diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/gorpcvtctlclient/client_test.go b/go/vt/vtctl/gorpcvtctlclient/client_test.go
index e31395c6572..f5f52c22129 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/gorpcvtctlclient/client_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/gorpcvtctlclient/client_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 package gorpcvtctlclient
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"testing"
@@ -27,13 +26,12 @@ func TestVtctlServer(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Cannot listen: %v", err)
 	}
-	port := listener.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port
 
 	// Create a Go Rpc server and listen on the port
 	server := rpcplus.NewServer()
 	server.Register(gorpcvtctlserver.NewVtctlServer(ts))
 
-	// create the HTTP server, serve the server from it
+	// Create the HTTP server, serve the server from it
 	handler := http.NewServeMux()
 	bsonrpc.ServeCustomRPC(handler, server, false)
 	httpServer := http.Server{
@@ -42,7 +40,7 @@ func TestVtctlServer(t *testing.T) {
 	go httpServer.Serve(listener)
 
 	// Create a VtctlClient Go Rpc client to talk to the fake server
-	client, err := goRPCVtctlClientFactory(fmt.Sprintf("localhost:%v", port), 30*time.Second)
+	client, err := goRPCVtctlClientFactory(listener.Addr().String(), 30*time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Cannot create client: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/go/vt/wrangler/testlib/backup_test.go b/go/vt/wrangler/testlib/backup_test.go
index 8ac84d35d25..ad54745bf57 100644
--- a/go/vt/wrangler/testlib/backup_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/wrangler/testlib/backup_test.go
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ func TestBackupRestore(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	ts := zktopo.NewTestServer(t, []string{"cell1", "cell2"})
 	wr := wrangler.New(logutil.NewConsoleLogger(), ts, tmclient.NewTabletManagerClient(), time.Second)
+	vp := NewVtctlPipe(t, ts)
+	defer vp.Close()
 
 	// Initialize our temp dirs
 	root, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "backuptest")
@@ -88,22 +90,10 @@ func TestBackupRestore(t *testing.T) {
 	sourceTablet.StartActionLoop(t, wr)
 	defer sourceTablet.StopActionLoop(t)
 
-	ti, err := ts.GetTablet(ctx, sourceTablet.Tablet.Alias)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("GetTablet failed: %v", err)
-	}
-
 	// run the backup
-	logStream, errFunc, err := wr.TabletManagerClient().Backup(ctx, ti, 4)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := vp.Run([]string{"Backup", sourceTablet.Tablet.Alias.String()}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Backup failed: %v", err)
 	}
-	for e := range logStream {
-		t.Logf("%v", e)
-	}
-	if err := errFunc(); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Backup errFunc failed: %v", err)
-	}
 
 	// verify the full status
 	if err := sourceTablet.FakeMysqlDaemon.CheckSuperQueryList(); err != nil {
diff --git a/go/vt/wrangler/testlib/vtctl_pipe.go b/go/vt/wrangler/testlib/vtctl_pipe.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6be11a39565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go/vt/wrangler/testlib/vtctl_pipe.go
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+// Copyright 2015, Google Inc. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package testlib
+
+import (
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/youtube/vitess/go/rpcplus"
+	"github.com/youtube/vitess/go/rpcwrap/bsonrpc"
+	"github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/topo"
+	"github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/vtctl/gorpcvtctlserver"
+	"github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/vtctl/vtctlclient"
+	"golang.org/x/net/context"
+
+	// we need to import the gorpcvtctlclient library so the go rpc
+	// vtctl client is registered and can be used.
+	_ "github.com/youtube/vitess/go/vt/vtctl/gorpcvtctlclient"
+)
+
+// VtctlPipe is a vtctl server based on a topo server, and a client that
+// is connected to it via bson rpc.
+type VtctlPipe struct {
+	listener net.Listener
+	client   vtctlclient.VtctlClient
+	t        *testing.T
+}
+
+// NewVtctlPipe creates a new VtctlPipe based on the given topo server.
+func NewVtctlPipe(t *testing.T, ts topo.Server) *VtctlPipe {
+	// Listen on a random port
+	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", ":0")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Cannot listen: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Create a Go Rpc server and listen on the port
+	server := rpcplus.NewServer()
+	server.Register(gorpcvtctlserver.NewVtctlServer(ts))
+
+	// Create the HTTP server, serve the server from it
+	handler := http.NewServeMux()
+	bsonrpc.ServeCustomRPC(handler, server, false)
+	httpServer := http.Server{
+		Handler: handler,
+	}
+	go httpServer.Serve(listener)
+
+	// Create a VtctlClient Go Rpc client to talk to the fake server
+	client, err := vtctlclient.New(listener.Addr().String(), 30*time.Second)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Cannot create client: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return &VtctlPipe{
+		listener: listener,
+		client:   client,
+		t:        t,
+	}
+}
+
+// Close will stop listening and free up all resources.
+func (vp *VtctlPipe) Close() {
+	vp.client.Close()
+	vp.listener.Close()
+}
+
+// Run executes the provided command remotely, logs the output in the
+// test logs, and returns the command error.
+func (vp *VtctlPipe) Run(args []string) error {
+	actionTimeout := 30 * time.Second
+	lockTimeout := 10 * time.Second
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	c, errFunc := vp.client.ExecuteVtctlCommand(ctx, args, actionTimeout, lockTimeout)
+	for le := range c {
+		vp.t.Logf(le.String())
+	}
+	return errFunc()
+}