diff --git a/configure.py b/configure.py
index 575ea2aee2..c5c9383fa4 100755
--- a/configure.py
+++ b/configure.py
@@ -509,6 +509,7 @@ urchin_core = (['database.cc',
 urchin_tests_dependencies = urchin_core + http + api + [
     'tests/urchin/cql_test_env.cc',
     'tests/urchin/cql_assertions.cc',
+    'tests/urchin/result_set_assertions.cc',
 ]
 
 deps = {
diff --git a/database.cc b/database.cc
index 31231d23ce..4ea9e32d10 100644
--- a/database.cc
+++ b/database.cc
@@ -1019,7 +1019,7 @@ column_family::query(const query::read_command& cmd, const std::vector<query::pa
                 return qs.reader().then([this, &qs](mutation_opt mo) {
                     if (mo) {
                         auto p_builder = qs.builder.add_partition(mo->key());
-                        mo->partition().query(*_schema, qs.cmd.slice, qs.limit, p_builder);
+                        mo->partition().query(p_builder, *_schema, qs.cmd.slice, qs.limit);
                         p_builder.finish();
                         qs.limit -= p_builder.row_count();
                     } else {
diff --git a/db/system_keyspace.cc b/db/system_keyspace.cc
index 5d11c623fc..726ef2f93a 100644
--- a/db/system_keyspace.cc
+++ b/db/system_keyspace.cc
@@ -1077,11 +1077,7 @@ query(service::storage_proxy& proxy, const sstring& cf_name) {
     query::partition_slice slice{{query::clustering_range::make_open_ended_both_sides()}, static_cols, regular_cols, opts};
     auto cmd = make_lw_shared<query::read_command>(schema->id(), slice, std::numeric_limits<uint32_t>::max());
     return proxy.query(cmd, {query::full_partition_range}, db::consistency_level::ONE).then([schema, cmd] (auto&& result) {
-        query::result_set_builder builder{schema};
-        bytes_ostream w(result->buf());
-        query::result_view view(w.linearize());
-        view.consume(cmd->slice, builder);
-        return builder.build();
+        return make_lw_shared(query::result_set::from_raw_result(schema, cmd->slice, *result));
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/mutation.cc b/mutation.cc
index eb0456c7ef..fbb9a6a5fa 100644
--- a/mutation.cc
+++ b/mutation.cc
@@ -98,3 +98,12 @@ bool mutation::operator==(const mutation& m) const {
 bool mutation::operator!=(const mutation& m) const {
     return !(*this == m);
 }
+
+query::result
+mutation::query(const query::partition_slice& slice, uint32_t row_limit) const {
+    query::result::builder builder(slice);
+    auto pb = builder.add_partition(key());
+    _p.query(pb, *_schema, slice, row_limit);
+    pb.finish();
+    return builder.build();
+}
diff --git a/mutation.hh b/mutation.hh
index 806fffcd84..c5d8af6b45 100644
--- a/mutation.hh
+++ b/mutation.hh
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ public:
     const utils::UUID& column_family_id() const { return _schema->id(); }
     bool operator==(const mutation&) const;
     bool operator!=(const mutation&) const;
+public:
+    query::result query(const query::partition_slice&, uint32_t row_limit = query::max_rows) const;
 private:
     friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const mutation& m);
 };
diff --git a/mutation_partition.cc b/mutation_partition.cc
index ea7b693007..6fe0b5856a 100644
--- a/mutation_partition.cc
+++ b/mutation_partition.cc
@@ -270,10 +270,10 @@ bool has_any_live_data(const row& cells, tombstone tomb, ColumnDefResolver&& id_
 }
 
