diff --git a/tests/imageseries/test_pickleable.py b/tests/imageseries/test_pickleable.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ebaa05e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/imageseries/test_pickleable.py
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import os
+import pickle
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+
+from .common import make_array_ims
+from hexrd.imageseries.load.hdf5 import HDF5ImageSeriesAdapter
+from hexrd.imageseries.load.framecache import FrameCacheImageSeriesAdapter
+from hexrd import imageseries
+
+
+class ImageSeriesPickleableTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls):
+        cls.tmpdir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def tearDownClass(cls):
+        os.rmdir(cls.tmpdir)
+
+
+class TestHDF5SeriesAdapter(ImageSeriesPickleableTest):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.h5file = os.path.join(self.tmpdir, 'test_ims.h5')
+        self.h5path = 'array-data'
+        self.fmt = 'hdf5'
+        _, self.is_a = make_array_ims()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        os.remove(self.h5file)
+
+    def test_fmth5(self):
+        """save/load HDF5 format"""
+        imageseries.write(self.is_a, self.h5file, self.fmt, path=self.h5path)
+        adapter = HDF5ImageSeriesAdapter(self.h5file, path=self.h5path)
+        # will throw if adapter is not pickleable
+        pickle.dumps(adapter)
+
+
+class TestFormatFrameCacheNPZSeriesAdapter(ImageSeriesPickleableTest):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.fcfile = os.path.join(self.tmpdir, 'frame-cache.npz')
+        self.fmt = 'frame-cache'
+        self.style = 'npz'
+        self.thresh = 0.5
+        self.cache_file = 'frame-cache.npz'
+        _, self.is_a = make_array_ims()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        os.remove(self.fcfile)
+
+    def test_npz(self):
+        imageseries.write(
+            self.is_a,
+            self.fcfile,
+            self.fmt,
+            style=self.style,
+            threshold=self.thresh,
+            cache_file=self.cache_file,
+        )
+        adapter = FrameCacheImageSeriesAdapter(self.fcfile, style=self.style)
+        # will throw if adapter is not pickleable
+        pickle.dumps(adapter)
+
+
+class TestFormatFrameCacheFCH5SeriesAdapter(ImageSeriesPickleableTest):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.fcfile = os.path.join(self.tmpdir, 'frame-cache.fch5')
+        self.fmt = 'frame-cache'
+        self.style = 'fch5'
+        self.thresh = 0.5
+        self.cache_file = 'frame-cache.fch5'
+        _, self.is_a = make_array_ims()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        os.remove(self.fcfile)
+
+    def test_fmth5(self):
+        imageseries.write(
+            self.is_a,
+            self.fcfile,
+            self.fmt,
+            style=self.style,
+            threshold=self.thresh,
+            cache_file=self.cache_file,
+        )
+        adapter = FrameCacheImageSeriesAdapter(self.fcfile, style=self.style)
+        # will throw if adapter is not pickleable
+        pickle.dumps(adapter)