diff --git a/system/lib.py b/system/lib.py
index d0240f6a..928109f2 100644
--- a/system/lib.py
+++ b/system/lib.py
@@ -270,6 +270,14 @@ class BaseTest(object):
         if a != b:
             self.verify_match(a, b, match_prepare=pprint.pformat)
 
+    def check_ge(self, a, b):
+        if not a >= b:
+            raise Exception("%s is not greater or equal to %s" % (a, b))
+
+    def check_gt(self, a, b):
+        if not a > b:
+            raise Exception("%s is not greater to %s" % (a, b))
+
     def check_in(self, item, l):
         if not item in l:
             raise Exception("item %r not in %r", item, l)
diff --git a/system/t12_api/graph.py b/system/t12_api/graph.py
index 2f2a9f10..0bd1e3a4 100644
--- a/system/t12_api/graph.py
+++ b/system/t12_api/graph.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from api_lib import APITest
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 
 
 class GraphAPITest(APITest):
@@ -15,3 +16,20 @@ class GraphAPITest(APITest):
         resp = self.get("/api/graph.svg")
         self.check_equal(resp.headers["Content-Type"], "image/svg+xml")
         self.check_equal(resp.content[:4], '<?xm')
+
+        # make sure our default layout is horizontal
+        default = self.get("/api/graph.svg").content
+        horizontal = self.get("/api/graph.svg?layout=horizontal").content
+        self.check_equal(default, horizontal)
+
+        # basic test of layout:
+        # horizontal should be wider than vertical
+        # vertical should be higher than horizontal
+        vertical = self.get("/api/graph.svg?layout=vertical").content
+        svgHWidth = ET.fromstring(horizontal).get('width').replace("pt","")
+        svgHHeight = ET.fromstring(horizontal).get('height').replace("pt","")
+        svgVWidth = ET.fromstring(vertical).get('width').replace("pt","")
+        svgVHeight = ET.fromstring(vertical).get('height').replace("pt","")
+
+        self.check_gt(svgHWidth, svgVWidth)
+        self.check_gt(svgVHeight, svgHHeight)