 void
-mutation_partition::query(const schema& s,
+mutation_partition::query(query::result::partition_writer& pw,
+    const schema& s,
     const query::partition_slice& slice,
-    uint32_t limit,
-    query::result::partition_writer& pw) const
+    uint32_t limit) const
 {
     auto regular_column_resolver = [&s] (column_id id) -> const column_definition& {
         return s.regular_column_at(id);
diff --git a/mutation_partition.hh b/mutation_partition.hh
index 651f123c69..7b50f601f0 100644
--- a/mutation_partition.hh
+++ b/mutation_partition.hh
@@ -273,5 +273,5 @@ public:
     tombstone tombstone_for_row(const schema& schema, const rows_entry& e) const;
     boost::iterator_range<rows_type::const_iterator> range(const schema& schema, const query::range<clustering_key_prefix>& r) const;
     // Returns at most "limit" rows. The limit must be greater than 0.
-    void query(const schema& s, const query::partition_slice& slice, uint32_t limit, query::result::partition_writer& pw) const;
+    void query(query::result::partition_writer& pw, const schema& s, const query::partition_slice& slice, uint32_t limit = query::max_rows) const;
 };
diff --git a/query-request.hh b/query-request.hh
index 7f25bc96c3..cccc934ef6 100644
--- a/query-request.hh
+++ b/query-request.hh
@@ -241,6 +241,8 @@ public:
     friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const partition_slice& ps);
 };
 
+constexpr auto max_rows = std::numeric_limits<uint32_t>::max();
+
 // Full specification of a query to the database.
 // Intended for passing across replicas.
 // Can be accessed across cores.
@@ -250,7 +252,7 @@ public:
     partition_slice slice;
     uint32_t row_limit;
 public:
-    read_command(const utils::UUID& cf_id, partition_slice slice, uint32_t row_limit)
+    read_command(const utils::UUID& cf_id, partition_slice slice, uint32_t row_limit = max_rows)
         : cf_id(cf_id)
         , slice(std::move(slice))
         , row_limit(row_limit)
diff --git a/query-result-set.cc b/query-result-set.cc
index 0e62fb6ddc..7e9730f720 100644
--- a/query-result-set.cc
+++ b/query-result-set.cc
@@ -3,9 +3,31 @@
  */
 
 #include "query-result-set.hh"
+#include "query-result-reader.hh"
 
 namespace query {
 
+// Result set builder is passed as a visitor to query_result::consume()
+// function. You can call the build() method to obtain a result set that
+// contains cells from the visited results.
+class result_set_builder {
+    schema_ptr _schema;
+    std::vector<result_set_row> _rows;
+    std::unordered_map<sstring, data_value> _pkey_cells;
+public:
+    result_set_builder(schema_ptr schema);
+    result_set build() const;
+    void accept_new_partition(const partition_key& key, uint32_t row_count);
+    void accept_new_partition(uint32_t row_count);
+    void accept_new_row(const clustering_key& key, const result_row_view& static_row, const result_row_view& row);
+    void accept_new_row(const result_row_view &static_row, const result_row_view &row);
+    void accept_partition_end(const result_row_view& static_row);
+private:
+    std::unordered_map<sstring, data_value> deserialize(const partition_key& key);
+    std::unordered_map<sstring, data_value> deserialize(const clustering_key& key);
+    std::unordered_map<sstring, data_value> deserialize(const result_row_view& row, bool is_static);
+};
+
 std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const result_set_row& row) {
     for (auto&& cell : row._cells) {
         auto&& type = cell.second.type();
@@ -26,8 +48,8 @@ result_set_builder::result_set_builder(schema_ptr schema)
     : _schema{schema}
 { }
 
-lw_shared_ptr<result_set> result_set_builder::build() const {
-    return make_lw_shared<result_set>(_rows);
+result_set result_set_builder::build() const {
+    return { _schema, _rows };
 }
 
 void result_set_builder::accept_new_partition(const partition_key& key, uint32_t row_count)
@@ -119,4 +141,22 @@ result_set_builder::deserialize(const result_row_view& row, bool is_static)
     return cells;
 }
 
+result_set
+result_set::from_raw_result(schema_ptr s, const partition_slice& slice, const result& r) {
+    auto make = [&slice, s = std::move(s)] (bytes_view v) mutable {
+        result_set_builder builder{std::move(s)};
+        result_view view(v);
+        view.consume(slice, builder);
+        return builder.build();
+    };
+
+    if (r.buf().is_linearized()) {
+        return make(r.buf().view());
+    } else {
+        // FIXME: make result_view::consume() work on fragments to avoid linearization.
+        bytes_ostream w(r.buf());
+        return make(w.linearize());
+    }
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/query-result-set.hh b/query-result-set.hh
index e2c3f1dbb3..9f35eca9d4 100644
--- a/query-result-set.hh
+++ b/query-result-set.hh
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#include "query-result-reader.hh"
 
