diff --git a/gnu/tests/desktop.scm b/gnu/tests/desktop.scm
index 6aa22fd49b..463fe7e08f 100644
--- a/gnu/tests/desktop.scm
+++ b/gnu/tests/desktop.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
 ;;; Copyright © 2017 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2021 muradm <mail@muradm.net>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -19,12 +20,15 @@
 (define-module (gnu tests desktop)
   #:use-module (gnu tests)
   #:use-module (gnu services)
+  #:use-module (gnu services base)
   #:use-module (gnu services dbus)
   #:use-module (gnu services desktop)
+  #:use-module (gnu system)
   #:use-module (gnu system vm)
   #:use-module (guix gexp)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-1)
-  #:export (%test-elogind))
+  #:export (%test-elogind
+            %test-minimal-desktop))
 
 
 ;;;
@@ -103,3 +107,187 @@
                #:imported-modules '((gnu services herd)
                                     (guix combinators)))))
       (run-elogind-test (virtual-machine os))))))
+
+
+;;;
+;;; Seatd/greetd based minimal desktop
+;;;
+
+(define %minimal-services
+  (append
+   (list
+    (service seatd-service-type)
+    (service greetd-service-type
+             (greetd-configuration
+              (terminals
+               (list
+                (greetd-terminal-configuration (terminal-vt "1") (terminal-switch #t))
+                (greetd-terminal-configuration (terminal-vt "2"))
+                (greetd-terminal-configuration (terminal-vt "3"))
+                (greetd-terminal-configuration (terminal-vt "4"))
+                (greetd-terminal-configuration (terminal-vt "5"))
+                (greetd-terminal-configuration (terminal-vt "6")))))))
+   (modify-services %base-services
+     (delete login-service-type)
+     (delete mingetty-service-type))))
+
+(define-syntax-rule (minimal-operating-system user-services ...)
+  "Return an operating system that includes USER-SERVICES in addition to
+minimal %BASE-SERVICES."
+  (operating-system (inherit %simple-os)
+                    (services (cons* user-services ... %minimal-services))))
+
+(define (run-minimal-desktop-test os vm)
+  (define test
+    (with-imported-modules '((gnu build marionette)
+                             (guix build syscalls))
+      #~(begin
+          (use-modules (gnu build marionette)
+                       (guix build syscalls)
+                       (srfi srfi-1)
+                       (srfi srfi-64)
+                       (ice-9 pretty-print))
+
+          (define marionette
+            (make-marionette #$vm))
+
+          (define (file-get-all-strings fname)
+            (marionette-eval '(use-modules (rnrs io ports)) marionette)
+            (wait-for-file fname marionette #:read 'get-string-all))
+
+          (define (wait-for-unix-socket-m socket)
+            (wait-for-unix-socket socket marionette))
+
+          (mkdir #$output)
+          (chdir #$output)
+
+          (test-begin "minimal-desktop")
+
+          (test-assert "seatd is ready"
+            (wait-for-unix-socket-m "/run/seatd.sock"))
+
+          (test-equal "login user on tty1"
+            "alice\n"
+            (begin
+              ;; Wait for tty1.
+              (marionette-eval
+               '(begin
+                  (use-modules (gnu services herd))
+                  (start-service 'term-tty1))
+               marionette)
+              (marionette-control "sendkey ctrl-alt-f1" marionette)
+
+              ;; login as root change alice password and exit
+              ;; then login as alice
+              (for-each
+               (lambda (cmd) (marionette-type cmd marionette) (sleep 1))
+               (list
+                "root\n"
+                "passwd alice\n"
+                "alice\n"
+                "alice\n"
+                "exit\n"
+                "alice\n"
+                "alice\n"
+                "id -un > logged-in\n"))
+
+              (file-get-all-strings "/home/alice/logged-in")))
+
+          (test-equal "validate user environment"
+            '("SEATD_SOCK=/run/seatd.sock"
+              "XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000"
+              "XDG_SEAT=seat0"
+              "XDG_VTNR=1")
+
+            (begin
+              (marionette-type "env > env\n" marionette)
+              (sleep 1)
+
+              (define user-env (string-tokenize
+                                (file-get-all-strings "/home/alice/env")))
+
+              (define (expected-var var)
+                (any (lambda (s) (string-contains var s))
+                     '("SEATD_SOCK"
+                       "XDG_RUNTIME_DIR"
+                       "XDG_SEAT"
+                       "XDG_VTNR")))
+
+              (sort (filter expected-var user-env) string<?)))
+
+          (test-assert "validate SEATD_SOCK and GREETD_SOCK"
+            (begin
+              (marionette-type "env > env\n" marionette)
+              (sleep 1)
+
+              (define (sock-var? var)
+                (any (lambda (s) (string-contains var s))
+                     '("SEATD_SOCK" "GREETD_SOCK")))
+
+              (define (sock-var-sock var)
+                (car (cdr (string-split var #\=))))
+
+              (let*
+                  ((out (file-get-all-strings "/home/alice/env"))
+                   (out (string-tokenize out))
+                   (out (filter sock-var? out))
+                   (socks (map sock-var-sock out))
+                   (socks (map wait-for-unix-socket-m socks)))
+                (and (= 2 (length socks)) (every identity socks)))))
+
+          (test-assert "greetd is ready"
+            (begin
+              (marionette-type "ps -C greetd -o pid,args --no-headers > ps-greetd\n"
+                               marionette)
+              (sleep 1)
+
+              (define (greetd-daemon? cmd)
+                (string-contains cmd "config"))
+
+              (define (greetd-cmd-to-pid cmd)
+                (car (string-split cmd #\space)))
+
+              (define (greetd-pid-to-sock pid)
+                (string-append "/run/greetd-" pid ".sock"))
+
+              (let* ((out (file-get-all-strings "/home/alice/ps-greetd"))
+                     (out (string-split out #\newline))
+                     (out (map string-trim-both out))
+                     (out (filter greetd-daemon? out))
+                     (pids (map greetd-cmd-to-pid out))
+                     (socks (map greetd-pid-to-sock pids))
+                     (socks (map wait-for-unix-socket-m socks)))
+                (every identity socks))))
+
+          ;; a bit weak, but tests everything at once actually
+          (test-equal "check /run/user/<uid> mounted and writable"
+            "alice\n"
+            (begin
+              (marionette-type "echo alice > /run/user/1000/test\n" marionette)
+              (file-get-all-strings "/run/user/1000/test")))
+
+          (test-assert "screendump"
+            (begin
+              (marionette-control (string-append "screendump " #$output
+                                                 "/tty1.ppm")
+                                  marionette)
+              (file-exists? "tty1.ppm")))
+
+          (test-end)
+          (exit (= (test-runner-fail-count (test-runner-current)) 0)))))
+
+  (gexp->derivation "minimal-desktop" test))
+
+(define %test-minimal-desktop
+  (system-test
+   (name "minimal-desktop")
+   (description
+    "Test whether we can log in when seatd and greetd is enabled")
+   (value
+    (let* ((os (marionette-operating-system
+                (minimal-operating-system)
+                #:imported-modules '((gnu services herd)
+                                     (guix combinators))))
+           (vm (virtual-machine os)))
+      (run-minimal-desktop-test (virtualized-operating-system os '())
+                                #~(list #$vm))))))
