diff --git a/src/funnel/scheduler/condor/sched.go b/src/funnel/scheduler/condor/sched.go
index 9d5a9d858..eed65196b 100644
--- a/src/funnel/scheduler/condor/sched.go
+++ b/src/funnel/scheduler/condor/sched.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ var log = logger.New("condor")
 const prefix = "condor-worker-"
 
 // Plugin provides the HTCondor scheduler backend plugin.
-var Plugin = scheduler.BackendPlugin{
+var Plugin = *scheduler.BackendPlugin{
 	Name:   "condor",
 	Create: NewBackend,
 }
diff --git a/src/funnel/scheduler/gce/sched.go b/src/funnel/scheduler/gce/sched.go
index 45091db03..fcd6f26e1 100644
--- a/src/funnel/scheduler/gce/sched.go
+++ b/src/funnel/scheduler/gce/sched.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import (
 var log = logger.New("gce")
 
 // Plugin provides the Google Cloud Compute scheduler backend plugin.
-var Plugin = scheduler.BackendPlugin{
+var Plugin = &scheduler.BackendPlugin{
 	Name:   "gce",
 	Create: NewBackend,
 }
diff --git a/src/funnel/scheduler/gce/util_test.go b/src/funnel/scheduler/gce/util_test.go
index d89fb3abc..32f49b599 100644
--- a/src/funnel/scheduler/gce/util_test.go
+++ b/src/funnel/scheduler/gce/util_test.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func setup() *harness {
 	h := &harness{conf, srv, gce, gce}
 
 	// Add mock backend
-	h.srv.Scheduler.AddBackend(scheduler.BackendPlugin{
+	h.srv.Scheduler.AddBackend(&scheduler.BackendPlugin{
 		Name: "gce-mock",
 		Create: func(conf config.Config) (scheduler.Backend, error) {
 			log.Debug("Creating mock scheduler backend")
diff --git a/src/funnel/scheduler/local/sched.go b/src/funnel/scheduler/local/sched.go
index 617f07c1f..4f60580f5 100644
--- a/src/funnel/scheduler/local/sched.go
+++ b/src/funnel/scheduler/local/sched.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 var log = logger.New("local")
 
 // Plugin provides the local scheduler backend plugin
-var Plugin = scheduler.BackendPlugin{
+var Plugin = &scheduler.BackendPlugin{
 	Name:   "local",
 	Create: NewBackend,
 }
diff --git a/src/funnel/scheduler/mocks/Database.go b/src/funnel/scheduler/mocks/Database.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eb158d37c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/funnel/scheduler/mocks/Database.go
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+package mocks
+
+import context "golang.org/x/net/context"
+import funnel "funnel/proto/funnel"
+import mock "github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
+
+import tes "funnel/proto/tes"
+
+// Database is an autogenerated mock type for the Database type
+type Database struct {
+	mock.Mock
+}
+
+// AssignJob provides a mock function with given fields: _a0, _a1
+func (_m *Database) AssignJob(_a0 *tes.Job, _a1 *funnel.Worker) {
+	_m.Called(_a0, _a1)
+}
+
+// CheckWorkers provides a mock function with given fields:
+func (_m *Database) CheckWorkers() error {
+	ret := _m.Called()
+
+	var r0 error
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(0).(func() error); ok {
+		r0 = rf()
+	} else {
+		r0 = ret.Error(0)
+	}
+
+	return r0
+}
+
+// GetWorkers provides a mock function with given fields: _a0, _a1
+func (_m *Database) GetWorkers(_a0 context.Context, _a1 *funnel.GetWorkersRequest) (*funnel.GetWorkersResponse, error) {
+	ret := _m.Called(_a0, _a1)
+
+	var r0 *funnel.GetWorkersResponse
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(0).(func(context.Context, *funnel.GetWorkersRequest) *funnel.GetWorkersResponse); ok {
+		r0 = rf(_a0, _a1)
+	} else {
+		if ret.Get(0) != nil {
+			r0 = ret.Get(0).(*funnel.GetWorkersResponse)
+		}
+	}
+
+	var r1 error
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(1).(func(context.Context, *funnel.GetWorkersRequest) error); ok {
+		r1 = rf(_a0, _a1)
+	} else {
+		r1 = ret.Error(1)
+	}
+
+	return r0, r1
+}
+
+// ReadQueue provides a mock function with given fields: n
+func (_m *Database) ReadQueue(n int) []*tes.Job {
+	ret := _m.Called(n)
+
+	var r0 []*tes.Job
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(0).(func(int) []*tes.Job); ok {
+		r0 = rf(n)
+	} else {
+		if ret.Get(0) != nil {
+			r0 = ret.Get(0).([]*tes.Job)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return r0
+}
+
+// UpdateWorker provides a mock function with given fields: _a0, _a1
+func (_m *Database) UpdateWorker(_a0 context.Context, _a1 *funnel.Worker) (*funnel.UpdateWorkerResponse, error) {
+	ret := _m.Called(_a0, _a1)
+
+	var r0 *funnel.UpdateWorkerResponse
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(0).(func(context.Context, *funnel.Worker) *funnel.UpdateWorkerResponse); ok {
+		r0 = rf(_a0, _a1)
+	} else {
+		if ret.Get(0) != nil {
+			r0 = ret.Get(0).(*funnel.UpdateWorkerResponse)
+		}
+	}
+
+	var r1 error
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(1).(func(context.Context, *funnel.Worker) error); ok {
+		r1 = rf(_a0, _a1)
+	} else {
+		r1 = ret.Error(1)
+	}
+
+	return r0, r1
+}
diff --git a/src/funnel/scheduler/openstack/sched.go b/src/funnel/scheduler/openstack/sched.go
index a8f4adc94..39e2e63b5 100644
--- a/src/funnel/scheduler/openstack/sched.go
+++ b/src/funnel/scheduler/openstack/sched.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 var log = logger.New("openstack")
 
