diff --git a/tests/gold_tests/next_hop/strategies_ch2/body.gold b/tests/gold_tests/next_hop/strategies_ch2/body.gold
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b220ced9569
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/gold_tests/next_hop/strategies_ch2/body.gold
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+This is the body.
diff --git a/tests/gold_tests/next_hop/strategies_ch2/strategies_ch2.test.py b/tests/gold_tests/next_hop/strategies_ch2/strategies_ch2.test.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3dcf1d53996
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/gold_tests/next_hop/strategies_ch2/strategies_ch2.test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+'''
+'''
+#  Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+#  or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+#  distributed with this work for additional information
+#  regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+#  to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+#  "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+#  with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+#  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+#  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+#  limitations under the License.
+
+Test.Summary = '''
+Test next hop selection using strategies.yaml with consistent hashing, with fallover
+'''
+
+# Define and populate MicroServer.
+#
+server = Test.MakeOriginServer("server")
+response_header = {
+    "headers":
+        "HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\n"
+        "Connection: close\r\n"
+        "Cache-control: max-age=85000\r\n"
+        "\r\n",
+    "timestamp": "1469733493.993",
+    "body": "This is the body.\n"
+}
+num_objects = 32
+for i in range(num_objects):
+    request_header = {
+        "headers":
+            f"GET /obj{i} HTTP/1.1\r\n"
+            "Host: does.not.matter\r\n"  # But cannot be omitted.
+            "\r\n",
+        "timestamp": "1469733493.993",
+        "body": ""
+    }
+    server.addResponse("sessionlog.json", request_header, response_header)
+
+dns = Test.MakeDNServer("dns")
+
+# Define next hop trafficserver instances.
+#
+num_nh = 8
+ts_nh = []
+for i in range(num_nh):
+    ts = Test.MakeATSProcess(f"ts_nh{i}")
+    ts.Disk.records_config.update({
+        'proxy.config.diags.debug.enabled': 1,
+        'proxy.config.diags.debug.tags': 'http|dns',
+        'proxy.config.dns.nameservers': f"127.0.0.1:{dns.Variables.Port}",
+        'proxy.config.dns.resolv_conf': "NULL",
+    })
+    ts.Disk.remap_config.AddLine(
+        f"map / http://127.0.0.1:{server.Variables.Port}"
+    )
+    ts_nh.append(ts)
+
+ts = Test.MakeATSProcess("ts", command="traffic_server 2> trace.log")
+
+ts.Disk.records_config.update({
+    'proxy.config.diags.debug.enabled': 1,
+    'proxy.config.diags.debug.tags': 'http|dns|parent|next_hop|host_statuses|hostdb',
+    'proxy.config.dns.nameservers': f"127.0.0.1:{dns.Variables.Port}",  # Only nameservers if resolv_conf NULL.
+    'proxy.config.dns.resolv_conf': "NULL",  # This defaults to /etc/resvolv.conf (OS namesevers) if not NULL.
+    'proxy.config.http.cache.http': 0,
+    'proxy.config.http.uncacheable_requests_bypass_parent': 0,
+    'proxy.config.http.no_dns_just_forward_to_parent': 1,
+    'proxy.config.http.parent_proxy.mark_down_hostdb': 1,
+    'proxy.config.http.parent_proxy.self_detect': 0,
+})
+
+ts.Disk.File(ts.Variables.CONFIGDIR + "/strategies.yaml", id="strategies", typename="ats:config")
+s = ts.Disk.strategies
+s.AddLine("groups:")
+s.AddLine("  - &g1")
+for i in range(num_nh):
+    dns.addRecords(records={f"next_hop{i}": ["127.0.0.1"]})
+    s.AddLine(f"    - host: next_hop{i}")
+    s.AddLine(f"      protocol:")
+    s.AddLine(f"        - scheme: http")
+    s.AddLine(f"          port: {ts_nh[i].Variables.port}")
+    # The health check URL does not seem to be used currently.
