diff --git a/mutalyzer/webservice.py b/mutalyzer/webservice.py
index 8009bc3f020e790f216ac12c215b6e9ceca951c7..2feecd256ef36e4f5ba652eae8cc0192aa5b57a9 100644
--- a/mutalyzer/webservice.py
+++ b/mutalyzer/webservice.py
@@ -886,6 +886,17 @@ class MutalyzerService(DefinitionBase):
         return result
     #info
 
+    @soap(_returns = Mandatory.String)
+    def ping(self):
+        """
+        Simple function to test the interface.
+
+        @return: Always the value 'pong'.
+        @rtype: string
+        """
+        return 'pong'
+    #ping
+
     @soap(DateTime, _returns = Array(CacheEntry))
     def getCache(self, created_since=None):
         """
diff --git a/tests/test_webservice.py b/tests/test_webservice.py
index b0c4bee67fba27bf462e5f3ca0659af74f574f80..509cc0b70453a0bb890dc8388cfef379a93e3001 100644
--- a/tests/test_webservice.py
+++ b/tests/test_webservice.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class TestWebservice():
         @todo: Start the standalone server and stop it in self.tearDown
         instead of depending on some running instance at a fixed address.
         """
-        self.client = Client(WSDL_URL)#, cache=None)
+        self.client = Client(WSDL_URL) #, cache=None)
         self.client.options.cache.setduration(seconds=120)
 
     def test_checksyntax_valid(self):
@@ -235,3 +235,10 @@ class TestWebservice():
                   'NM_004011.3',
                   'NM_004012.3']:
             assert t in r.string
+
+    def test_ping(self):
+        """
+        Running the ping method should return 'pong'.
+        """
+        r = self.client.service.ping()
+        assert_equal(r, 'pong')