 #include "core/shared_ptr.hh"
+#include "query-request.hh"
+#include "query-result.hh"
+#include "schema.hh"
 
 #include <experimental/optional>
 #include <stdexcept>
@@ -39,14 +41,19 @@ public:
         return _cells.count(column_name) > 0;
     }
     // Look up a deserialized row cell value by column name.
-    template<typename T>
-    std::experimental::optional<T>
-    get(const sstring& column_name) const throw (no_such_column) {
+    const data_value&
+    get_data_value(const sstring& column_name) const throw (no_such_column) {
         auto it = _cells.find(column_name);
         if (it == _cells.end()) {
             throw no_such_column(column_name);
         }
-        auto&& value = it->second.value();
+        return it->second;
+    }
+    // Look up a deserialized row cell value by column name.
+    template<typename T>
+    std::experimental::optional<T>
+    get(const sstring& column_name) const throw (no_such_column) {
+        auto&& value = get_data_value(column_name).value();
         if (value.empty()) {
             return std::experimental::nullopt;
         }
@@ -77,10 +84,12 @@ inline bool operator!=(const result_set_row& x, const result_set_row& y) {
 // deserialized format. To obtain a result set, use the result_set_builder
 // class as a visitor to query_result::consume() function.
 class result_set {
+    schema_ptr _schema;
     std::vector<result_set_row> _rows;
 public:
-    result_set(const std::vector<result_set_row>& rows)
-        : _rows{std::move(rows)}
+    static result_set from_raw_result(schema_ptr, const partition_slice&, const result&);
+    result_set(schema_ptr s, const std::vector<result_set_row>& rows)
+        : _schema(std::move(s)), _rows{std::move(rows)}
     { }
     bool empty() const {
         return _rows.empty();
@@ -94,6 +103,9 @@ public:
     const std::vector<result_set_row>& rows() const {
         return _rows;
     }
+    const schema_ptr& schema() const {
+        return _schema;
+    }
     friend inline bool operator==(const result_set& x, const result_set& y);
     friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& out, const result_set& rs);
 };
@@ -102,25 +114,4 @@ inline bool operator==(const result_set& x, const result_set& y) {
     return x._rows == y._rows;
 }
 
-// Result set builder is passed as a visitor to query_result::consume()
-// function. You can call the build() method to obtain a result set that
-// contains cells from the visited results.
-class result_set_builder {
-    schema_ptr _schema;
-    std::vector<result_set_row> _rows;
-    std::unordered_map<sstring, data_value> _pkey_cells;
-public:
-    result_set_builder(schema_ptr schema);
-    lw_shared_ptr<result_set> build() const;
-    void accept_new_partition(const partition_key& key, uint32_t row_count);
-    void accept_new_partition(uint32_t row_count);
-    void accept_new_row(const clustering_key& key, const result_row_view& static_row, const result_row_view& row);
-    void accept_new_row(const result_row_view &static_row, const result_row_view &row);
-    void accept_partition_end(const result_row_view& static_row);
-private:
-    std::unordered_map<sstring, data_value> deserialize(const partition_key& key);
-    std::unordered_map<sstring, data_value> deserialize(const clustering_key& key);
-    std::unordered_map<sstring, data_value> deserialize(const result_row_view& row, bool is_static);
-};
-
 }
diff --git a/query-result.hh b/query-result.hh
index 6a7a26aeb7..c542868553 100644
--- a/query-result.hh
+++ b/query-result.hh
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public:
 };
 
