__class__.__mro__]
+    self.log.debug(self.name)
+    if kw:
+        return 'OK (kw=%s)' % kw
+    return 'OK'
+
+
+@app.task(name='swh.scheduler.tests.tasks.multiping',
+          bind=True)
+def multiping(self, n=10):
+    self.log.debug(self.name)
+
+    promise = group(ping.s(i=i) for i in range(n))()
+    self.log.debug('%s OK (spawned %s subtasks)' % (self.name, n))
+    promise.save()
+    return promise.id
diff --git a/swh/scheduler/tests/test_celery_tasks.py b/swh/scheduler/tests/test_celery_tasks.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/scheduler/tests/test_celery_tasks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+from time import sleep
+from celery.result import GroupResult
+
+
+def test_ping(swh_app, celery_session_worker):
+    res = swh_app.send_task(
+        'swh.scheduler.tests.tasks.ping')
+    assert res
+    res.wait()
+    assert res.successful()
+    assert res.result == 'OK'
+
+
+def test_multiping(swh_app, celery_session_worker):
+    "Test that a task that spawns subtasks (group) works"
+    res = swh_app.send_task(
+        'swh.scheduler.tests.tasks.multiping', n=5)
+    assert res
+
+    res.wait()
+    assert res.successful()
+
+    # retrieve the GroupResult for this task and wait for all the subtasks
+    # to complete
+    promise_id = res.result
+    assert promise_id
+    promise = GroupResult.restore(promise_id, app=swh_app)
+    for i in range(5):
+        if promise.ready():
+            break
+        sleep(1)
+
+    results = [x.get() for x in promise.results]
+    for i in range(5):
+        assert ("OK (kw={'i': %s})" % i) in results