diff --git a/go/vt/topo/topotests/shard_watch_test.go b/go/vt/topo/topotests/shard_watch_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bdc2eab1db9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go/vt/topo/topotests/shard_watch_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,260 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2019 The Vitess Authors
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreedto in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package topotests
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/golang/protobuf/proto"
+	"golang.org/x/net/context"
+	topodatapb "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/topodata"
+	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/topo"
+	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/topo/memorytopo"
+)
+
+// waitForInitialShard waits for the initial Shard to appear.
+func waitForInitialShard(t *testing.T, ts *topo.Server, keyspace, shard string) (current *topo.WatchShardData, changes <-chan *topo.WatchShardData, cancel topo.CancelFunc) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	start := time.Now()
+	for {
+		current, changes, cancel = ts.WatchShard(ctx, keyspace, shard)
+		switch {
+		case topo.IsErrType(current.Err, topo.NoNode):
+			// hasn't appeared yet
+			if time.Since(start) > 10*time.Second {
+				t.Fatalf("time out waiting for file to appear")
+			}
+			time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+			continue
+		case current.Err == nil:
+			return
+		default:
+			t.Fatalf("watch failed: %v", current.Err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWatchShardNoNode(t *testing.T) {
+	keyspace := "ks1"
+	shard := "0"
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ts := memorytopo.NewServer("cell1")
+
+	// No Shard -> ErrNoNode
+	current, _, _ := ts.WatchShard(ctx, keyspace, shard)
+	if !topo.IsErrType(current.Err, topo.NoNode) {
+		t.Errorf("Got invalid result from WatchShard(not there): %v", current.Err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWatchShard(t *testing.T) {
+	cell := "cell1"
+	keyspace := "ks1"
+	shard := "0"
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ts := memorytopo.NewServer(cell)
+
+	// Create keyspace
+	if err := ts.CreateKeyspace(ctx, keyspace, &topodatapb.Keyspace{}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateKeyspace %v failed: %v", keyspace, err)
+	}
+
+	// Create initial value
+	if err := ts.CreateShard(ctx, keyspace, shard); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Create(/keyspaces/ks1/shards/0/Shard) failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Starting the watch should now work, and return an empty
+	// Shard.
+	// Shards are always created with IsMasterServing true
+	wanted := &topodatapb.Shard{IsMasterServing: true}
+	current, changes, cancel := waitForInitialShard(t, ts, keyspace, shard)
+	if !proto.Equal(current.Value, wanted) {
+		t.Fatalf("got bad data: %v expected: %v", current.Value, wanted)
+	}
+
+	// Update the value with good data, wait until we see it
+	wanted.IsMasterServing = false
+	if _, err := ts.UpdateShardFields(ctx, keyspace, shard, func(si *topo.ShardInfo) error {
+		si.IsMasterServing = false
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Update(/keyspaces/ks1/shards/0/Shard) failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	for {
+		wd, ok := <-changes
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatalf("watch channel unexpectedly closed")
+		}
+		if wd.Err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("watch channel unexpectedly got error: %v", wd.Err)
+		}
+		if proto.Equal(wd.Value, wanted) {
+			break
+		}
+		if proto.Equal(wd.Value, &topodatapb.Shard{}) {
+			t.Log("got duplicate empty value, skipping.")
+		}
+		t.Fatalf("got bad data: %v expected: %v", wd.Value, wanted)
+	}
+
+	conn, err := ts.ConnForCell(ctx, "global")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ConnForCell failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Update the value with bad data, wait until error.
+	if _, err := conn.Update(ctx, "/keyspaces/"+keyspace+"/shards/"+shard+"/Shard", []byte("BAD PROTO DATA"), nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Update(/keyspaces/ks1/shards/0/Shard) failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	for {
+		wd, ok := <-changes
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatalf("watch channel unexpectedly closed")
+		}
+		if wd.Err != nil {
+			if strings.Contains(wd.Err.Error(), "error unpacking Shard object") {
+				break
+			}
+			t.Fatalf("watch channel unexpectedly got unknown error: %v", wd.Err)
+		}
+		if !proto.Equal(wd.Value, wanted) {
+			t.Fatalf("got bad data: %v expected: %v", wd.Value, wanted)
+		}
+		t.Log("got duplicate right value, skipping.")