 //
-// The query results are stored in a serialized from. This is in order to
+// The query results are stored in a serialized form. This is in order to
 // address the following problems, which a structured format has:
 //
 //   - high level of indirection (vector of vectors of vectors of blobs), which
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public:
 // pass the data using zero-copy to the client, prepending a header.
 //
 // Users which need more complex structure of query results, should
-// trasnform it to such using appropriate visitors.
+// transform it to such using appropriate visitors.
 // TODO: insert reference to such visitors here.
 //
 // Query results have dynamic format. In some queries (maybe even in typical
diff --git a/service/storage_proxy.cc b/service/storage_proxy.cc
index 075d7bbee3..1516e68578 100644
--- a/service/storage_proxy.cc
+++ b/service/storage_proxy.cc
@@ -1620,11 +1620,7 @@ storage_proxy::query_local(const sstring& ks_name, const sstring& cf_name, const
             });
         });
     }).then([this, schema, slice] (auto&& result) {
-        query::result_set_builder builder{schema};
-        bytes_ostream w(result->buf());
-        query::result_view view(w.linearize());
-        view.consume(slice, builder);
-        return builder.build();
+        return make_lw_shared(query::result_set::from_raw_result(schema, slice, *result));
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/urchin/mutation_reader_assertions.hh b/tests/urchin/mutation_reader_assertions.hh
index 8a5f47c0c6..d06bc054c2 100644
--- a/tests/urchin/mutation_reader_assertions.hh
+++ b/tests/urchin/mutation_reader_assertions.hh
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ public:
     }
 };
 
-static reader_assertions assert_that(mutation_reader r) {
+inline
+reader_assertions assert_that(mutation_reader r) {
     return { std::move(r) };
 }
diff --git a/tests/urchin/mutation_test.cc b/tests/urchin/mutation_test.cc
index 50b672809c..622c251f27 100644
--- a/tests/urchin/mutation_test.cc
+++ b/tests/urchin/mutation_test.cc
@@ -4,12 +4,26 @@
 
 #define BOOST_TEST_DYN_LINK
 
-#include "tests/test-utils.hh"
+#include <random>
+#include <boost/range/adaptor/transformed.hpp>
+#include <boost/range/algorithm/copy.hpp>
+#include <boost/range/algorithm_ext/push_back.hpp>
+
 #include "core/sstring.hh"
+#include "core/do_with.hh"
+#include "core/thread.hh"
+
 #include "database.hh"
 #include "utils/UUID_gen.hh"
-#include "core/do_with.hh"
-#include <random>
+#include "mutation_reader.hh"
+#include "schema_builder.hh"
+#include "query-result-set.hh"
+#include "query-result-reader.hh"
+
+#include "tests/test-utils.hh"
+#include "tests/urchin/mutation_assertions.hh"
+#include "tests/urchin/mutation_reader_assertions.hh"
+#include "tests/urchin/result_set_assertions.hh"
 
