diff --git a/mopidy/backends/base.py b/mopidy/backends/base.py
index fd529d4c..ed6f2148 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/base.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/base.py
@@ -39,19 +39,19 @@ class BaseBackend(object):
 
 # Control methods
     def pause(self):
-        pass
+        self.state = self.PAUSE
 
-    def play(self, songid):
-        pass
+    def play_pos(self, songpos):
+        self.state = self.PLAY
 
     def play_id(self, songid):
-        pass
+        self.state = self.PLAY
 
     def resume(self):
-        pass
+        self.state = self.PLAY
 
     def stop(self):
-        pass
+        self.state = self.STOP
 
 # Current/single playlist methods
     def playlist_changes_since(self, version):
diff --git a/mopidy/backends/spotify.py b/mopidy/backends/spotify.py
index d12a78c4..af856bfe 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/spotify.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/spotify.py
@@ -100,6 +100,11 @@ class SpotifyBackend(BaseBackend):
         self.state = self.PAUSE
         self.spotify.pause()
 
+    def play_pos(self, songpos):
+        self.state = self.PLAY
+        track = self._current_playlist[songpos]
+        self.spotify.play(track)
+
     def play_id(self, songid):
         self.state = self.PLAY
         track = self._current_playlist[songid]
diff --git a/mopidy/handler.py b/mopidy/handler.py
index ed2f2bae..ddcc8655 100644
--- a/mopidy/handler.py
+++ b/mopidy/handler.py
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ class MpdHandler(object):
 
     @register(r'^play "(?P<songpos>\d+)"$')
     def _play(self, songpos):
-        pass # TODO
+        return self.backend.play_pos(int(songpos))
 
     @register(r'^playid "(?P<songid>\d+)"$')
     def _playid(self, songid):
diff --git a/tests/handlertest.py b/tests/handlertest.py
index d9ba3abf..6589c120 100644
--- a/tests/handlertest.py
+++ b/tests/handlertest.py
@@ -201,7 +201,8 @@ class PlaybackOptionsHandlerTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
 class PlaybackControlHandlerTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
-        self.h = handler.MpdHandler(backend=DummyBackend())
+        self.b = DummyBackend()
+        self.h = handler.MpdHandler(backend=self.b)
 
     def test_next(self):
         result = self.h.handle_request(u'next')
@@ -210,18 +211,22 @@ class PlaybackControlHandlerTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_pause_off(self):
         result = self.h.handle_request(u'pause "0"')
         self.assert_(result is None)
+        self.assertEquals(self.b.PLAY, self.b.state)
 
     def test_pause_on(self):
         result = self.h.handle_request(u'pause "1"')
         self.assert_(result is None)
+        self.assertEquals(self.b.PAUSE, self.b.state)
 
     def test_play(self):
         result = self.h.handle_request(u'play "0"')
         self.assert_(result is None)
+        self.assertEquals(self.b.PLAY, self.b.state)
 
     def test_playid(self):
         result = self.h.handle_request(u'playid "0"')
         self.assert_(result is None)
+        self.assertEquals(self.b.PLAY, self.b.state)
 
     def test_previous(self):
         result = self.h.handle_request(u'previous')
@@ -238,6 +243,7 @@ class PlaybackControlHandlerTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_stop(self):
         result = self.h.handle_request(u'stop')
         self.assert_(result is None)
+        self.assertEquals(self.b.STOP, self.b.state)
 
 
 class CurrentPlaylistHandlerTest(unittest.TestCase):