diff --git a/test/unit/proxy/test_sysmeta.py b/test/unit/proxy/test_sysmeta.py
index 9548680791..1a7f82334e 100644
--- a/test/unit/proxy/test_sysmeta.py
+++ b/test/unit/proxy/test_sysmeta.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import unittest
 import os
 from tempfile import mkdtemp
 import shutil
+
+from swift.common.middleware.copy import ServerSideCopyMiddleware
 from swift.common.storage_policy import StoragePolicy
 from swift.common.swob import Request
 from swift.common.utils import mkdirs, split_path
@@ -133,6 +135,7 @@ class TestObjectSysmeta(unittest.TestCase):
                                      logger=debug_logger('proxy-ut'),
                                      account_ring=FakeRing(replicas=1),
                                      container_ring=FakeRing(replicas=1))
+        self.copy_app = ServerSideCopyMiddleware(self.app, {})
         monkey_patch_mimetools()
         self.tmpdir = mkdtemp()
         self.testdir = os.path.join(self.tmpdir,
@@ -239,7 +242,7 @@ class TestObjectSysmeta(unittest.TestCase):
         self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.new_meta_headers)
         self._assertNotInHeaders(resp, self.original_meta_headers_2)
 
-    def _test_sysmeta_not_updated_by_POST(self):
+    def _test_sysmeta_not_updated_by_POST(self, app):
         # check sysmeta is not changed by a POST but user meta is replaced
         path = '/v1/a/c/o'
 
@@ -247,7 +250,7 @@ class TestObjectSysmeta(unittest.TestCase):
         hdrs = dict(self.original_sysmeta_headers_1)
         hdrs.update(self.original_meta_headers_1)
         req = Request.blank(path, environ=env, headers=hdrs, body='x')
-        resp = req.get_response(self.app)
+        resp = req.get_response(app)
         self._assertStatus(resp, 201)
 
         env = {'REQUEST_METHOD': 'POST'}
@@ -257,11 +260,11 @@ class TestObjectSysmeta(unittest.TestCase):
         hdrs.update(self.new_meta_headers)
         hdrs.update(self.bad_headers)
         req = Request.blank(path, environ=env, headers=hdrs)
-        resp = req.get_response(self.app)
+        resp = req.get_response(app)
         self._assertStatus(resp, 202)
 
         req = Request.blank(path, environ={})
-        resp = req.get_response(self.app)
+        resp = req.get_response(app)
         self._assertStatus(resp, 200)
         self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.original_sysmeta_headers_1)
         self._assertNotInHeaders(resp, self.new_sysmeta_headers)
@@ -274,12 +277,106 @@ class TestObjectSysmeta(unittest.TestCase):
         hdrs.update(self.new_sysmeta_headers)
         hdrs.update(self.bad_headers)
         req = Request.blank(path, environ=env, headers=hdrs, body='x')
-        resp = req.get_response(self.app)
+        resp = req.get_response(app)
         self._assertStatus(resp, 201)
 
         req = Request.blank(path, environ={})
-        resp = req.get_response(self.app)
+        resp = req.get_response(app)
         self._assertStatus(resp, 200)
         self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.changed_sysmeta_headers)
         self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.new_sysmeta_headers)
         self._assertNotInHeaders(resp, self.original_sysmeta_headers_2)
+
+    def test_sysmeta_not_updated_by_POST(self):
+        # test fast-post by issuing requests to the proxy app
+        self._test_sysmeta_not_updated_by_POST(self.app)
+
+    def test_sysmeta_not_updated_by_POST_as_copy(self):
+        # test post-as-copy by issuing requests to the copy middleware app
+        self.copy_app.object_post_as_copy = True
+        self._test_sysmeta_not_updated_by_POST(self.copy_app)
+
+    def test_sysmeta_updated_by_COPY(self):
+        # check sysmeta is updated by a COPY in same way as user meta by
+        # issuing requests to the copy middleware app
+        path = '/v1/a/c/o'
+        dest = '/c/o2'
+        env = {'REQUEST_METHOD': 'PUT'}
+        hdrs = dict(self.original_sysmeta_headers_1)
+        hdrs.update(self.original_sysmeta_headers_2)
+        hdrs.update(self.original_meta_headers_1)
+        hdrs.update(self.original_meta_headers_2)
+        req = Request.blank(path, environ=env, headers=hdrs, body='x')
+        resp = req.get_response(self.copy_app)
+        self._assertStatus(resp, 201)
+
+        env = {'REQUEST_METHOD': 'COPY'}
+        hdrs = dict(self.changed_sysmeta_headers)
+        hdrs.update(self.new_sysmeta_headers)
+        hdrs.update(self.changed_meta_headers)
+        hdrs.update(self.new_meta_headers)
+        hdrs.update(self.bad_headers)
+        hdrs.update({'Destination': dest})
+        req = Request.blank(path, environ=env, headers=hdrs)
+        resp = req.get_response(self.copy_app)
+        self._assertStatus(resp, 201)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.changed_sysmeta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.new_sysmeta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.original_sysmeta_headers_2)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.changed_meta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.new_meta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.original_meta_headers_2)
+        self._assertNotInHeaders(resp, self.bad_headers)
+
+        req = Request.blank('/v1/a/c/o2', environ={})
+        resp = req.get_response(self.copy_app)
+        self._assertStatus(resp, 200)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.changed_sysmeta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.new_sysmeta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.original_sysmeta_headers_2)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.changed_meta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.new_meta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.original_meta_headers_2)
+        self._assertNotInHeaders(resp, self.bad_headers)
+
+    def test_sysmeta_updated_by_COPY_from(self):
+        # check sysmeta is updated by a PUT with x-copy-from in same way as
+        # user meta by issuing requests to the copy middleware app
+        path = '/v1/a/c/o'
+        env = {'REQUEST_METHOD': 'PUT'}
+        hdrs = dict(self.original_sysmeta_headers_1)
+        hdrs.update(self.original_sysmeta_headers_2)
+        hdrs.update(self.original_meta_headers_1)
+        hdrs.update(self.original_meta_headers_2)
+        req = Request.blank(path, environ=env, headers=hdrs, body='x')
+        resp = req.get_response(self.copy_app)
+        self._assertStatus(resp, 201)
+
+        env = {'REQUEST_METHOD': 'PUT'}
+        hdrs = dict(self.changed_sysmeta_headers)
+        hdrs.update(self.new_sysmeta_headers)
+        hdrs.update(self.changed_meta_headers)
+        hdrs.update(self.new_meta_headers)
+        hdrs.update(self.bad_headers)
+        hdrs.update({'X-Copy-From': '/c/o'})
+        req = Request.blank('/v1/a/c/o2', environ=env, headers=hdrs, body='')
+        resp = req.get_response(self.copy_app)
+        self._assertStatus(resp, 201)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.changed_sysmeta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.new_sysmeta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.original_sysmeta_headers_2)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.changed_meta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.new_meta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.original_meta_headers_2)
+        self._assertNotInHeaders(resp, self.bad_headers)
+
+        req = Request.blank('/v1/a/c/o2', environ={})
+        resp = req.get_response(self.copy_app)
+        self._assertStatus(resp, 200)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.changed_sysmeta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.new_sysmeta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.original_sysmeta_headers_2)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.changed_meta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.new_meta_headers)
+        self._assertInHeaders(resp, self.original_meta_headers_2)
+        self._assertNotInHeaders(resp, self.bad_headers)