diff --git a/rq/__init__.py b/rq/__init__.py
index 95050f3..5139266 100644
--- a/rq/__init__.py
+++ b/rq/__init__.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from .connections import (Connection, get_current_connection, pop_connection,
 from .job import cancel_job, get_current_job, requeue_job
 from .queue import get_failed_queue, Queue
 from .version import VERSION
-from .worker import Worker
+from .worker import Worker, SimpleWorker
 
 __all__ = [
     'use_connection', 'get_current_connection',
diff --git a/rq/worker.py b/rq/worker.py
index f800b28..be4a955 100644
--- a/rq/worker.py
+++ b/rq/worker.py
@@ -558,3 +558,17 @@ class Worker(object):
     def pop_exc_handler(self):
         """Pops the latest exception handler off of the exc handler stack."""
         return self._exc_handlers.pop()
+
+class SimpleWorker(Worker):
+    def _install_signal_handlers(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        """Signal handlers are useless for test worker, as it
+        does not have fork() ability"""
+        pass
+
+    def main_work_horse(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        raise NotImplementedError("Test worker does not implement this method")
+
+    def execute_job(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        """Execute job in same thread/process, do not fork()"""
+        return self.perform_job(*args, **kwargs)
+
diff --git a/tests/fixtures.py b/tests/fixtures.py
index 7a9ac58..fc7d64f 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures.py
@@ -6,11 +6,14 @@ fixtures has a slighty different characteristics.
 from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function,
                         unicode_literals)
 
+import os
 import time
 
 from rq import Connection, get_current_job
 from rq.decorators import job
 
+def say_pid():
+    return os.getpid()
 
 def say_hello(name=None):
     """A job with a single argument and a return value."""
diff --git a/tests/test_worker.py b/tests/test_worker.py
index e02ee2a..8aef2ac 100644
--- a/tests/test_worker.py
+++ b/tests/test_worker.py
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function,
 
 import os
 
-from rq import get_failed_queue, Queue, Worker
+from rq import get_failed_queue, Queue, Worker, SimpleWorker
 from rq.compat import as_text
 from rq.job import Job, Status
 
 from tests import RQTestCase, slow
 from tests.fixtures import (create_file, create_file_after_timeout, div_by_zero,
-                            say_hello)
+                            say_hello, say_pid)
 from tests.helpers import strip_microseconds
 
 
@@ -277,3 +277,17 @@ class TestWorker(RQTestCase):
         q = Queue()
         worker = Worker([q], job_class=CustomJob)
         self.assertEqual(worker.job_class, CustomJob)
+
+    def test_work_via_simpleworker(self):
+        """Worker processes work, with forking disabled,
+        then returns."""
+        fooq, barq = Queue('foo'), Queue('bar')
+        w = SimpleWorker([fooq, barq])
+        self.assertEquals(w.work(burst=True), False,
+                          'Did not expect any work on the queue.')
+
+        job = fooq.enqueue(say_pid)
+        self.assertEquals(w.work(burst=True), True,
+                          'Expected at least some work done.')
+        self.assertEquals(job.result, os.getpid(),
+            'PID mismatch, fork() is not supposed to happen here')