diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/caching/test/SlowContentStore.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/caching/test/SlowContentStore.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b1a4752b05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/caching/test/SlowContentStore.java
@@ -0,0 +1,229 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005-2011 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.repo.content.caching.test;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+import java.nio.channels.ReadableByteChannel;
+import java.nio.channels.WritableByteChannel;
+
+import org.alfresco.repo.content.AbstractContentReader;
+import org.alfresco.repo.content.AbstractContentStore;
+import org.alfresco.repo.content.AbstractContentWriter;
+import org.alfresco.repo.content.filestore.FileContentStore;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.ContentIOException;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.ContentReader;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.ContentWriter;
+
+/**
+ * Package-private class - only for testing the CachingContentStore.
+ * 
+ * @author Matt Ward
+ */
+class SlowContentStore extends AbstractContentStore
+{
+
+    /*
+     * @see org.alfresco.repo.content.ContentStore#isWriteSupported()
+     */
+    @Override
+    public boolean isWriteSupported()
+    {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    /*
+     * @see org.alfresco.repo.content.ContentStore#getReader(java.lang.String)
+     */
+    @Override
+    public ContentReader getReader(String contentUrl)
+    {
+        return new SlowReader(contentUrl);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected ContentWriter getWriterInternal(ContentReader existingContentReader, String newContentUrl)
+    {
+        if (newContentUrl == null)
+            newContentUrl = FileContentStore.createNewFileStoreUrl() + ".slow";
+        
+        return new SlowWriter(newContentUrl, existingContentReader);
+    }
+    
+    
+    @Override
+    public boolean exists(String contentUrl)
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    private class SlowWriter extends AbstractContentWriter
+    {
+        protected SlowWriter(String contentUrl, ContentReader existingContentReader)
+        {
+            super(contentUrl, existingContentReader);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public long getSize()
+        {
+            return 20;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        protected ContentReader createReader() throws ContentIOException
+        {
+            return new SlowReader(getContentUrl());
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        protected WritableByteChannel getDirectWritableChannel() throws ContentIOException
+        {
+            return new WritableByteChannel()
+            {
+                private boolean closed = false;
+                private int left = 200;
+                
+                @Override
+                public boolean isOpen()
+                {
+                    return !closed;
+                }
+                
+                @Override
+                public void close() throws IOException
+                {
+                    closed = true;
+                }
+                
+                @Override
+                public int write(ByteBuffer src) throws IOException
+                {
+                    try
+                    {
+                        Thread.sleep(50);
+                    }
+                    catch (InterruptedException error)
+                    {
+                        throw new RuntimeException(error);
+                    }
+                    
+                    if (left > 0)
+                    {                        
+                        src.get();
+                        left--;
+                        return 1;
+                    }
+                    return 0;
+                }
+            };
+        }
+        
+    }
+    
+   
+    private class SlowReader extends AbstractContentReader
+    {
+        protected SlowReader(String contentUrl)
+        {
+            super(contentUrl);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean exists()
+        {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public long getLastModified()
+        {
+            return 0L;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public long getSize()
+        {
+            return 20;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        protected ContentReader createReader() throws ContentIOException
+        {
+            return new SlowReader(getContentUrl());
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        protected ReadableByteChannel getDirectReadableChannel() throws ContentIOException
+        {
+            return new ReadableByteChannel()
+            {
+                private final byte[] content = "This is the content for my slow ReadableByteChannel".getBytes();
+                private int index = 0;
+                private boolean closed = false;
+                
+                @Override
+                public boolean isOpen()
+                {
+                    return !closed;
+                }
+                
+                @Override
+                public void close() throws IOException
+                {
+                    closed = true;
+                }
+                
+                @Override
+                public int read(ByteBuffer dst) throws IOException
+                {
+                    if (index < content.length)
+                    {
+                        try
+                        {
+                            Thread.sleep(50);
+                        }
+                        catch (InterruptedException error)
+                        {
+                            throw new RuntimeException(error);
+                        }
+                        dst.put(content[index++]);
+                        return 1;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        return 0;
+                    }
+                }
+            };
+        }
+        
+    }
+    
+    
+    public static void main(String[] args)
+    {
+        SlowContentStore scs = new SlowContentStore();
+        
+        ContentReader reader = scs.getReader("store://something/bin");
+        String content = reader.getContentString();
+        System.out.println("Content: " + content);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/caching/test/SlowContentStoreTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/caching/test/SlowContentStoreTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bcc3fae181
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/caching/test/SlowContentStoreTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005-2011 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.repo.content.caching.test;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
+import org.alfresco.repo.content.ContentContext;
+import org.alfresco.repo.content.caching.CachingContentStore;
+import org.alfresco.util.ApplicationContextHelper;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;
+
+/**
+ * Tests that exercise the CachingContentStore in conjunction with a backing store
+ * that runs deliberately slowly.
