diff --git a/test/Makefile.am b/test/Makefile.am
index 5db81f1f..0d1613f0 100644
--- a/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/Makefile.am
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	test_colour.py \
 	test_create.py \
 	test_draw.py \
+	test_cum.py \
 	test_convolution.py \
 	test_conversion.py 
 
diff --git a/test/test_histogram.py b/test/test_histogram.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..6a60c0b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_histogram.py
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+
+import unittest
+import math
+
+#import logging
+#logging.basicConfig(level = logging.DEBUG)
+
+from gi.repository import Vips 
+
+# an expanding zip ... if either of the args is a scalar or a one-element list,
+# duplicate it down the other side 
+def zip_expand(x, y):
+    # handle singleton list case
+    if isinstance(x, list) and len(x) == 1:
+        x = x[0]
+    if isinstance(y, list) and len(y) == 1:
+        y = y[0]
+
+    if isinstance(x, list) and isinstance(y, list):
+        return list(zip(x, y))
+    elif isinstance(x, list):
+        return [[i, y] for i in x]
+    elif isinstance(y, list):
+        return [[x, j] for j in y]
+    else:
+        return [[x, y]]
+
+class TestHistogram(unittest.TestCase):
+    # test a pair of things which can be lists for approx. equality
+    def assertAlmostEqualObjects(self, a, b, places = 4, msg = ''):
+        # print 'assertAlmostEqualObjects %s = %s' % (a, b)
+        for x, y in zip_expand(a, b):
+            self.assertAlmostEqual(x, y, places = places, msg = msg)
+
+    def test_hist_cum(self):
+        im = Vips.Image.identity()
+
+        sum = im.avg() * 256
+
+        cum = im.hist_cum()
+
+        p = cum.getpoint(255, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(p[0], sum)
+
+    def test_hist_equal(self):
+        im = Vips.Image.new_from_file("images/IMG_4618.jpg")
+
+        im2 = im.hist_equal()
+
+        self.assertEqual(im.width, im2.width)
+        self.assertEqual(im.height, im2.height)
+
+        self.assertTrue(im.avg() < im2.avg())
+        self.assertTrue(im.deviate() < im2.deviate())
+
+    def test_hist_ismonotonic(self):
+        im = Vips.Image.identity()
+        self.assertTrue(im.hist_ismonotonic())
+
+    def test_hist_local(self):
+        im = Vips.Image.new_from_file("images/IMG_4618.jpg")
+
+        im2 = im.hist_local(10, 10)
+
+        self.assertEqual(im.width, im2.width)
+        self.assertEqual(im.height, im2.height)
+
+        self.assertTrue(im.avg() < im2.avg())
+        self.assertTrue(im.deviate() < im2.deviate())
+
+    def test_hist_match(self):
+        im = Vips.Image.identity()
+        im2 = Vips.Image.identity()
+
+        matched = im.hist_match(im2)
+
+        self.assertEqual((im - matched).abs().max(), 0.0)
+
+    def test_hist_norm(self):
+        im = Vips.Image.identity()
+        im2 = im.hist_norm()
+
+        self.assertEqual((im - im2).abs().max(), 0.0)
+
+    def test_hist_plot(self):
+        im = Vips.Image.identity()
+        im2 = im.hist_plot()
+
+        self.assertEqual(im2.width, 256)
+        self.assertEqual(im2.height, 256)
+        self.assertEqual(im2.format, Vips.BandFormat.UCHAR)
+        self.assertEqual(im2.bands, 1)
+
+    def test_hist_map(self):
+        im = Vips.Image.identity()
+
+        im2 = im.maplut(im)
+
+        self.assertEqual((im - im2).abs().max(), 0.0)
+
+    def test_hist_map(self):
+        im = Vips.Image.new_from_file("images/IMG_4618.jpg").extract_band(1)
+
+        pc = im.percent(90)
+
+        msk = im <= pc
+        n_set = (msk.avg() * msk.width * msk.height) / 255.0
+        pc_set = 100 * n_set / (msk.width * msk.height)
+
+        self.assertAlmostEqual(pc_set, 90, places = 0)
+
+    def test_stdif(self):
+        im = Vips.Image.new_from_file("images/IMG_4618.jpg")
+
+        im2 = im.stdif(10, 10)
+
+        self.assertEqual(im.width, im2.width)
+        self.assertEqual(im.height, im2.height)
+
+        self.assertTrue(im.avg() < im2.avg())
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/test/test_python.sh b/test/test_python.sh
index 81021e4d..699c3db7 100755
--- a/test/test_python.sh
+++ b/test/test_python.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ python2 test_colour.py
 python2 test_conversion.py 
 python2 test_convolution.py 
 python2 test_create.py
+python2 test_draw.py
+python2 test_histogram.py
 
 echo "testing with python3 ..."
 
@@ -23,3 +25,5 @@ python3 test_arithmetic.py
 python3 test_conversion.py
 python3 test_convolution.py 
 python3 test_create.py
+python3 test_draw.py
+python3 test_histogram.py