diff --git a/tests/integration/records/load-test.js b/tests/integration/records/load-test.js
index f7836cc2d33..70467102861 100644
--- a/tests/integration/records/load-test.js
+++ b/tests/integration/records/load-test.js
@@ -1,39 +1,146 @@
-import { reject } from 'rsvp';
+import { module, test } from 'qunit';
+import { setupTest } from 'ember-qunit';
+import { reject, Promise } from 'rsvp';
+import Store from 'ember-data/store';
+import Model from 'ember-data/model';
+import JSONAPIAdapter from 'ember-data/adapters/json-api';
+import { attr, belongsTo } from '@ember-decorators/data';
+
+class Person extends Model {
+  @attr name;
+  @belongsTo('person', { async: true, inverse: 'bestFriend' })
+  bestFriend;
+}
+
 import { run } from '@ember/runloop';
-import setupStore from 'dummy/tests/helpers/store';
 
-import { module, test } from 'qunit';
+module('integration/load - Loading Records', function(hooks) {
+  let store;
+  setupTest(hooks);
+
+  hooks.beforeEach(function () {
+    let { owner } = this;
+    owner.register('service:store', Store);
+    owner.register('model:person', Person);
+    store = owner.lookup('service:store');
+  });
+
+  test('When loading a record fails, the record is not left behind', async function(assert) {
+    this.owner.register('adapter:application', JSONAPIAdapter.extend({
+      findRecord() {
+        return reject();
+      }
+    }));
+
+    await store.findRecord('person', '1')
+      .catch(() => {
+        assert.equal(store.hasRecordForId('person', '1'), false);
+      });
+  });
+
+  test('Empty records remain in the empty state while data is being fetched', async function(assert) {
+    let deferredResolve;
+
+    this.owner.register('adapter:application', JSONAPIAdapter.extend({
+      findRecord() {
+        return new Promise(resolve => {
+          deferredResolve = resolve;
+        })
+      }
+    }));
+
+    let internalModel = store._internalModelForId('person', '1');
 
-import DS from 'ember-data';
+    // test that our initial state is correct
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isEmpty(), true, 'We begin in the empty state');
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isLoading(), false, 'We have not triggered a load');
 
-const { hasMany } = DS;
+    let recordPromise = store.findRecord('person', '1');
 
-let Post, Comment, env;
+    // test that during the initial load our state is correct
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isEmpty(), true, 'We remain in the empty state');
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isLoading(), true, 'We have now triggered a load');
 
-module('integration/load - Loading Records', {
-  beforeEach() {
-    Post = DS.Model.extend({
-      comments: hasMany({ async: true }),
+    deferredResolve({
+      data: {
+        type: 'person',
+        id: '1',
+        attributes: { name: 'Chris' },
+        relationships: {
+          bestFriend: {
+            data: { type: 'person', id: '2' }
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      included: [
+        {
+          type: 'person',
+          id: '2',
+          attributes: { name: 'Shen' },
+          relationships: {
+            bestFriend: {
+              data: { type: 'person', id: '1' }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
     });
 
-    Comment = DS.Model.extend();
+    let record = await recordPromise;
 
-    env = setupStore({ post: Post, comment: Comment });
-  },
+    // test that after the initial load our state is correct
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isEmpty(), false, 'We are no longer empty');
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isLoading(), false, 'We have loaded');
 
-  afterEach() {
-    run(env.container, 'destroy');
-  },
-});
+    let bestFriend = await record.get('bestFriend');
+    let trueBestFriend = await bestFriend.get('bestFriend');
+    let shen = store.peekRecord('person', '2');
+
+    assert.ok(bestFriend === shen, 'Precond: bestFriend is correct');
+    assert.ok(trueBestFriend === record, 'Precond: bestFriend of bestFriend is correct');
+
+    recordPromise = record.reload();
+
+    // test that during a reload our state is correct
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isEmpty(), false, 'We remain non-empty');
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isLoading(), true, 'We are loading again');
+
+    await recordPromise;
+
+    // test that after a reload our state is correct
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isEmpty(), false, 'We remain non-empty');
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isLoading(), false, 'We have loaded');
 
-test('When loading a record fails, the record is not left behind', function(assert) {
-  env.adapter.findRecord = function(store, type, id, snapshot) {
-    return reject();
-  };
+    await record.unloadRecord();
 
-  return run(() => {
-    return env.store.findRecord('post', 1).catch(() => {
-      assert.equal(env.store.hasRecordForId('post', 1), false);
+    // test that after an unload our state is correct
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isEmpty(), false, 'We are empty again');
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isLoading(), false, 'We are not loading');
+
+    recordPromise = store.findRecord('person', '1');
+
+    // test that during a reload-due-to-unload our state is correct
+    //   This requires a retainer (the async bestFriend relationship)
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isEmpty(), true, 'We remain empty');
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isLoading(), true, 'We are loading again');
+
+    deferredResolve({
+      data: {
+        type: 'person',
+        id: '1',
+        attributes: { name: 'Chris' },
+        relationships: {
+          bestFriend: {
+            data: { type: 'person', id: '2' }
+          }
+        }
+      }
     });
+
+    await recordPromise;
+
+    // test that after the reload-due-to-unload our state is correct
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isEmpty(), false, 'We are no longer empty');
+    assert.equal(internalModel.isLoading(), false, 'We have loaded');
   });
 });