diff --git a/t/apicast-async-reporting.t b/t/apicast-async-reporting.t
index b932e632a..ac3d237ef 100644
--- a/t/apicast-async-reporting.t
+++ b/t/apicast-async-reporting.t
@@ -1,202 +1,187 @@
 use lib 't';
-use Test::APIcast 'no_plan';
+use Test::APIcast::Blackbox 'no_plan';
 
-env_to_nginx('APICAST_REPORTING_THREADS=1');
+$ENV{APICAST_ACCESS_LOG_FILE} = "$Test::Nginx::Util::ErrLogFile";
+$ENV{TEST_NGINX_HTML_DIR} ||= "$Test::Nginx::Util::ServRoot/html";
+$ENV{APICAST_REPORTING_THREADS} = 1;
 
+check_accum_error_log();
+repeat_each(1);
 run_tests();
 
 __DATA__
 
 === TEST 1: api backend gets the request
 It asks backend and then forwards the request to the api.
---- http_config
-include $TEST_NGINX_UPSTREAM_CONFIG;
-lua_shared_dict api_keys 1m;
-lua_package_path "$TEST_NGINX_LUA_PATH";
-init_by_lua_block {
-  ngx.shared.api_keys:set('42:value:usage%5Bhits%5D=2', 200)
-  require('apicast.configuration_loader').mock({
-    services = {
+--- configuration
+{
+    "services": [
       {
-        id = 42,
-        backend_version = 1,
-        backend_authentication_type = 'service_token',
-        backend_authentication_value = 'token-value',
-        proxy = {
-          backend = { endpoint = "http://127.0.0.1:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT" },
-          api_backend = "http://127.0.0.1:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT/api-backend/",
-          proxy_rules = {
-            { pattern = '/', http_method = 'GET', metric_system_name = 'hits', delta = 2 }
-          }
+        "id": 42,
+        "backend_version": 1,
+        "backend_authentication_type": "service_token",
+        "backend_authentication_value": "token-value",
+        "proxy": {
+            "api_backend": "http://test:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT/api-backend/",
+            "proxy_rules": [
+                { "pattern" : "/", "http_method" : "GET", "metric_system_name" : "hits", "delta" : 2 }
+            ]
         }
       }
-    }
-  })
+    ]
 }
---- config
-include $TEST_NGINX_APICAST_CONFIG;
-
+--- backend
 location /transactions/authrep.xml {
   content_by_lua_block {
     local expected = "service_token=token-value&service_id=42&usage%5Bhits%5D=2&user_key=value"
     require('luassert').same(ngx.decode_args(expected), ngx.req.get_uri_args(0))
   }
 }
-
+--- upstream
 location /api-backend/ {
   echo 'yay, api backend: $http_host';
 }
---- request
-GET /?user_key=value
---- response_body env
-yay, api backend: 127.0.0.1:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT
---- error_code: 200
+--- pipelined_requests eval
+["GET /?user_key=value","GET /?user_key=value"]
+--- response_body env eval
+["yay, api backend: test:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT\x{0a}","yay, api backend: test:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT\x{0a}"]
+--- error_code eval
+["200","200"]
 --- no_error_log
 [error]
 
