diff --git a/rm-server/source/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/action/impl/BroadcastDispositionActionDefinitionUpdateAction.java b/rm-server/source/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/action/impl/BroadcastDispositionActionDefinitionUpdateAction.java
index d4de92dd51..cf262d2ca3 100644
--- a/rm-server/source/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/action/impl/BroadcastDispositionActionDefinitionUpdateAction.java
+++ b/rm-server/source/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/action/impl/BroadcastDispositionActionDefinitionUpdateAction.java
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ public class BroadcastDispositionActionDefinitionUpdateAction extends RMActionEx
      * @param dispositionActionDef The disposition action definition node
      * @param nextAction The next disposition action
      */
-    private void persistPeriodChanges(NodeRef dispositionActionDef, DispositionAction nextAction)
+    protected void persistPeriodChanges(NodeRef dispositionActionDef, DispositionAction nextAction)
     {
         NodeRef dispositionedNode = getNodeService().getPrimaryParent(nextAction.getNodeRef()).getParentRef();
         DispositionActionDefinition definition = nextAction.getDispositionActionDefinition();
diff --git a/rm-server/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/action/impl/BroadcastDispositionActionDefinitionUpdateActionUnitTest.java b/rm-server/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/action/impl/BroadcastDispositionActionDefinitionUpdateActionUnitTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2a4f2df23b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rm-server/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/action/impl/BroadcastDispositionActionDefinitionUpdateActionUnitTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005-2016 Alfresco Software Limited.
+ *
+ * This file is part of Alfresco
+ *
+ * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+package org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.action.impl;
+
+import static org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.model.RecordsManagementModel.PROP_DISPOSITION_AS_OF;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
+
+import java.util.Date;
+
+import org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.disposition.DispositionAction;
+import org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.disposition.DispositionActionDefinition;
+import org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.disposition.DispositionService;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.ChildAssociationRef;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.NodeRef;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.NodeService;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for {@link BroadcastDispositionActionDefinitionUpdateAction}.
+ *
+ * @author Tom Page
+ * @since 2.3.1
+ */
+public class BroadcastDispositionActionDefinitionUpdateActionUnitTest
+{
+    /** The node under the category containing information about the definition of the action. */
+    private static final NodeRef DISPOSITION_ACTION_DEF_NODE = new NodeRef("disposition://Action/Def");
+    /** The node containing the details of the next disposition step for the content. */
+    private static final NodeRef NEXT_ACTION_NODE_REF = new NodeRef("next://Step/");
+    /** The node being subject to the disposition step. */
+    private static final NodeRef CONTENT_NODE_REF = new NodeRef("content://Node/Ref");
+
+    /** The class under test. */
+    private BroadcastDispositionActionDefinitionUpdateAction action = new BroadcastDispositionActionDefinitionUpdateAction();
+
+    private NodeService mockNodeService = mock(NodeService.class);
+    private DispositionService mockDispositionService = mock(DispositionService.class);
+
+    /** Inject the mock services into the class under test and link the content and next action nodes. */
+    @Before
+    public void setUp()
+    {
+        action.setNodeService(mockNodeService);
+        action.setDispositionService(mockDispositionService);
+
+        ChildAssociationRef mockAssocRef = mock(ChildAssociationRef.class);
+        when(mockNodeService.getPrimaryParent(NEXT_ACTION_NODE_REF)).thenReturn(mockAssocRef);
+        when(mockAssocRef.getParentRef()).thenReturn(CONTENT_NODE_REF);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Check that the disposition service is used to determine the "disposition as of" date when changes are made to the
+     * disposition period.
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void testPersistPeriodChanges()
+    {
+        // Set up the data associated with the next disposition action.
+        DispositionAction mockAction = mock(DispositionAction.class);
+        when(mockAction.getNodeRef()).thenReturn(NEXT_ACTION_NODE_REF);
+        DispositionActionDefinition mockDispositionActionDefinition = mock(DispositionActionDefinition.class);
+        when(mockAction.getDispositionActionDefinition()).thenReturn(mockDispositionActionDefinition);
+        when(mockAction.getName()).thenReturn("mockAction");
+        // Set up the disposition service to return a known "disposition as of" date.
+        Date asOfDate = new Date();
+        when(mockDispositionService.calculateAsOfDate(CONTENT_NODE_REF, mockDispositionActionDefinition, false))
+                        .thenReturn(asOfDate);
+
+        // Call the method under test.
+        action.persistPeriodChanges(DISPOSITION_ACTION_DEF_NODE, mockAction);
+
+        // Check that the "disposition as of" date has been set on the next action.
+        verify(mockNodeService).setProperty(NEXT_ACTION_NODE_REF, PROP_DISPOSITION_AS_OF, asOfDate);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rm-server/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/disposition/DispositionServiceImplUnitTest.java b/rm-server/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/disposition/DispositionServiceImplUnitTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8fb7ccbbb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rm-server/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/disposition/DispositionServiceImplUnitTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005-2016 Alfresco Software Limited.
+ *
+ * This file is part of Alfresco
+ *
+ * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+package org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.disposition;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
+
+import java.util.Date;
+
+import org.alfresco.model.ContentModel;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.NodeRef;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.NodeService;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.Period;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for {@link DispositionServiceImpl}.
+ *
+ * @author Tom Page
+ * @since 2.3.1
+ */
+public class DispositionServiceImplUnitTest
+{
+    /** The node being subject to the disposition step. */
+    NodeRef CONTENT_NODE_REF = new NodeRef("content://node/");
+
+    /** The class under test. */
+    private DispositionServiceImpl dispositionService = new DispositionServiceImpl();
+
+    private NodeService mockNodeService = mock(NodeService.class);
+
+    @Before
+    public void setUp()
+    {
+        dispositionService.setNodeService(mockNodeService);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Check that the relevant information is retrieved from the DispositionActionDefinition in order to determine the
+     * "disposition as of" date.
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void testCalculateAsOfDate()
+    {
+        // Set up a mock for the disposition action definition.
+        DispositionActionDefinition mockDispositionActionDefinition = mock(DispositionActionDefinition.class);
+        Period mockPeriod = mock(Period.class);
+        when(mockDispositionActionDefinition.getPeriod()).thenReturn(mockPeriod);
+        when(mockDispositionActionDefinition.getPeriodProperty()).thenReturn(ContentModel.PROP_CREATED);
+        // Set up a created date and another date that is some Period later.
+        Date createdDate = new Date(1234567890);
+        when(mockNodeService.getProperty(CONTENT_NODE_REF, ContentModel.PROP_CREATED)).thenReturn(createdDate);
+        Date nextDate = new Date(1240000000);
+        when(mockPeriod.getNextDate(createdDate)).thenReturn(nextDate);
+
+        // Call the method under test.
+        Date asOfDate = dispositionService.calculateAsOfDate(CONTENT_NODE_REF, mockDispositionActionDefinition, true);
+
+        assertEquals("Unexpected calculation for 'as of' date", nextDate, asOfDate);
+    }
+
+    /** Check that the calculated "disposition as of" date is null if a null period is given. */
+    @Test
+    public void testCalculateAsOfDate_nullPeriod()
+    {
+        DispositionActionDefinition mockDispositionActionDefinition = mock(DispositionActionDefinition.class);
+        when(mockDispositionActionDefinition.getPeriod()).thenReturn(null);
+
+        // Call the method under test.
+        Date asOfDate = dispositionService.calculateAsOfDate(CONTENT_NODE_REF, mockDispositionActionDefinition, true);
+
+        assertNull("It should not be possible to determine the 'as of' date.", asOfDate);
+    }
+}