diff --git a/registry/storage/catalog_test.go b/registry/storage/catalog_test.go
index eb062c5b7..994c059a5 100644
--- a/registry/storage/catalog_test.go
+++ b/registry/storage/catalog_test.go
@@ -6,9 +6,12 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/docker/distribution"
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/context"
+	"github.com/docker/distribution/digest"
+	"github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/registry/storage/cache/memory"
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/registry/storage/driver"
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/registry/storage/driver/inmemory"
+	"github.com/docker/distribution/testutil"
 )
 
 type setupEnv struct {
@@ -20,28 +23,22 @@ type setupEnv struct {
 
 func setupFS(t *testing.T) *setupEnv {
 	d := inmemory.New()
-	c := []byte("")
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	registry, err := NewRegistry(ctx, d, BlobDescriptorCacheProvider(memory.NewInMemoryBlobDescriptorCacheProvider()), EnableRedirect)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error creating registry: %v", err)
 	}
-	rootpath, _ := pathFor(repositoriesRootPathSpec{})
 
 	repos := []string{
-		"/foo/a/_layers/1",
-		"/foo/b/_layers/2",
-		"/bar/c/_layers/3",
-		"/bar/d/_layers/4",
-		"/foo/d/in/_layers/5",
-		"/an/invalid/repo",
-		"/bar/d/_layers/ignored/dir/6",
+		"foo/a",
+		"foo/b",
+		"bar/c",
+		"bar/d",
+		"foo/d/in",
 	}
 
 	for _, repo := range repos {
-		if err := d.PutContent(ctx, rootpath+repo, c); err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("Unable to put to inmemory fs")
-		}
+		makeRepo(t, ctx, repo, registry)
 	}
 
 	expected := []string{
@@ -60,14 +57,55 @@ func setupFS(t *testing.T) *setupEnv {
 	}
 }
 
+func makeRepo(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, name string, reg distribution.Namespace) {
+	named, err := reference.ParseNamed(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	repo, _ := reg.Repository(ctx, named)
+	manifests, _ := repo.Manifests(ctx)
+
+	layers, err := testutil.CreateRandomLayers(1)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	err = testutil.UploadBlobs(repo, layers)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to upload layers: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	getKeys := func(digests map[digest.Digest]io.ReadSeeker) (ds []digest.Digest) {
+		for d := range digests {
+			ds = append(ds, d)
+		}
+		return
+	}
+
+	manifest, err := testutil.MakeSchema1Manifest(getKeys(layers))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	_, err = manifests.Put(ctx, manifest)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("manifest upload failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+}
+
 func TestCatalog(t *testing.T) {
 	env := setupFS(t)
 
 	p := make([]string, 50)
 
 	numFilled, err := env.registry.Repositories(env.ctx, p, "")
+	if numFilled != len(env.expected) {
+		t.Errorf("missing items in catalog")
+	}
 
-	if !testEq(p, env.expected, numFilled) {
+	if !testEq(p, env.expected, len(env.expected)) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected catalog repos err")
 	}