diff --git a/addons/base/controllers/main.py b/addons/base/controllers/main.py
index bc16076272e..6c91a3b1633 100644
--- a/addons/base/controllers/main.py
+++ b/addons/base/controllers/main.py
@@ -118,6 +118,16 @@ class Menu(openerpweb.Controller):
 
     @openerpweb.jsonrequest
     def load(self, req):
+        return {'data': self.do_load(req)}
+
+    def do_load(self, req):
+        """ Loads all menu items (all applications and their sub-menus).
+
+        :param req: A request object, with an OpenERP session attribute
+        :type req: < session -> OpenERPSession >
+        :return: the menu root
+        :rtype: dict('children': menu_nodes)
+        """
         Menus = req.session.model('ir.ui.menu')
         # menus are loaded fully unlike a regular tree view, cause there are
         # less than 512 items
@@ -132,14 +142,15 @@ class Menu(openerpweb.Controller):
             if not menu_item['parent_id']: continue
             parent = menu_item['parent_id'][0]
             if parent in menu_items_map:
-                menu_items_map[parent].set_default('children', []).append(menu_item)
+                menu_items_map[parent].setdefault(
+                    'children', []).append(menu_item)
 
         # sort by sequence a tree using parent_id
         for menu_item in menu_items:
-            menu_item.set_default('children', []).sort(
+            menu_item.setdefault('children', []).sort(
                 key=lambda x:x["sequence"])
 
-        return {'data': menu_root}
+        return menu_root
 
     @openerpweb.jsonrequest
     def action(self, req, menu_id):
diff --git a/addons/base/tests/__init__.py b/addons/base/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..40a96afc6ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/addons/base/tests/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
diff --git a/addons/base/tests/test_menu.py b/addons/base/tests/test_menu.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1d1e49b6c97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/addons/base/tests/test_menu.py
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+import mock
+import unittest2
+import base.controllers.main
+import openerpweb.openerpweb
+
+class Placeholder(object):
+    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+        for k, v in kwargs.iteritems():
+            setattr(self, k, v)
+
+class LoadTest(unittest2.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.menu = base.controllers.main.Menu()
+        self.menus_mock = mock.Mock()
+        self.request = Placeholder(
+            session=openerpweb.openerpweb.OpenERPSession(
+                model_factory=lambda _session, _name: self.menus_mock))
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        del self.request
+        del self.menus_mock
+        del self.menu
+
+    def test_empty(self):
+        self.menus_mock.search = mock.Mock(return_value=[])
+        self.menus_mock.read = mock.Mock(return_value=[])
+
+        root = self.menu.do_load(self.request)
+
+        self.menus_mock.search.assert_called_with([])
+        self.menus_mock.read.assert_called_with(
+            [], ['name', 'sequence', 'parent_id'])
+
+        self.assertListEqual(
+            root['children'],
+            [])
+
+    def test_applications_sort(self):
+        self.menus_mock.search = mock.Mock(return_value=[1, 2, 3])
+        self.menus_mock.read = mock.Mock(return_value=[
+            {'id': 2, 'sequence': 3, 'parent_id': [False, '']},
+            {'id': 3, 'sequence': 2, 'parent_id': [False, '']},
+            {'id': 1, 'sequence': 1, 'parent_id': [False, '']},
+        ])
+
+        root = self.menu.do_load(self.request)
+
+        self.menus_mock.read.assert_called_with(
+            [1, 2, 3], ['name', 'sequence', 'parent_id'])
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            root['children'],
+            [{
+                'id': 1, 'sequence': 1,
+                'parent_id': [False, ''], 'children': []
+            }, {
+                'id': 3, 'sequence': 2,
+                'parent_id': [False, ''], 'children': []
+            }, {
+                'id': 2, 'sequence': 3,
+                'parent_id': [False, ''], 'children': []
+            }])
+
+    def test_deep(self):
+        self.menus_mock.search = mock.Mock(return_value=[1, 2, 3, 4])
+        self.menus_mock.read = mock.Mock(return_value=[
+            {'id': 1, 'sequence': 1, 'parent_id': [False, '']},
+            {'id': 2, 'sequence': 2, 'parent_id': [1, '']},
+            {'id': 3, 'sequence': 1, 'parent_id': [2, '']},
+            {'id': 4, 'sequence': 2, 'parent_id': [2, '']},
+        ])
+
+        root = self.menu.do_load(self.request)
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            root['children'],
+            [{
+                 'id': 1,
+                 'sequence': 1,
+                 'parent_id': [False, ''],
+                 'children': [{
+                     'id': 2,
+                     'sequence': 2,
+                     'parent_id': [1, ''],
+                     'children': [{
+                         'id': 3,
+                         'sequence': 1,
+                         'parent_id': [2, ''],
+                         'children': []
+                     }, {
+                         'id': 4,
+                         'sequence': 2,
+                         'parent_id': [2, ''],
+                         'children': []
+                     }]
+                 }]
+            }]
+        )
diff --git a/openerpweb/openerpweb.py b/openerpweb/openerpweb.py
index 404616273fb..f966501f72c 100644
--- a/openerpweb/openerpweb.py
+++ b/openerpweb/openerpweb.py
@@ -39,13 +39,15 @@ class OpenERPModel(object):
 
 
 class OpenERPSession(object):
-    def __init__(self, server='127.0.0.1', port=8069):
+    def __init__(self, server='127.0.0.1', port=8069,
+                 model_factory=OpenERPModel):
         self._server = server
         self._port = port
         self._db = False
         self._uid = False
         self._login = False
         self._password = False
+        self.model_factory = model_factory
 
     def proxy(self, service):
         s = xmlrpctimeout.TimeoutServerProxy('http://%s:%s/xmlrpc/%s' % (self._server, self._port, service), timeout=5)
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ class OpenERPSession(object):
         return r
 
     def model(self, model):
-        return OpenERPModel(self, model)
+        return self.model_factory(self, model)
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------
 # OpenERP Web RequestHandler