+	}
+
+	// Cancel should still work here, although it does nothing.
+	cancel()
+
+	// Bad data in topo, setting the watch should now fail.
+	current, _, _ = ts.WatchShard(ctx, keyspace, shard)
+	if current.Err == nil || !strings.Contains(current.Err.Error(), "error unpacking initial Shard object") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected an initial error setting watch on bad content, but got: %v", current.Err)
+	}
+
+	data, err := proto.Marshal(wanted)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error marshalling proto data: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Update content, wait until Watch works again
+	if _, err := conn.Update(ctx, "/keyspaces/"+keyspace+"/shards/"+shard+"/Shard", data, nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Update(/keyspaces/ks1/shards/0/Shard) failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	start := time.Now()
+	for {
+		current, changes, _ = ts.WatchShard(ctx, keyspace, shard)
+		if current.Err != nil {
+			if strings.Contains(current.Err.Error(), "error unpacking initial Shard object") {
+				// hasn't changed yet
+				if time.Since(start) > 10*time.Second {
+					t.Fatalf("time out waiting for file to appear")
+				}
+				time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+				continue
+			}
+			t.Fatalf("got unexpected error while setting watch: %v", err)
+		}
+		if !proto.Equal(current.Value, wanted) {
+			t.Fatalf("got bad data: %v expected: %v", current.Value, wanted)
+		}
+		break
+	}
+
+	// Delete node, wait for error (skip any duplicate).
+	if err := ts.DeleteShard(ctx, keyspace, shard); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("DeleteShard() failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	for {
+		wd, ok := <-changes
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatalf("watch channel unexpectedly closed")
+		}
+		if topo.IsErrType(wd.Err, topo.NoNode) {
+			break
+		}
+		if wd.Err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("watch channel unexpectedly got unknown error: %v", wd.Err)
+		}
+		if !proto.Equal(wd.Value, wanted) {
+			t.Fatalf("got bad data: %v expected: %v", wd.Value, wanted)
+		}
+		t.Log("got duplicate right value, skipping.")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWatchShardCancel(t *testing.T) {
+	cell := "cell1"
+	keyspace := "ks1"
+	shard := "0"
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ts := memorytopo.NewServer(cell)
+
+	// No Shard -> ErrNoNode
+	current, _, _ := ts.WatchShard(ctx, keyspace, shard)
+	if !topo.IsErrType(current.Err, topo.NoNode) {
+		t.Errorf("Got invalid result from WatchShard(not there): %v", current.Err)
+	}
+
+	// Create keyspace
+	if err := ts.CreateKeyspace(ctx, keyspace, &topodatapb.Keyspace{}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateKeyspace %v failed: %v", keyspace, err)
+	}
+
+	// Create initial value
+	if err := ts.CreateShard(ctx, keyspace, shard); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Create(/keyspaces/ks1/shards/0/Shard) failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	wanted := &topodatapb.Shard{
+		IsMasterServing: false,
+	}
+	if _, err := ts.UpdateShardFields(ctx, keyspace, shard, func(si *topo.ShardInfo) error {
+		si.IsMasterServing = false
+		return nil
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("UpdateShardFields() failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Starting the watch should now work.
+	current, changes, cancel := waitForInitialShard(t, ts, keyspace, shard)
+	if !proto.Equal(current.Value, wanted) {
+		t.Fatalf("got bad data: %v expected: %v", current.Value, wanted)
+	}
+
+	// Cancel watch, wait for error.
+	cancel()
+	for {
+		wd, ok := <-changes
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatalf("watch channel unexpectedly closed")
+		}
+		if topo.IsErrType(wd.Err, topo.Interrupted) {
+			break
+		}
+		if wd.Err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("watch channel unexpectedly got unknown error: %v", wd.Err)
+		}
+		if !proto.Equal(wd.Value, wanted) {
+			t.Fatalf("got bad data: %v expected: %v", wd.Value, wanted)
+		}
+		t.Log("got duplicate right value, skipping.")
+	}
+
+	// Cancel should still work here, although it does nothing.
+	cancel()
+}