diff --git a/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py b/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d9670fbbe8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+from test import test_support
+import unittest
+import pydoc
+
+class TestDescriptions(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_module(self):
+        # Check that pydocfodder module can be described
+        from test import pydocfodder
+        doc = pydoc.render_doc(pydocfodder)
+        assert "pydocfodder" in doc
+
+    def test_classic_class(self):
+        class C: "Classic class"
+        c = C()
+        self.failUnlessEqual(pydoc.describe(C), 'class C')
+        self.failUnlessEqual(pydoc.describe(c), 'instance of C')
+        self.failUnless('instance of C in module test.test_pydoc'
+                        in pydoc.render_doc(c))
+
+    def test_class(self):
+        class C(object): "New-style class"
+        c = C()
+
+        self.failUnlessEqual(pydoc.describe(C), 'class C')
+        self.failUnlessEqual(pydoc.describe(c), 'C')
+        self.failUnless('C in module test.test_pydoc object'
+                        in pydoc.render_doc(c))
+
+def test_main():
+    test_support.run_unittest(TestDescriptions)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_sundry.py b/Lib/test/test_sundry.py
index 64a96906b33..77d3f88dc1e 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_sundry.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_sundry.py
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ class TestUntestedModules(unittest.TestCase):
             import pdb
             import pstats
             import py_compile
-            import pydoc
             import rlcompleter
             import sched
             import smtplib