 static sstring some_keyspace("ks");
 static sstring some_column_family("cf");
@@ -383,3 +397,54 @@ SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_cell_ordering) {
         atomic_cell::make_dead(1, expiry_2));
     return make_ready_future<>();
 }
+
+static query::partition_slice make_full_slice(const schema& s) {
+    query::partition_slice::option_set options;
+    options.set<query::partition_slice::option::send_partition_key>();
+    options.set<query::partition_slice::option::send_clustering_key>();
+    options.set<query::partition_slice::option::send_timestamp_and_expiry>();
+
+    std::vector<query::clustering_range> ranges;
+    ranges.emplace_back(query::clustering_range::make_open_ended_both_sides());
+
+    std::vector<column_id> static_columns;
+    boost::range::push_back(static_columns,
+        s.static_columns() | boost::adaptors::transformed(std::mem_fn(&column_definition::id)));
+
+    std::vector<column_id> regular_columns;
+    boost::range::push_back(regular_columns,
+        s.regular_columns() | boost::adaptors::transformed(std::mem_fn(&column_definition::id)));
+
+    return {
+        std::move(ranges),
+        std::move(static_columns),
+        std::move(regular_columns),
+        std::move(options)
+    };
+}
+
+SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_querying_of_mutation) {
+    return seastar::async([] {
+        auto s = schema_builder("ks", "cf")
+            .with_column("pk", bytes_type, column_kind::partition_key)
+            .with_column("v", bytes_type, column_kind::regular_column)
+            .build();
+
+        auto resultify = [s] (const mutation& m) -> query::result_set {
+            auto slice = make_full_slice(*s);
+            return query::result_set::from_raw_result(s, slice, m.query(slice));
+        };
+
+        mutation m(partition_key::from_single_value(*s, "key1"), s);
+        m.set_clustered_cell(clustering_key::make_empty(*s), "v", bytes("v1"), 1);
+
+        assert_that(resultify(m))
+            .has_only(a_row()
+                .with_column("pk", bytes("key1"))
+                .with_column("v", bytes("v1")));
+
+        m.partition().apply(tombstone(2, gc_clock::now()));
+
+        assert_that(resultify(m)).is_empty();
+    });
+}
diff --git a/tests/urchin/result_set_assertions.cc b/tests/urchin/result_set_assertions.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1bdebf2efc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/urchin/result_set_assertions.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2015 Cloudius Systems
+ */
+
+#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
+
+#include "result_set_assertions.hh"
+#include "to_string.hh"
+
+static inline
+sstring to_sstring(const bytes& b) {
+    return sstring(b.begin(), b.end());
+}
+
+bool
+row_assertion::matches(const query::result_set_row& row) const {
+    for (auto&& column_and_value : _expected_values) {
+        auto&& name = column_and_value.first;
+        auto&& value = column_and_value.second;
+
+        // FIXME: result_set_row works on sstring column names instead of more general "bytes".
+        auto ss_name = to_sstring(name);
+
+        if (!row.has(ss_name)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        const data_value& val = row.get_data_value(ss_name);
+        if (val != data_value(boost::any(value), val.type())) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
+sstring
+row_assertion::describe(schema_ptr schema) const {
+    return "{" + ::join(", ", _expected_values | boost::adaptors::transformed([&schema] (auto&& e) {
+        auto&& name = e.first;
+        auto&& value = e.second;
+        const column_definition* def = schema->get_column_definition(name);
+        if (!def) {
+            BOOST_FAIL(sprint("Schema is missing column definition for '%s'", name));
+        }
+        return sprint("%s=\"%s\"", to_sstring(name), def->type->to_string(def->type->decompose(value)));
+    })) + "}";
+}
+
+const result_set_assertions&
+result_set_assertions::has(const row_assertion& ra) const {
+    for (auto&& row : _rs.rows()) {
+        if (ra.matches(row)) {
+            return *this;
+        }
+    }
+    BOOST_FAIL(sprint("Row %s not found in %s", ra.describe(_rs.schema()), _rs));
+    return *this;
+}
+
+const result_set_assertions&
+result_set_assertions::has_only(const row_assertion& ra) const {
+    BOOST_REQUIRE(_rs.rows().size() == 1);
+    auto& row = _rs.rows()[0];
+    if (!ra.matches(row)) {
+        BOOST_FAIL(sprint("Expected %s but got %s", ra.describe(_rs.schema()), row));
+    }
+    return *this;
+}
+
+const result_set_assertions&
+result_set_assertions::is_empty() const {
+    BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(_rs.rows().size(), 0);
+    return *this;
+}
diff --git a/tests/urchin/result_set_assertions.hh b/tests/urchin/result_set_assertions.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6d04cb4685
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/urchin/result_set_assertions.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2015 Cloudius Systems
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <map>
+
+#include "query-result-set.hh"
+
+//
+// Contains assertions for query::result_set objects
+//
+// Example use:
+//
+//  assert_that(rs)
+//     .has(a_row().with_column("column_name", "value"));
+//
+
+class row_assertion {
+    std::map<bytes, boost::any> _expected_values;
+public:
+    row_assertion& with_column(bytes name, boost::any value) {
+        _expected_values.emplace(name, value);
+        return *this;
+    }
+private:
+    friend class result_set_assertions;
+    bool matches(const query::result_set_row& row) const;
+    sstring describe(schema_ptr s) const;
+};
+
+inline
+row_assertion a_row() {
+    return {};
+}
+
+class result_set_assertions {
+    const query::result_set& _rs;
+public:
+    result_set_assertions(const query::result_set& rs) : _rs(rs) { }
+    const result_set_assertions& has(const row_assertion& ra) const;
+    const result_set_assertions& has_only(const row_assertion& ra) const;
+    const result_set_assertions& is_empty() const;
+};
+
+// Make rs live as long as the returned assertion object is used
+inline
+result_set_assertions assert_that(const query::result_set& rs) {
+    return { rs };
+}