diff --git a/plugin.rb b/plugin.rb
index ec4964b..0f392b7 100755
--- a/plugin.rb
+++ b/plugin.rb
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class Engine < ::Rails::Engine
   load File.expand_path('../lib/discourse_topic_voting/topic_extension.rb', __FILE__)
   load File.expand_path('../lib/discourse_topic_voting/user_extension.rb', __FILE__)
 
-  reloadable_patch do |plugin|
+  reloadable_patch do
     CategoriesController.class_eval { prepend DiscourseTopicVoting::CategoriesControllerExtension }
     Category.class_eval { prepend DiscourseTopicVoting::CategoryExtension }
     Topic.class_eval { prepend DiscourseTopicVoting::TopicExtension }
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ def user_voted
     add_to_serializer(:topic_list_item, :include_vote_count?) { object.can_vote? }
     add_to_serializer(:topic_list_item, :include_can_vote?) { SiteSetting.voting_enabled && object.regular? }
     add_to_serializer(:topic_list_item, :include_user_voted?) { object.can_vote? }
+    # this always evaluates to true because
+    # include_can_vote? returns false if voting is not enabled
     add_to_serializer(:basic_category, :can_vote, false) { SiteSetting.voting_enabled }
     add_to_serializer(:basic_category, :include_can_vote?) { Category.can_vote?(object.id) }
 
diff --git a/spec/fabricators/topic_vote_count_fabricator.rb b/spec/fabricators/topic_vote_count_fabricator.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..409ece0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fabricators/topic_vote_count_fabricator.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+Fabricator(:topic_voting_vote_count, class_name: 'DiscourseTopicVoting::TopicVoteCount') do
+  topic
+  votes_count 1
+end
diff --git a/spec/fabricators/vote_fabricator.rb b/spec/fabricators/vote_fabricator.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57df217
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fabricators/vote_fabricator.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+Fabricator(:topic_voting_votes, class_name: 'DiscourseTopicVoting::Vote') do
+  user
+  topic
+end
diff --git a/spec/serializers/basic_category_serializer_spec.rb b/spec/serializers/basic_category_serializer_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee70f27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/serializers/basic_category_serializer_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require 'rails_helper'
+
+describe BasicCategorySerializer do
+  fab!(:category) { Fabricate(:category) }
+
+  it 'does not return can_vote when voting disabled' do
+    SiteSetting.voting_enabled = false
+
+    json = BasicCategorySerializer.new(category, root: false).as_json
+
+    expect(json[:can_vote]).to eq(nil)
+  end
+
+  it 'does not return can_vote when voting disabled' do
+    SiteSetting.voting_enabled = true
+    DiscourseTopicVoting::CategorySetting.create!(category: category)
+
+    json = BasicCategorySerializer.new(category, root: false).as_json
+
+    expect(json[:can_vote]).to eq(true)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/serializers/topic_list_item_serializer_spec.rb b/spec/serializers/topic_list_item_serializer_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a284fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/serializers/topic_list_item_serializer_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+describe TopicListItemSerializer do
+  let(:user) { Fabricate(:user) }
+  let(:category) { Fabricate(:category) }
+  let(:topic) { Fabricate(:topic, category_id: category.id) }
+  let(:guardian) { Guardian.new(user) }
+
+  it 'excludes properties when voting disabled' do
+    SiteSetting.voting_enabled = false
+
+    json = TopicListItemSerializer.new(topic, scope: guardian, root: false).as_json
+
+    expect(json[:vote_count]).to eq nil
+    expect(json[:user_voted]).to eq nil
+    expect(json[:can_vote]).to eq nil
+  end
+
+  it 'adds can_vote when enabled' do
+    SiteSetting.voting_enabled = true
+    json = TopicListItemSerializer.new(topic, scope: guardian, root: false).as_json
+
+    expect(json[:vote_count]).to eq nil
+    expect(json[:user_voted]).to eq nil
+    expect(json[:can_vote]).to eq false
+  end
+
+  it 'updates vote count to 0 when topic is votable' do
+    SiteSetting.voting_enabled = true
+    DiscourseTopicVoting::CategorySetting.create!(category: category)
+    json = TopicListItemSerializer.new(topic, scope: guardian, root: false).as_json
+
+    expect(json[:vote_count]).to eq 0
+    expect(json[:user_voted]).to eq false
+    expect(json[:can_vote]).to eq true
+  end
+
+  it "returns all the values" do
+    SiteSetting.voting_enabled = true
+    DiscourseTopicVoting::CategorySetting.create!(category: category)
+    Fabricate(:topic_voting_votes, user: user, topic: topic)
+    Fabricate(:topic_voting_vote_count, topic: topic)
+    json = TopicListItemSerializer.new(topic, scope: guardian, root: false).as_json
+
+    expect(json[:vote_count]).to eq 1
+    expect(json[:user_voted]).to eq true
+    expect(json[:can_vote]).to eq true
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/serializers/topic_view_serializer_spec.rb b/spec/serializers/topic_view_serializer_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a78323
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/serializers/topic_view_serializer_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require 'rails_helper'
+
+describe TopicViewSerializer do
+  let(:user) { Fabricate(:user) }
+  let(:category) { Fabricate(:category) }
+  let(:topic) { Fabricate(:topic, category_id: category.id) }
+  let(:topic_view) { TopicView.new(topic, user) }
+  let(:guardian) { Guardian.new(user) }
+
+  it 'returns false when voting disabled' do
+    SiteSetting.voting_enabled = false
+    DiscourseTopicVoting::CategorySetting.create!(category: category)
+
+    json = TopicViewSerializer.new(topic_view, scope: guardian, root: false).as_json
+
+    expect(json[:can_vote]).to eq(false)
+  end
+
+  it 'returns false when topic not in category' do
+    SiteSetting.voting_enabled = true
+
+    json = TopicViewSerializer.new(topic_view, scope: guardian, root: false).as_json
+
+    expect(json[:can_vote]).to eq(false)
+  end
+
+  it 'returns false when voting disabled and topic not in category' do
+    json = TopicViewSerializer.new(topic_view, scope: guardian, root: false).as_json
+
+    expect(json[:can_vote]).to eq(false)
+  end
+
+  it 'returns true when voting enabled and topic in category' do
+    SiteSetting.voting_enabled = true
+    DiscourseTopicVoting::CategorySetting.create!(category: category)
+
+    json = TopicViewSerializer.new(topic_view, scope: guardian, root: false).as_json
+
+    expect(json[:can_vote]).to eq(true)
+  end
+end