+    # s.AddLine(f"          health_check_url: http://next_hop{i}:{ts_nh[i].Variables.port}")
+    s.AddLine(f"      weight: 1.0")
+s.AddLines([
+    "strategies:",
+    "  - strategy: the-strategy",
+    "    policy: consistent_hash",
+    "    hash_key: path",
+    "    go_direct: false",
+    "    parent_is_proxy: true",
+    "    ignore_self_detect: true",
+    "    groups:",
+    "      - *g1",
+    "    scheme: http"
+])
+
+# Use default fallover config.
+#
+# s.AddLines([
+#     "    fallover:",
+#     "      max_simple_retries: 2",
+#     "      ring_mode: exhaust_ring",
+#     "      response_codes:",
+#     "        - 404",
+#     "      health_check:",
+#     "        - passive"
+# ])
+
+ts.Disk.remap_config.AddLine(
+    "map http://dummy.com http://not_used @strategy=the-strategy"
+)
+
+tr = Test.AddTestRun()
+tr.Processes.Default.StartBefore(server)
+tr.Processes.Default.StartBefore(dns)
+for i in range(num_nh):
+    if (i != 3) and (i != 6):
+        tr.Processes.Default.StartBefore(ts_nh[i])
+tr.Processes.Default.StartBefore(Test.Processes.ts)
+tr.Processes.Default.Command = 'echo start TS, HTTP server, DNS server and all but 2 next hop TSes'
+tr.Processes.Default.ReturnCode = 0
+
+for i in range(num_objects):
+    tr = Test.AddTestRun()
+    tr.Processes.Default.Command = (
+        f'curl --verbose --proxy 127.0.0.1:{ts.Variables.port} http://dummy.com/obj{i}'
+    )
+    tr.Processes.Default.Streams.stdout = "body.gold"
+    tr.Processes.Default.ReturnCode = 0
+
+tr = Test.AddTestRun()
+tr.Processes.Default.StartBefore(ts_nh[3])
+tr.Processes.Default.StartBefore(ts_nh[6])
+tr.Processes.Default.Command = 'echo start the 2 unstarted next hop TSes'
+tr.Processes.Default.ReturnCode = 0
+
+for i in range(num_objects):
+    tr = Test.AddTestRun()
+    tr.Processes.Default.Command = (
+        f'curl --verbose --proxy 127.0.0.1:{ts.Variables.port} http://dummy.com/obj{i}'
+    )
+    tr.Processes.Default.Streams.stdout = "body.gold"
+    tr.Processes.Default.ReturnCode = 0
+
+tr = Test.AddTestRun()
+tr.Processes.Default.Command = (
+    "grep -F PARENT_SPECIFIED trace.log | sed 's/^.*(next_hop) [^ ]* //' | sed 's/[.][0-9]*$$//'"
+)
+tr.Processes.Default.Streams.stdout = "trace.gold"
+tr.Processes.Default.ReturnCode = 0
diff --git a/tests/gold_tests/next_hop/strategies_ch2/trace.gold b/tests/gold_tests/next_hop/strategies_ch2/trace.gold
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..06092b35e9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/gold_tests/next_hop/strategies_ch2/trace.gold
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop6
+not firstcall, line_number: 0, result: PARENT_SPECIFIED
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop4
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop2
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+not firstcall, line_number: 0, result: PARENT_SPECIFIED
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop5
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop4
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop2
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop5
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+not firstcall, line_number: 0, result: PARENT_SPECIFIED
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop4
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop5
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+not firstcall, line_number: 0, result: PARENT_SPECIFIED
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop2
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+not firstcall, line_number: 0, result: PARENT_SPECIFIED
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop2
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+not firstcall, line_number: 0, result: PARENT_SPECIFIED
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop2
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+not firstcall, line_number: 0, result: PARENT_SPECIFIED
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop4
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop7
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop5
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop5
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+not firstcall, line_number: 0, result: PARENT_SPECIFIED
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop7
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+not firstcall, line_number: 0, result: PARENT_SPECIFIED
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop6
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop2
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop4
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop2
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop5
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop5
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop2
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop0
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop7
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop5
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop1
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop5
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop7
+result->result: PARENT_SPECIFIED Chosen parent: next_hop3