+ * 
+ * @author Matt Ward
+ */
+public class SlowContentStoreTest
+{
+    private ClassPathXmlApplicationContext ctx;
+    private CachingContentStore cachingStore;
+    private static final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(SlowContentStoreTest.class);
+    
+    
+    public SlowContentStoreTest()
+    {
+        String conf = "classpath:cachingstore/test-context.xml";
+        String slowconf = "classpath:cachingstore/test-slow-context.xml";
+        ctx = (ClassPathXmlApplicationContext) ApplicationContextHelper.getApplicationContext(new String[] { conf, slowconf });    
+        cachingStore = (CachingContentStore) ctx.getBean("cachingContentStore");
+        cachingStore.setCacheOnInbound(false);
+    }
+    
+    
+    @Test
+    public void readsAreFasterFromCache()
+    {
+        // First read will hit the SLOW backing store
+        TimedStoreReader storeReader = new TimedStoreReader();
+        storeReader.execute();
+        assertTrue("First read should take a while", storeReader.timeTakenMillis() > 1000);
+        logger.info(String.format("First read took %ds", storeReader.timeTakenMillis()));
+        // The content came from the slow backing store...
+        assertEquals("This is the content for my slow ReadableByteChannel", storeReader.content);
+        
+        // Subsequent reads will hit the cache
+        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
+        {
+            storeReader = new TimedStoreReader();
+            storeReader.execute();
+            assertTrue("Subsequent reads should be fast", storeReader.timeTakenMillis() < 100);
+            logger.info(String.format("Cache read took %ds", storeReader.timeTakenMillis()));
+            // The content came from the slow backing store, but was cached...
+            assertEquals("This is the content for my slow ReadableByteChannel", storeReader.content);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    
+    @Test
+    public void writeThroughCacheResultsInFastReadFirstTime()
+    {
+        cachingStore.setCacheOnInbound(true);
+
+        // This content will be cached on the way in
+        cachingStore.getWriter(new ContentContext(null, "any-url")).
+            putContent("Content written from " + getClass().getSimpleName());
+        
+        // First read will hit cache
+        TimedStoreReader storeReader = new TimedStoreReader();
+        storeReader.execute();
+        assertTrue("First read should be fast", storeReader.timeTakenMillis() < 100);
+        logger.info(String.format("First read took %ds", storeReader.timeTakenMillis()));
+        assertEquals("Content written from " + getClass().getSimpleName(), storeReader.content);
+        
+        // Subsequent reads will also hit the cache
+        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
+        {
+            storeReader = new TimedStoreReader();
+            storeReader.execute();
+            assertTrue("Subsequent reads should be fast", storeReader.timeTakenMillis() < 100);
+            logger.info(String.format("Cache read took %ds", storeReader.timeTakenMillis()));
+            // The original cached content, still cached...
+            assertEquals("Content written from " + getClass().getSimpleName(), storeReader.content);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    
+    private class TimedStoreReader extends TimedExecutor
+    {
+        String content;
+        
+        @Override
+        protected void doExecute()
+        {
+            content = cachingStore.getReader("any-url").getContentString();
+            logger.info("Read content: " + content);
+        }   
+    }
+    
+    private abstract class TimedExecutor
+    {
+        private long start;
+        private long finish;
+        
+        public void execute()
+        {
+            start = System.currentTimeMillis();
+            doExecute();
+            finish = System.currentTimeMillis();
+        }
+        
+        public long timeTakenMillis()
+        {
+            return finish - start;
+        }
+        
+        protected abstract void doExecute();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/source/test-resources/cachingstore/test-slow-context.xml b/source/test-resources/cachingstore/test-slow-context.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..512936c474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/test-resources/cachingstore/test-slow-context.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
+<!DOCTYPE beans PUBLIC '-//SPRING//DTD BEAN//EN' 'http://www.springframework.org/dtd/spring-beans.dtd'>
+
+<beans>
+
+    <bean id="backingStore" class="org.alfresco.repo.content.caching.test.SlowContentStore"/>
+
+</beans>