diff --git a/nixos/tests/gitlab.nix b/nixos/tests/gitlab.nix
index 16e0dd723ec..ac733461932 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/gitlab.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/gitlab.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # This test runs gitlab and checks if it works
 
+let
+  initialRootPassword = "notproduction";
+in
 import ./make-test.nix ({ pkgs, lib, ...} : with lib; {
   name = "gitlab";
   meta = with pkgs.stdenv.lib.maintainers; {
@@ -27,7 +30,7 @@ import ./make-test.nix ({ pkgs, lib, ...} : with lib; {
       services.gitlab = {
         enable = true;
         databasePassword = "dbPassword";
-        initialRootPassword = "notproduction";
+        inherit initialRootPassword;
         smtp.enable = true;
         secrets = {
           secret = "secret";
@@ -69,7 +72,27 @@ import ./make-test.nix ({ pkgs, lib, ...} : with lib; {
     };
   };
 
-  testScript = ''
+  testScript =
+  let
+    auth = pkgs.writeText "auth.json" (builtins.toJSON {
+      grant_type = "password";
+      username = "root";
+      password = initialRootPassword;
+    });
+
+    createProject = pkgs.writeText "create-project.json" (builtins.toJSON {
+      name = "test";
+    });
+
+    putFile = pkgs.writeText "put-file.json" (builtins.toJSON {
+      branch = "master";
+      author_email = "author@example.com";
+      author_name = "Firstname Lastname";
+      content = "some content";
+      commit_message = "create a new file";
+    });
+  in
+  ''
     $gitlab->start();
     $gitlab->waitForUnit("gitaly.service");
     $gitlab->waitForUnit("gitlab-workhorse.service");
@@ -78,6 +101,13 @@ import ./make-test.nix ({ pkgs, lib, ...} : with lib; {
     $gitlab->waitForFile("/var/gitlab/state/tmp/sockets/gitlab.socket");
     $gitlab->waitUntilSucceeds("curl -sSf http://gitlab/users/sign_in");
     $gitlab->succeed("curl -isSf http://gitlab  | grep -i location | grep -q http://gitlab/users/sign_in");
-    $gitlab->succeed("${pkgs.sudo}/bin/sudo -u gitlab -H gitlab-rake gitlab:check 1>&2")
+    $gitlab->succeed("${pkgs.sudo}/bin/sudo -u gitlab -H gitlab-rake gitlab:check 1>&2");
+    $gitlab->succeed("echo \"Authorization: Bearer \$(curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d @${auth} http://gitlab/oauth/token | ${pkgs.jq}/bin/jq -r '.access_token')\" >/tmp/headers");
+    $gitlab->succeed("curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H @/tmp/headers -d @${createProject} http://gitlab/api/v4/projects");
+    $gitlab->succeed("curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H @/tmp/headers -d @${putFile} http://gitlab/api/v4/projects/1/repository/files/some-file.txt");
+    $gitlab->succeed("curl -H @/tmp/headers http://gitlab/api/v4/projects/1/repository/archive.tar.gz > /tmp/archive.tar.gz");
+    $gitlab->succeed("curl -H @/tmp/headers http://gitlab/api/v4/projects/1/repository/archive.tar.bz2 > /tmp/archive.tar.bz2");
+    $gitlab->succeed("test -s /tmp/archive.tar.gz");
+    $gitlab->succeed("test -s /tmp/archive.tar.bz2");
   '';
 })