+
 === TEST 2: https api backend works
 with async background reporting
 --- ssl random_port
---- http_config
-include $TEST_NGINX_UPSTREAM_CONFIG;
-lua_package_path "$TEST_NGINX_LUA_PATH";
-init_by_lua_block {
-  ngx.shared.api_keys:set('42:foo:usage%5Bhits%5D=1', 200)
-  require('apicast.configuration_loader').mock({
-    services = {
-      {
-        id = 42,
-        backend_version = 1,
-        backend_version = 1,
-        backend_authentication_type = 'service_token',
-        backend_authentication_value = 'token-value',
-        proxy = {
-          backend = { endpoint = "https://127.0.0.1:$TEST_NGINX_RANDOM_PORT" },
-          api_backend = "http://127.0.0.1:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT/api/",
-          proxy_rules = {
-            { pattern = '/', http_method = 'GET', metric_system_name = 'hits', delta = 1 }
-          }
-        }
+--- env random_port eval
+(
+  'BACKEND_ENDPOINT_OVERRIDE' => "https://test_backend:$ENV{TEST_NGINX_RANDOM_PORT}"
+)
+--- configuration random_port env
+{
+  "services" : [
+    {
+      "id": 42,
+      "backend_version": 1,
+      "backend_authentication_type": "service_token",
+      "backend_authentication_value": "token-value",
+      "proxy": {
+        "api_backend": "http://test:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT/api-backend/",
+        "proxy_rules": [
+            { "pattern" : "/", "http_method" : "GET", "metric_system_name" : "hits", "delta" : 1} 
+        ]
       }
     }
-  })
+  ]
 }
-lua_shared_dict api_keys 1m;
---- config
-include $TEST_NGINX_APICAST_CONFIG;
-listen $TEST_NGINX_RANDOM_PORT ssl;
-
-ssl_certificate ../html/server.crt;
-ssl_certificate_key ../html/server.key;
-
-lua_ssl_trusted_certificate ../html/server.crt;
-
-location /api/ {
-  echo "api response";
-}
-
-location /transactions/authrep.xml {
-  content_by_lua_block {
-    local expected = "service_token=token-value&service_id=42&usage%5Bhits%5D=1&user_key=foo"
-    require('luassert').same(ngx.decode_args(expected), ngx.req.get_uri_args(0))
-    ngx.exit(200)
+--- upstream
+  location /api-backend/ {
+     echo 'yay, api backend!';
   }
-}
+--- backend random_port env
+  listen $TEST_NGINX_RANDOM_PORT ssl;
+  ssl_certificate $TEST_NGINX_HTML_DIR/server.crt;
+  ssl_certificate_key $TEST_NGINX_HTML_DIR/server.key;
+  
+  location /transactions/authrep.xml {
+    content_by_lua_block {
+      local expected = "service_token=token-value&service_id=42&usage%5Bhits%5D=1&user_key=foo"
+      require('luassert').same(ngx.decode_args(expected), ngx.req.get_uri_args(0))
+      ngx.exit(200)
+    }
+  }
+--- pipelined_requests eval
+["GET /test?user_key=foo","GET /test?user_key=foo"]
+--- response_body eval
+["yay, api backend!\x{0a}","yay, api backend!\x{0a}"]
+--- error_code eval 
+["200","200"]
+--- wait: 3
+--- error_log
+reporting to backend asynchronously
 --- user_files
 >>> server.crt
 -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
-MIIBkjCCATmgAwIBAgIJAOSlu+H4y+4uMAkGByqGSM49BAEwFDESMBAGA1UEAxMJ
-MTI3LjAuMC4xMB4XDTE3MDMzMDA5MDEyMFoXDTI3MDMyODA5MDEyMFowFDESMBAG
-A1UEAxMJMTI3LjAuMC4xMFkwEwYHKoZIzj0CAQYIKoZIzj0DAQcDQgAEBmPcgjjx
-OmODfbQGqjkVtbq6qvFC8t0A5FWnL3nRQjI5nB9k7tX7vTx1NzFzq+w3Vf3vX+Fq
-sWLyaBIhDSyUHqN1MHMwHQYDVR0OBBYEFAIqtTXT/E0eFC29bQhicIZcM0tlMEQG
-A1UdIwQ9MDuAFAIqtTXT/E0eFC29bQhicIZcM0tloRikFjAUMRIwEAYDVQQDEwkx
-MjcuMC4wLjGCCQDkpbvh+MvuLjAMBgNVHRMEBTADAQH/MAkGByqGSM49BAEDSAAw
-RQIgAWRI+63VAyJyJJFfLGPRNhdasQZXSvICnCm7w6C/RmACIQCjZvsLCah8h2Sa
-TyxjtHpkHJAzpVuetPVADc/lNN4l/Q==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 -----END CERTIFICATE-----
 >>> server.key
 -----BEGIN EC PARAMETERS-----
 BggqhkjOPQMBBw==
 -----END EC PARAMETERS-----
 -----BEGIN EC PRIVATE KEY-----
-MHcCAQEEIHIYTPgt2XlDTuL6Ly1jIqhlhM3lEspTyVldsaAoaC54oAoGCCqGSM49
-AwEHoUQDQgAEBmPcgjjxOmODfbQGqjkVtbq6qvFC8t0A5FWnL3nRQjI5nB9k7tX7
-vTx1NzFzq+w3Vf3vX+FqsWLyaBIhDSyUHg==
+MHcCAQEEIFCV3VwLEFKz9+yTR5vzonmLPYO/fUvZiMVU1Hb11nN8oAoGCCqGSM49
+AwEHoUQDQgAEhkmo6Xp/9W9cGaoGFU7TaBFXOUkZxYbGXQfxyZZucIQPt89+4r1c
+bx0wVEzbYK5wRb7UiWhvvvYDltIzsD75vg==
 -----END EC PRIVATE KEY-----
---- request
-GET /test?user_key=foo
 --- no_error_log
 [error]
---- response_body
-api response
---- error_code: 200
---- wait: 3
+
 
