diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/view.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/view.py
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/view.py
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+##############################################################################
+# Copyright (c) 2013-2017, Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC.
+# Produced at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
+#
+# This file is part of Spack.
+# Created by Todd Gamblin, tgamblin@llnl.gov, All rights reserved.
+# LLNL-CODE-647188
+#
+# For details, see https://github.com/llnl/spack
+# Please also see the NOTICE and LICENSE files for our notice and the LGPL.
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License (as
+# published by the Free Software Foundation) version 2.1, February 1999.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the terms and
+# conditions of the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+# License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+# Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
+##############################################################################
+from spack.main import SpackCommand
+
+activate = SpackCommand('activate')
+extensions = SpackCommand('extensions')
+install = SpackCommand('install')
+view = SpackCommand('view')
+
+
+def test_view_extension(
+        tmpdir, builtin_mock, mock_archive, mock_fetch, config,
+        install_mockery):
+    install('extendee')
+    install('extension1@1.0')
+    install('extension1@2.0')
+    install('extension2@1.0')
+    viewpath = str(tmpdir.mkdir('view'))
+    view('symlink', viewpath, 'extension1@1.0')
+    all_installed = extensions('--show', 'installed', 'extendee')
+    assert 'extension1@1.0' in all_installed
+    assert 'extension1@2.0' in all_installed
+    assert 'extension2@1.0' in all_installed
+    global_activated = extensions('--show', 'activated', 'extendee')
+    assert 'extension1@1.0' not in global_activated
+    assert 'extension1@2.0' not in global_activated
+    assert 'extension2@1.0' not in global_activated
+    view_activated = extensions('--show', 'activated',
+                                '-v', viewpath,
+                                'extendee')
+    assert 'extension1@1.0' in view_activated
+    assert 'extension1@2.0' not in view_activated
+    assert 'extension2@1.0' not in view_activated
+
+
+def test_view_extension_global_activation(
+        tmpdir, builtin_mock, mock_archive, mock_fetch, config,
+        install_mockery):
+    install('extendee')
+    install('extension1@1.0')
+    install('extension1@2.0')
+    install('extension2@1.0')
+    viewpath = str(tmpdir.mkdir('view'))
+    view('symlink', viewpath, 'extension1@1.0')
+    activate('extension1@2.0')
+    activate('extension2@1.0')
+    all_installed = extensions('--show', 'installed', 'extendee')
+    assert 'extension1@1.0' in all_installed
+    assert 'extension1@2.0' in all_installed
+    assert 'extension2@1.0' in all_installed
+    global_activated = extensions('--show', 'activated', 'extendee')
+    assert 'extension1@1.0' not in global_activated
+    assert 'extension1@2.0' in global_activated
+    assert 'extension2@1.0' in global_activated
+    view_activated = extensions('--show', 'activated',
+                                '-v', viewpath,
+                                'extendee')
+    assert 'extension1@1.0' in view_activated
+    assert 'extension1@2.0' not in view_activated
+    assert 'extension2@1.0' not in view_activated