diff --git a/lib/tests/behat/behat_general.php b/lib/tests/behat/behat_general.php
index 6e1934c4f35..b4e446508ca 100644
--- a/lib/tests/behat/behat_general.php
+++ b/lib/tests/behat/behat_general.php
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ use Behat\Mink\Exception\ExpectationException as ExpectationException,
     Behat\Mink\Exception\DriverException as DriverException,
     WebDriver\Exception\NoSuchElement as NoSuchElement,
     WebDriver\Exception\StaleElementReference as StaleElementReference,
-    Behat\Gherkin\Node\TableNode as TableNode;
+    Behat\Gherkin\Node\TableNode as TableNode,
+    Behat\Behat\Context\Step\Given as Given;
 
 /**
  * Cross component steps definitions.
@@ -55,6 +56,13 @@ class behat_general extends behat_base {
      */
     const MAIN_WINDOW_NAME = '__moodle_behat_main_window_name';
 
+    /**
+     * @var string when we want to check whether or not a new page has loaded,
+     * we first write this unique string into the page. Then later, by checking
+     * whether it is still there, we can tell if a new page has been loaded.
+     */
+    const PAGE_LOAD_DETECTION_STRING = 'new_page_not_loaded_since_behat_started_watching';
+
     /**
      * Opens Moodle homepage.
      *
@@ -1221,4 +1229,72 @@ class behat_general extends behat_base {
                     $maxexpectedsize, $this->getSession());
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Prepare to detect whether or not a new page has loaded (or the same page reloaded) some time in the future.
+     *
+     * @Given /^I start watching to see if a new page loads$/
+     */
+    public function i_start_watching_to_see_if_a_new_page_loads() {
+        if (!$this->running_javascript()) {
+            throw new DriverException('Page load detection requires JavaScript.');
+        }
+
+        if ($this->getSession()->getPage()->find('xpath', $this->get_page_load_xpath())) {
+            // If we find this node at this point we are already watching for a reload and the behat steps
+            // are out of order. We will treat this as an error - really it needs to be fixed as it indicates a problem.
+            throw new ExpectationException('Page load expectation error: page reloads are already been watched for.');
+        }
+
+        $this->getSession()->evaluateScript(
+                'var span = document.createElement("span");
+                span.setAttribute("data-rel", "' . self::PAGE_LOAD_DETECTION_STRING . '");
+                span.setAttribute("style", "display: none;");
+                document.body.appendChild(span);');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Verify that a new page has loaded (or the same page has reloaded) since the
+     * last "I start watching to see if a new page loads" step.
+     *
+     * @Given /^a new page should have loaded since I started watching$/
+     */
+    public function a_new_page_should_have_loaded_since_i_started_watching() {
+        // As the node is inserted by code above it is either there or not, and we do not need spin and it is safe
+        // to use the native API here which is great as exception handling (the alternative is slow).
+        if ($this->getSession()->getPage()->find('xpath', $this->get_page_load_xpath())) {
+            // We don't want to find this node, if we do we have an error.
+            throw new ExpectationException(
+                'Page load expectation error: a new page has not been loaded when it should have been.',
+                $this->getSession()
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Verify that a new page has not loaded (or the same page has reloaded) since the
+     * last "I start watching to see if a new page loads" step.
+     *
+     * @Given /^a new page should not have loaded since I started watching$/
+     */
+    public function a_new_page_should_not_have_loaded_since_i_started_watching() {
+        // We use our API here as we can use the exception handling provided by it.
+        $this->find(
+            'xpath',
+            $this->get_page_load_xpath(),
+            new ExpectationException(
+                'Page load expectation error: A new page has been loaded when it should not have been.',
+                $this->getSession()
+            )
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Helper used by {@link a_new_page_should_have_loaded_since_i_started_watching}
+     * and {@link a_new_page_should_not_have_loaded_since_i_started_watching}
+     * @return string xpath expression.
+     */
+    protected function get_page_load_xpath() {
+        return "//span[@data-rel = '" . self::PAGE_LOAD_DETECTION_STRING . "']";
+    }
 }