 === TEST 3: uses endpoint host as Host header
 when connecting to the backend
---- main_config
-env RESOLVER=127.0.0.1:$TEST_NGINX_RANDOM_PORT;
---- http_config
-include $TEST_NGINX_UPSTREAM_CONFIG;
-lua_package_path "$TEST_NGINX_LUA_PATH";
-lua_shared_dict api_keys 1m;
-init_by_lua_block {
-  ngx.shared.api_keys:set('42:val:usage%5Bhits%5D=2', 200)
-  require('apicast.configuration_loader').mock({
-    services = {
+--- env eval
+(
+  'BACKEND_ENDPOINT_OVERRIDE' => ''
+)
+--- configuration
+{
+    "services": [
       {
-        id = 42,
-        backend_version = 1,
-        backend_authentication_type = 'service_token',
-        backend_authentication_value = 'service-token',
-        proxy = {
-          api_backend = "http://127.0.0.1:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT/api/",
-          backend = {
-            endpoint = 'http://localhost.example.com:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT'
-          },
-          proxy_rules = {
-            { pattern = '/', http_method = 'GET', metric_system_name = 'hits', delta = 2 }
-          }
+        "id": 42,
+        "backend_version": 1,
+        "backend_authentication_type": "service_token",
+        "backend_authentication_value": "token-value",
+        "proxy": {
+            "api_backend": "http://test:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT/api-backend/",
+            "backend":{
+                "endpoint": "http://test_backend:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT"
+            },
+            "proxy_rules": [
+                { "pattern" : "/", "http_method" : "GET", "metric_system_name" : "hits", "delta" : 2 }
+            ]
         }
-      },
-    }
-  })
-}
---- config
-include $TEST_NGINX_APICAST_CONFIG;
-
-location /api/ {
-  echo "all ok";
+      }
+    ]
 }
-
+--- backend
 location /transactions/authrep.xml {
   content_by_lua_block {
-    if ngx.var.host == 'localhost.example.com' then
-      ngx.exit(200)
-    else
-      ngx.log(ngx.ERR, 'invalid host: ', ngx.var.host)
-      ngx.exit(404)
-    end
+      if ngx.var.host == 'test_backend' then
+        ngx.exit(200)
+      else
+        ngx.log(ngx.ERR, 'invalid host: ', ngx.var.host)
+        ngx.exit(404)
+      end
   }
 }
-
---- request
-GET /t?user_key=val
---- response_body
-all ok
---- error_code: 200
---- udp_listen random_port env chomp
-$TEST_NGINX_RANDOM_PORT
---- udp_reply dns
-[ "localhost.example.com", "127.0.0.1", 60 ]
---- no_error_log
-[error]
+--- upstream
+location /api-backend/ {
+  echo 'yay, api backend';
+}
+--- response_body eval
+["yay, api backend\x{0a}", "yay, api backend\x{0a}"]
+--- pipelined_requests eval
+["GET /?user_key=foo","GET /?user_key=foo"]
+--- error_code eval
+["200","200"]
 --- error_log env eval
 [
-  qr/backend client uri\: http\:\/\/localhost\.example\.com\:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT\/transactions\/authrep.xml\?.*?(service_id=42).*? ok\: true status\: 200/,
-  qr/backend client uri\: http\:\/\/localhost\.example\.com\:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT\/transactions\/authrep.xml\?.*?(service_token=service\-token).*? ok\: true status\: 200/,
-  qr/backend client uri\: http\:\/\/localhost\.example\.com\:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT\/transactions\/authrep.xml\?.*?(user_key=val).*? ok\: true status\: 200/,
-  qr/backend client uri\: http\:\/\/localhost\.example\.com\:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT\/transactions\/authrep.xml\?.*?(usage%5Bhits%5D=2).*? ok\: true status\: 200/
+  qr/backend client uri\: http\:\/\/test_backend\:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT\/transactions\/authrep.xml\?.*?(service_id=42).*? ok\: true status\: 200/,
+  qr/backend client uri\: http\:\/\/test_backend\:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT\/transactions\/authrep.xml\?.*?(service_token=token\-value).*? ok\: true status\: 200/,
+  qr/backend client uri\: http\:\/\/test_backend\:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT\/transactions\/authrep.xml\?.*?(user_key=foo).*? ok\: true status\: 200/,
+  qr/backend client uri\: http\:\/\/test_backend\:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT\/transactions\/authrep.xml\?.*?(usage%5Bhits%5D=2).*? ok\: true status\: 200/,
+  qr/reporting to backend asynchronously/
 ]
 --- wait: 3
+--- no_error_log
+[error]