diff --git a/tests/client/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/client/CMakeLists.txt
index e6adfe36..71e5182e 100644
--- a/tests/client/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/client/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ if (WITH_SFTP)
     endif()
     set(LIBSSH_CLIENT_TESTS
         ${LIBSSH_CLIENT_TESTS}
+        torture_sftp_init
         torture_sftp_ext
         torture_sftp_canonicalize_path
         torture_sftp_dir
diff --git a/tests/client/torture_sftp_init.c b/tests/client/torture_sftp_init.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a17f01fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/client/torture_sftp_init.c
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+#include "config.h"
+
+#define LIBSSH_STATIC
+
+#include "torture.h"
+#include "sftp.c"
+
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <pwd.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+
+static int sshd_setup(void **state)
+{
+    torture_setup_sshd_server(state, false);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int sshd_teardown(void **state) {
+    torture_teardown_sshd_server(state);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static void session_setup(void **state)
+{
+    struct torture_state *s = *state;
+    struct passwd *pwd;
+    int rc;
+
+    pwd = getpwnam("bob");
+    assert_non_null(pwd);
+
+    rc = setuid(pwd->pw_uid);
+    assert_return_code(rc, errno);
+
+    s->ssh.session = torture_ssh_session(s,
+                                         TORTURE_SSH_SERVER,
+                                         NULL,
+                                         TORTURE_SSH_USER_ALICE,
+                                         NULL);
+    assert_non_null(s->ssh.session);
+
+    s->ssh.tsftp = torture_sftp_session(s->ssh.session);
+    assert_non_null(s->ssh.tsftp);
+}
+
+static void session_setup_channel(void **state)
+{
+    struct torture_state *s = *state;
+    struct passwd *pwd = NULL;
+    ssh_channel c = NULL;
+    int rc;
+
+    pwd = getpwnam("bob");
+    assert_non_null(pwd);
+
+    rc = setuid(pwd->pw_uid);
+    assert_return_code(rc, errno);
+
+    s->ssh.session = torture_ssh_session(s,
+                                         TORTURE_SSH_SERVER,
+                                         NULL,
+                                         TORTURE_SSH_USER_ALICE,
+                                         NULL);
+    assert_non_null(s->ssh.session);
+
+    c = ssh_channel_new(s->ssh.session);
+    assert_non_null(c);
+
+    s->ssh.tsftp = torture_sftp_session_channel(s->ssh.session, c);
+    assert_non_null(s->ssh.tsftp);
+}
+
+static int session_teardown(void **state)
+{
+    struct torture_state *s = *state;
+
+    torture_rmdirs(s->ssh.tsftp->testdir);
+    torture_sftp_close(s->ssh.tsftp);
+    ssh_disconnect(s->ssh.session);
+    ssh_free(s->ssh.session);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int torture_run_tests(void) {
+    int rc;
+    struct CMUnitTest tests[] = {
+        cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(session_setup,
+                                        NULL,
+                                        session_teardown),
+        cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(session_setup_channel,
+                                        NULL,
+                                        session_teardown)
+    };
+
+    ssh_init();
+
+    torture_filter_tests(tests);
+    rc = cmocka_run_group_tests(tests, sshd_setup, sshd_teardown);
+
+    ssh_finalize();
+
+    return rc;
+}
diff --git a/tests/torture.c b/tests/torture.c
index 4ac1ec66..61209185 100644
--- a/tests/torture.c
+++ b/tests/torture.c
@@ -426,7 +426,8 @@ ssh_bind torture_ssh_bind(const char *addr,
 
 #ifdef WITH_SFTP
 
-struct torture_sftp *torture_sftp_session(ssh_session session) {
+struct torture_sftp *torture_sftp_session_channel(ssh_session session, ssh_channel channel)
+{
     struct torture_sftp *t;
     char template[] = "/tmp/ssh_torture_XXXXXX";
     char *p;
@@ -442,9 +443,26 @@ struct torture_sftp *torture_sftp_session(ssh_session session) {
     }
 
     t->ssh = session;
-    t->sftp = sftp_new(session);
-    if (t->sftp == NULL) {
-        goto failed;
+    if (channel == NULL) {
+        t->sftp = sftp_new(session);
+        if (t->sftp == NULL) {
+            goto failed;
+        }
+    } else {
+        t->sftp = sftp_new_channel(session, channel);
+        if (t->sftp == NULL) {
+            goto failed;
+        }
+
+        rc = ssh_channel_open_session(channel);
+        if (rc != SSH_OK) {
+            goto failed;
+        }
+
+        rc = ssh_channel_request_sftp(channel);
+        if (rc != SSH_OK) {
+            goto failed;
+        }
     }
 
     rc = sftp_init(t->sftp);
@@ -475,6 +493,11 @@ failed:
     return NULL;
 }
 
+struct torture_sftp *torture_sftp_session(ssh_session session)
+{
+    return torture_sftp_session_channel(session, NULL);
+}
+
 void torture_sftp_close(struct torture_sftp *t) {
     if (t == NULL) {
         return;
diff --git a/tests/torture.h b/tests/torture.h
index b9b87b6a..599b53ea 100644
--- a/tests/torture.h
+++ b/tests/torture.h
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ ssh_bind torture_ssh_bind(const char *addr,
                           const char *private_key_file);
 
 struct torture_sftp *torture_sftp_session(ssh_session session);
+struct torture_sftp *torture_sftp_session_channel(ssh_session session, ssh_channel channel);
 void torture_sftp_close(struct torture_sftp *t);
 
 void torture_write_file(const char *filename, const char *data);