diff --git a/mopidy/backends/__init__.py b/mopidy/backends/__init__.py
index 2adc2398..3ff5f6a5 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/__init__.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/__init__.py
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ class BasePlaybackController(object):
     def next(self):
         raise NotImplementedError
 
+    def pause(self):
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
     @property
     def next_track(self):
         playlist = self.backend.current_playlist.playlist
diff --git a/mopidy/backends/gstreamer.py b/mopidy/backends/gstreamer.py
index 7c474bd8..0ad631e8 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/gstreamer.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/gstreamer.py
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ class GStreamerPlaybackController(BasePlaybackController):
     def stop(self):
         self.bin.set_state(gst.STATE_NULL)
 
+    def pause(self):
+        if self.state == self.PLAYING:
+            self.bin.set_state(gst.STATE_PAUSED)
+
     def next(self):
         playlist = self.backend.current_playlist.playlist
 
diff --git a/tests/backends/basetests.py b/tests/backends/basetests.py
index b25dc5d8..5dbebf77 100644
--- a/tests/backends/basetests.py
+++ b/tests/backends/basetests.py
@@ -349,20 +349,34 @@ class BasePlaybackControllerTest(object):
     def test_new_playlist_loaded_callback(self):
         raise NotImplementedError
 
+    @populate_playlist
     def test_pause_when_stopped(self):
-        raise NotImplementedError
+        self.playback.pause()
+        self.assertEqual(self.playback.state, self.playback.STOPPED)
 
+    @populate_playlist
     def test_pause_when_playing(self):
-        raise NotImplementedError
+        self.playback.play()
+        self.playback.pause()
+        self.assertEqual(self.playback.state, self.playback.PAUSED)
 
+    @populate_playlist
     def test_pause_when_paused(self):
-        raise NotImplementedError
+        self.playback.play()
+        self.playback.pause()
+        self.playback.pause()
+        self.assertEqual(self.playback.state, self.playback.PAUSED)
 
+    @populate_playlist
     def test_resume_when_stopped(self):
-        raise NotImplementedError
+        self.playback.resume()
+        self.assertEqual(self.playback.state, self.playback.PLAYING)
 
+    @populate_playlist
     def test_resume_when_playing(self):
-        raise NotImplementedError
+        self.playback.play()
+        self.playback.resume()
+        self.assertEqual(self.playback.state, self.playback.PLAYING)
 
     def test_resume_when_paused(self):
         raise NotImplementedError