diff --git a/Lib/test/test_poplib.py b/Lib/test/test_poplib.py
index 18ed224..ad4b8d3 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_poplib.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_poplib.py
@@ -1,43 +1,279 @@
-import socket
-import threading
+"""Test script for poplib module."""
+
+# Modified by Giampaolo Rodola' to give poplib.POP3 and poplib.POP3_SSL
+# a real test suite
+
 import poplib
+import threading
+import asyncore
+import asynchat
+import socket
+import os
 import time
 
 from unittest import TestCase
 from test import test_support
+from test.test_support import HOST
 
-HOST = test_support.HOST
 
-def server(evt, serv):
-    serv.listen(5)
-    try:
-        conn, addr = serv.accept()
-    except socket.timeout:
-        pass
-    else:
-        conn.send("+ Hola mundo\n")
-        conn.close()
-    finally:
-        serv.close()
-        evt.set()
+# the dummy data returned by server when LIST and RETR commands are issued
+LIST_RESP = '1 1\r\n2 2\r\n3 3\r\n4 4\r\n5 5\r\n.\r\n'
+RETR_RESP = """From: postmaster@python.org\
+\r\nContent-Type: text/plain\r\n\
+MIME-Version: 1.0\r\n\
+Subject: Dummy\r\n\
+\r\n\
+line1\r\n\
+line2\r\n\
+line3\r\n\
+.\r\n"""
 
