diff --git a/backend/id_test.go b/backend/id_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ebccc927a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/id_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package backend_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/restic/restic/backend"
+)
+
+func TestID(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, test := range TestStrings {
+		id, err := backend.ParseID(test.id)
+		ok(t, err)
+
+		id2, err := backend.ParseID(test.id)
+		ok(t, err)
+		assert(t, id.Equal(id2), "ID.Equal() does not work as expected")
+
+		ret, err := id.EqualString(test.id)
+		ok(t, err)
+		assert(t, ret, "ID.EqualString() returned wrong value")
+
+		// test json marshalling
+		buf, err := id.MarshalJSON()
+		ok(t, err)
+		equals(t, "\""+test.id+"\"", string(buf))
+
+		var id3 backend.ID
+		err = id3.UnmarshalJSON(buf)
+		ok(t, err)
+		equals(t, id, id3)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/backend/interface.go b/backend/interface.go
index 76f96dd42..8eeb7bfe2 100644
--- a/backend/interface.go
+++ b/backend/interface.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ type Getter interface {
 
 type Creater interface {
 	Create(Type, []byte) (ID, error)
-	CreateFrom(Type, rd io.Reader) (ID, error)
+	CreateFrom(Type, io.Reader) (ID, error)
 }
 
 type Tester interface {
diff --git a/backend/local_test.go b/backend/local_test.go
index 2639d8ba3..7e085e62d 100644
--- a/backend/local_test.go
+++ b/backend/local_test.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ var TestStrings = []struct {
 	{"4e54d2c721cbdb730f01b10b62dec622962b36966ec685880effa63d71c808f2", "foo/../../baz"},
 }
 
-func setupBackend(t *testing.T) *backend.Local {
+func setupLocalBackend(t *testing.T) *backend.Local {
 	tempdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "restic-test-")
 	ok(t, err)
 
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func setupBackend(t *testing.T) *backend.Local {
 	return b
 }
 
-func teardownBackend(t *testing.T, b *backend.Local) {
+func teardownLocalBackend(t *testing.T, b *backend.Local) {
 	if !*testCleanup {
 		t.Logf("leaving local backend at %s\n", b.Location())
 		return
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func teardownBackend(t *testing.T, b *backend.Local) {
 	ok(t, b.Delete())
 }
 
-func testBackend(b *backend.Local, t *testing.T) {
+func testBackend(b backend.Backend, t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tpe := range []backend.Type{backend.Data, backend.Key, backend.Lock, backend.Snapshot, backend.Tree} {
 		// detect non-existing files
 		for _, test := range TestStrings {
@@ -152,15 +152,15 @@ func TestBackend(t *testing.T) {
 	assert(t, err != nil, "opening invalid repository at /invalid-restic-test should have failed, but err is nil")
 	assert(t, b == nil, fmt.Sprintf("opening invalid repository at /invalid-restic-test should have failed, but b is not nil: %v", b))
 
-	s := setupBackend(t)
-	defer teardownBackend(t, s)
+	s := setupLocalBackend(t)
+	defer teardownLocalBackend(t, s)
 
 	testBackend(s, t)
 }
 
 func TestLocalBackendCreationFailures(t *testing.T) {
-	b := setupBackend(t)
-	defer teardownBackend(t, b)
+	b := setupLocalBackend(t)
+	defer teardownLocalBackend(t, b)
 
 	// test failure to create a new repository at the same location
 	b2, err := backend.CreateLocal(b.Location())
@@ -170,28 +170,3 @@ func TestLocalBackendCreationFailures(t *testing.T) {
 	b2, err = backend.CreateLocal(b.Location())
 	assert(t, err != nil && b2 == nil, fmt.Sprintf("creating a repository at %s for the second time should have failed", b.Location()))
 }
-
-func TestID(t *testing.T) {
-	for _, test := range TestStrings {
-		id, err := backend.ParseID(test.id)
-		ok(t, err)
-
-		id2, err := backend.ParseID(test.id)
-		ok(t, err)
-		assert(t, id.Equal(id2), "ID.Equal() does not work as expected")
-
-		ret, err := id.EqualString(test.id)
-		ok(t, err)
-		assert(t, ret, "ID.EqualString() returned wrong value")
-
-		// test json marshalling
-		buf, err := id.MarshalJSON()
-		ok(t, err)
-		equals(t, "\""+test.id+"\"", string(buf))
-
-		var id3 backend.ID
-		err = id3.UnmarshalJSON(buf)
-		ok(t, err)
-		equals(t, id, id3)
-	}
-}
diff --git a/backend/sftp.go b/backend/sftp.go
index 6abb2a5fa..92e604808 100644
--- a/backend/sftp.go
+++ b/backend/sftp.go
@@ -394,7 +394,12 @@ func (r *SFTP) Get(t Type, id ID) ([]byte, error) {
 
 	// try to open file
 	file, err := r.c.Open(r.filename(t, id))
-	defer file.Close()
+	defer func() {
+		// TODO: report bug against sftp client, ignore Close() for nil file
+		if file != nil {
+			file.Close()
+		}
+	}()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/backend/sftp_test.go b/backend/sftp_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..031b18db3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/sftp_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package backend_test
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/restic/restic/backend"
+)
+
+var sftpPath = flag.String("test.sftppath", "", "sftp binary path (default: empty)")
+
+func setupSFTPBackend(t *testing.T) *backend.SFTP {
+	tempdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "restic-test-")
+	ok(t, err)
+
+	b, err := backend.CreateSFTP(tempdir, *sftpPath)
+	ok(t, err)
+
+	t.Logf("created sftp backend locally at %s", tempdir)
+
+	return b
+}
+
+func teardownSFTPBackend(t *testing.T, b *backend.SFTP) {
+	if !*testCleanup {
+		t.Logf("leaving backend at %s\n", b.Location())
+		return
+	}
+
+	err := os.RemoveAll(b.Location())
+	ok(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestSFTPBackend(t *testing.T) {
+	if *sftpPath == "" {
+		t.Skipf("sftppath not set, skipping TestSFTPBackend")
+	}
+
+	s := setupSFTPBackend(t)
+	defer teardownSFTPBackend(t, s)
+
+	testBackend(s, t)
+}