diff --git a/gcloud/storage/test_batch.py b/gcloud/storage/test_batch.py
index 3184b75bd6ff..7276267aff6e 100644
--- a/gcloud/storage/test_batch.py
+++ b/gcloud/storage/test_batch.py
@@ -160,8 +160,35 @@ def test_finish_empty(self):
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, batch.finish)
         self.assertTrue(connection.http is http)
 
-    def test_finish_nonempty(self):
+    def _check_subrequest_no_payload(self, chunk, method, url):
+        lines = chunk.splitlines()
+        # blank + 2 headers + blank + request + blank + blank
+        self.assertEqual(len(lines), 7)
+        self.assertEqual(lines[0], '')
+        self.assertEqual(lines[1], 'Content-Type: application/http')
+        self.assertEqual(lines[2], 'MIME-Version: 1.0')
+        self.assertEqual(lines[3], '')
+        self.assertEqual(lines[4], '%s %s HTTP/1.1' % (method, url))
+        self.assertEqual(lines[5], '')
+        self.assertEqual(lines[6], '')
+
+    def _check_subrequest_payload(self, chunk, method, url, payload):
         import json
+        lines = chunk.splitlines()
+        # blank + 2 headers + blank + request + 2 headers + blank + body
+        payload_str = json.dumps(payload)
+        self.assertEqual(len(lines), 9)
+        self.assertEqual(lines[0], '')
+        self.assertEqual(lines[1], 'Content-Type: application/http')
+        self.assertEqual(lines[2], 'MIME-Version: 1.0')
+        self.assertEqual(lines[3], '')
+        self.assertEqual(lines[4], '%s %s HTTP/1.1' % (method, url))
+        self.assertEqual(lines[5], 'Content-Length: %d' % len(payload_str))
+        self.assertEqual(lines[6], 'Content-Type: application/json')
+        self.assertEqual(lines[7], '')
+        self.assertEqual(json.loads(lines[8]), payload)
+
+    def test_finish_nonempty(self):
         URL = 'http://api.example.com/other_api'
         expected = _Response()
         expected['Content-Type'] = 'multipart/mixed; boundary="DEADBEEF="'
@@ -188,7 +215,7 @@ def test_finish_nonempty(self):
         self.assertEqual(uri, 'http://api.example.com/batch')
         self.assertEqual(len(headers), 2)
         ctype, boundary = [x.strip()
-                            for x in headers['Content-Type'].split(';')]
+                           for x in headers['Content-Type'].split(';')]
         self.assertEqual(ctype, 'multipart/mixed')
         self.assertTrue(boundary.startswith('boundary="=='))
         self.assertTrue(boundary.endswith('=="'))
@@ -198,43 +225,12 @@ def test_finish_nonempty(self):
         chunks = body.split(divider)[1:-1]  # discard prolog / epilog
         self.assertEqual(len(chunks), 3)
 
-        lines = chunks[0].splitlines()
-        # blank + 2 headers + blank + request + 2 headers + blank + body
-        self.assertEqual(len(lines), 9)
-        self.assertEqual(lines[0], '')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[1], 'Content-Type: application/http')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[2], 'MIME-Version: 1.0')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[3], '')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[4], 'POST %s HTTP/1.1' % URL)
-        self.assertEqual(lines[5], 'Content-Length: 20')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[6], 'Content-Type: application/json')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[7], '')
-        self.assertEqual(json.loads(lines[8]), {'foo': 1, 'bar': 2})
-
-        lines = chunks[1].splitlines()
-        # blank + 2 headers + blank + request + 2 headers + blank + body
-        self.assertEqual(len(lines), 9)
-        self.assertEqual(lines[0], '')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[1], 'Content-Type: application/http')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[2], 'MIME-Version: 1.0')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[3], '')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[4], 'PATCH %s HTTP/1.1' % URL)
-        self.assertEqual(lines[5], 'Content-Length: 10')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[6], 'Content-Type: application/json')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[7], '')
-        self.assertEqual(json.loads(lines[8]), {'bar': 3})
+        self._check_subrequest_payload(chunks[0], 'POST', URL,
+                                       {'foo': 1, 'bar': 2})
 
-        lines = chunks[2].splitlines()
-        # blank + 2 headers + blank + request + 2 headers + blank + body
-        self.assertEqual(len(lines), 7)
-        self.assertEqual(lines[0], '')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[1], 'Content-Type: application/http')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[2], 'MIME-Version: 1.0')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[3], '')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[4], 'DELETE %s HTTP/1.1' % URL)
-        self.assertEqual(lines[5], '')
-        self.assertEqual(lines[6], '')
+        self._check_subrequest_payload(chunks[1], 'PATCH', URL, {'bar': 3})
 
+        self._check_subrequest_no_payload(chunks[2], 'DELETE', URL)
 
     def test_finish_nonempty_non_multipart_response(self):
         URL = 'http://api.example.com/other_api'