 // Plugin provides the OpenStack scheduler backend plugin.
-var Plugin = scheduler.BackendPlugin{
+var Plugin = &scheduler.BackendPlugin{
 	Name:   "openstack",
 	Create: NewBackend,
 }
diff --git a/src/funnel/scheduler/scheduler.go b/src/funnel/scheduler/scheduler.go
index 433495a53..8e3cc8cfd 100644
--- a/src/funnel/scheduler/scheduler.go
+++ b/src/funnel/scheduler/scheduler.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ type Database interface {
 
 // NewScheduler returns a new Scheduler instance.
 func NewScheduler(db Database, conf config.Config) (*Scheduler, error) {
-	backends := map[string]BackendPlugin{}
+	backends := map[string]*BackendPlugin{}
 
 	err := util.EnsureDir(conf.WorkDir)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@ func NewScheduler(db Database, conf config.Config) (*Scheduler, error) {
 type Scheduler struct {
 	db       Database
 	conf     config.Config
-	backends map[string]BackendPlugin
+	backends map[string]*BackendPlugin
 }
 
 // AddBackend adds a backend plugin.
-func (s *Scheduler) AddBackend(plugin BackendPlugin) {
+func (s *Scheduler) AddBackend(plugin *BackendPlugin) {
 	s.backends[plugin.Name] = plugin
 }
 
@@ -60,10 +60,12 @@ func (s *Scheduler) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 			var err error
 			err = s.Schedule(ctx)
 			if err != nil {
+				log.Error("Schedule error", err)
 				return err
 			}
 			err = s.Scale(ctx)
 			if err != nil {
+				log.Error("Scale error", err)
 				return err
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/funnel/scheduler/scheduler_test.go b/src/funnel/scheduler/scheduler_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d532fb1c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/funnel/scheduler/scheduler_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package scheduler
+
+import (
+	"funnel/config"
+	"funnel/logger"
+	"funnel/proto/tes"
+	"funnel/scheduler/mocks"
+	"golang.org/x/net/context"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	logger.ForceColors()
+}
+
+type BlankBackend struct{}
+
+func (b *BlankBackend) Schedule(*tes.Job) *Offer {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func TestBackendCaching(t *testing.T) {
+	conf := config.DefaultConfig()
+	conf.Scheduler = "test"
+
+	db := &mocks.Database{}
+	db.On("CheckWorkers").Return(nil)
+	db.On("ReadQueue", 10).Return([]*tes.Job{})
+
+	s, _ := NewScheduler(db, conf)
+	calls := 0
+	s.AddBackend(&BackendPlugin{
+		Name: "test",
+		Create: func(config.Config) (Backend, error) {
+			calls++
+			return &BlankBackend{}, nil
+		},
+	})
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	s.Schedule(ctx)
+	s.Schedule(ctx)
+	if calls != 1 {
+		logger.Debug("Calls", calls)
+		t.Error("Expected one call")
+		return
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/funnel/server/mocks/server.go b/src/funnel/server/mocks/server.go
index 0fb307c00..1620a4932 100644
--- a/src/funnel/server/mocks/server.go
+++ b/src/funnel/server/mocks/server.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func (m *Server) Start() {
 	m.stop = stop
 	m.Server.Start(ctx)
 	m.NoopWorker = NewNoopWorker(m.Conf)
-	m.Scheduler.AddBackend(scheduler.BackendPlugin{
+	m.Scheduler.AddBackend(&scheduler.BackendPlugin{
 		Name: "noop",
 		Create: func(conf config.Config) (scheduler.Backend, error) {
 			return scheduler.Backend(&NoopBackend{m.NoopWorker, conf}), nil
diff --git a/src/funnel/tests/worker_test.go b/src/funnel/tests/worker_test.go
index 0241c13eb..f17dd2d08 100644
--- a/src/funnel/tests/worker_test.go
+++ b/src/funnel/tests/worker_test.go
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ func TestBasicWorker(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 // Test a scheduled job is removed from the job queue.
-// TODO doesn't this belong more in the scheduler?
 func TestScheduledJobRemovedFromQueue(t *testing.T) {
 	srv := server_mocks.NewServer(server_mocks.NewConfig())
 	srv.Start()