-class GeneralTests(TestCase):
+
+class DummyPOP3Handler(asynchat.async_chat):
+
+    def __init__(self, conn):
+        asynchat.async_chat.__init__(self, conn)
+        self.set_terminator("\r\n")
+        self.in_buffer = []
+        self.push('+OK dummy pop3 server ready.')
+
+    def collect_incoming_data(self, data):
+        self.in_buffer.append(data)
+
+    def found_terminator(self):
+        line = ''.join(self.in_buffer)
+        self.in_buffer = []
+        cmd = line.split(' ')[0].lower()
+        space = line.find(' ')
+        if space != -1:
+            arg = line[space + 1:]
+        else:
+            arg = ""
+        if hasattr(self, 'cmd_' + cmd):
+            method = getattr(self, 'cmd_' + cmd)
+            method(arg)
+        else:
+            self.push('-ERR unrecognized POP3 command "%s".' %cmd)
+
+    def handle_error(self):
+        raise
+
+    def push(self, data):
+        asynchat.async_chat.push(self, data + '\r\n')
+
+    def cmd_echo(self, arg):
+        # sends back the received string (used by the test suite)
+        self.push(arg)
+
+    def cmd_user(self, arg):
+        if arg != "guido":
+            self.push("-ERR no such user")
+        self.push('+OK password required')
+
+    def cmd_pass(self, arg):
+        if arg != "python":
+            self.push("-ERR wrong password")
+        self.push('+OK 10 messages')
+
+    def cmd_stat(self, arg):
+        self.push('+OK 10 100')
+
+    def cmd_list(self, arg):
+        if arg:
+            self.push('+OK %s %s' %(arg, arg))
+        else:
+            self.push('+OK')
+            asynchat.async_chat.push(self, LIST_RESP)
+
+    cmd_uidl = cmd_list
+
+    def cmd_retr(self, arg):
+        self.push('+OK %s bytes' %len(RETR_RESP))
+        asynchat.async_chat.push(self, RETR_RESP)
+
+    cmd_top = cmd_retr
+
+    def cmd_dele(self, arg):
+        self.push('+OK message marked for deletion.')
+
+    def cmd_noop(self, arg):
+        self.push('+OK done nothing.')
+
+    def cmd_rpop(self, arg):
+        self.push('+OK done nothing.')
+
+
+class DummyPOP3Server(asyncore.dispatcher, threading.Thread):
+
+    handler = DummyPOP3Handler
+
+    def __init__(self, address, af=socket.AF_INET):
+        threading.Thread.__init__(self)
+        asyncore.dispatcher.__init__(self)
+        self.create_socket(af, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+        self.bind(address)
+        self.listen(5)
+        self.active = False
+        self.active_lock = threading.Lock()
+        self.host, self.port = self.socket.getsockname()[:2]
+
+    def start(self):
+        assert not self.active
+        self.__flag = threading.Event()
+        threading.Thread.start(self)
+        self.__flag.wait()
+
+    def run(self):
+        self.active = True
+        self.__flag.set()
+        while self.active and asyncore.socket_map:
+            self.active_lock.acquire()
+            asyncore.loop(timeout=0.1, count=1)
+            self.active_lock.release()
+        asyncore.close_all(ignore_all=True)
+
+    def stop(self):
+        assert self.active
+        self.active = False
+        self.join()
+
+    def handle_accept(self):
+        conn, addr = self.accept()
+        self.handler = self.handler(conn)
+        self.close()
+
+    def handle_connect(self):
+        self.close()
+    handle_read = handle_connect
+
+    def writable(self):
+        return 0
+
+    def handle_error(self):
+        raise
+
+
+class TestPOP3Class(TestCase):
+
+    def assertOK(self, resp):
+        self.assertTrue(resp.startswith("+OK"))
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.server = DummyPOP3Server((HOST, 0))
+        self.server.start()
+        self.client = poplib.POP3(self.server.host, self.server.port)
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        self.client.quit()
+        self.server.stop()
+
+    def test_getwelcome(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.client.getwelcome(), '+OK dummy pop3 server ready.')
+
+    def test_exceptions(self):
+        self.assertRaises(poplib.error_proto, self.client._shortcmd, 'echo -err')
+
+    def test_user(self):
+        self.assertOK(self.client.user('guido'))
+        self.assertRaises(poplib.error_proto, self.client.user, 'invalid')
+
+    def test_pass_(self):
+        self.assertOK(self.client.pass_('python'))
+        self.assertRaises(poplib.error_proto, self.client.user, 'invalid')
+
+    def test_stat(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.client.stat(), (10, 100))
+
+    def test_list(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.client.list()[1:],
+                         (['1 1', '2 2', '3 3', '4 4', '5 5'], 25))
+        self.assertTrue(self.client.list('1').endswith("OK 1 1"))
+
+    def test_retr(self):
+        expected = ('+OK 116 bytes',
+                    ['From: postmaster@python.org', 'Content-Type: text/plain',
+                     'MIME-Version: 1.0', 'Subject: Dummy',
+                     '', 'line1', 'line2', 'line3'],
+                    113)
+        self.assertEqual(self.client.retr('foo'), expected)
+
+    def test_dele(self):
+        self.assertOK(self.client.dele('foo'))
+
+    def test_noop(self):
+        self.assertOK(self.client.noop())
+
+    def test_rpop(self):
+        self.assertOK(self.client.rpop('foo'))
+
+    def test_top(self):
+        expected =  ('+OK 116 bytes',
+                     ['From: postmaster@python.org', 'Content-Type: text/plain',
+                      'MIME-Version: 1.0', 'Subject: Dummy', '',
+                      'line1', 'line2', 'line3'],
+                     113)
+        self.assertEqual(self.client.top(1, 1), expected)
+
+    def test_uidl(self):
+        self.client.uidl()
+        self.client.uidl('foo')
+
+
+SUPPORTS_SSL = False
+if hasattr(poplib, 'POP3_SSL'):
+    import ssl
+
+    SUPPORTS_SSL = True
+    CERTFILE = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__) or os.curdir, "keycert.pem")
+
+    class DummyPOP3_SSLHandler(DummyPOP3Handler):
+
+        def __init__(self, conn):
+            asynchat.async_chat.__init__(self, conn)
+            self.socket = ssl.wrap_socket(self.socket, certfile=CERTFILE,
+                                          server_side=True)
+            self.set_terminator("\r\n")
+            self.in_buffer = []
+            self.push('+OK dummy pop3 server ready.')
+
+    class TestPOP3_SSLClass(TestPOP3Class):
+        # repeat previous tests by using poplib.POP3_SSL
+
+        def setUp(self):
+            self.server = DummyPOP3Server((HOST, 0))
+            self.server.handler = DummyPOP3_SSLHandler
+            self.server.start()
+            self.client = poplib.POP3_SSL(self.server.host, self.server.port)
+
+        def test__all__(self):
+            self.assert_('POP3_SSL' in poplib.__all__)
+
+
+class TestTimeouts(TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
         self.evt = threading.Event()
         self.sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
         self.sock.settimeout(3)
         self.port = test_support.bind_port(self.sock)
-        threading.Thread(target=server, args=(self.evt,self.sock)).start()
+        threading.Thread(target=self.server, args=(self.evt,self.sock)).start()
         time.sleep(.1)
 
     def tearDown(self):
         self.evt.wait()
 
-    def testBasic(self):
-        # connects
-        pop = poplib.POP3(HOST, self.port)
-        pop.sock.close()
+    def server(self, evt, serv):
+        serv.listen(5)
+        try:
+            conn, addr = serv.accept()
+        except socket.timeout:
+            pass
+        else:
+            conn.send("+ Hola mundo\n")
+            conn.close()
+        finally:
+            serv.close()
+            evt.set()
 
     def testTimeoutDefault(self):
         self.assertTrue(socket.getdefaulttimeout() is None)
@@ -65,8 +301,16 @@
         pop.sock.close()
 
 
-def test_main(verbose=None):
-    test_support.run_unittest(GeneralTests)
+def test_main():
+    tests = [TestPOP3Class, TestTimeouts]
+    if SUPPORTS_SSL:
+        tests.append(TestPOP3_SSLClass)
+    thread_info = test_support.threading_setup()
+    try:
+        test_support.run_unittest(*tests)
+    finally:
+        test_support.threading_cleanup(*thread_info)
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     test_main()