diff --git a/.github/workflows/coverage.yml b/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
index ff2fcf8316a..d254e04e557 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ jobs:
         pip install ./test/unittests/common_query/ovos_tskill_fakewiki
         pip install ./test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-hello-world
         pip install ./test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknown
+        pip install ./test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1
     - name: Generate coverage report
       run: |
         pytest --cov=ovos_core --cov-report xml test/unittests
diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
index 53e2335ecc8..55dce5ac724 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ jobs:
           pip install ./test/unittests/common_query/ovos_tskill_fakewiki
           pip install ./test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-hello-world
           pip install ./test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknown
+          pip install ./test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1
       - name: Run unittests
         run: |
           pytest --cov=ovos_core --cov-report xml test/unittests
diff --git a/requirements/requirements.txt b/requirements/requirements.txt
index 3545ba19a17..84b3f5e6db3 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements.txt
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ ovos-plugin-manager<0.1.0, >=0.0.24a9
 ovos-config~=0.0,>=0.0.11a13
 ovos-lingua-franca>=0.4.7
 ovos-backend-client>=0.1.0a12
-ovos-workshop<0.1.0, >=0.0.13a6
+ovos-workshop<0.1.0, >=0.0.13a7
 
 # provides plugins and classic machine learning framework
 ovos-classifiers<0.1.0, >=0.0.0a37
diff --git a/test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1/__init__.py b/test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0b9382fe418
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+from ovos_workshop.skills.fallback import FallbackSkillV1
+from ovos_workshop.decorators import fallback_handler
+
+
+# explicitly use class with compat for older cores
+# this is usually auto detected, just done here for unittests
+class UnknownSkill(FallbackSkillV1):
+
+    @fallback_handler(priority=100)
+    def handle_fallback(self, message):
+        self.speak_dialog('unknown')
+        return True
diff --git a/test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1/locale/en-us/unknown.dialog b/test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1/locale/en-us/unknown.dialog
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..3f31d7bbc9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1/locale/en-us/unknown.dialog
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+I'm sorry, I don't understand.
+I don't know what that means.
+I don't understand, but I'm learning new things everyday.
+Sorry, I didn't catch that.
+Sorry, I don't understand.
+I don't understand.
+I'm not sure I understood you.
+You might have to say that a different way.
+Please rephrase your request.
diff --git a/test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1/setup.py b/test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1/setup.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..a6505f19bd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/end2end/session/skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+from setuptools import setup
+from os import walk, path
+
+URL = "https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1"
+SKILL_CLAZZ = "UnknownSkill"  # needs to match __init__.py class name
+PYPI_NAME = "ovos-skill-fallback-unknown-v1"  # pip install PYPI_NAME
+
+# below derived from github url to ensure standard skill_id
+SKILL_AUTHOR, SKILL_NAME = URL.split(".com/")[-1].split("/")
+SKILL_PKG = SKILL_NAME.lower().replace('-', '_')
+PLUGIN_ENTRY_POINT = f'{SKILL_NAME.lower()}.{SKILL_AUTHOR.lower()}={SKILL_PKG}:{SKILL_CLAZZ}'
+# skill_id=package_name:SkillClass
+
+
+def find_resource_files():
+    resource_base_dirs = ("locale", "ui", "vocab", "dialog", "regex", "skill")
+    base_dir = path.dirname(__file__)
+    package_data = ["*.json"]
+    for res in resource_base_dirs:
+        if path.isdir(path.join(base_dir, res)):
+            for (directory, _, files) in walk(path.join(base_dir, res)):
+                if files:
+                    package_data.append(
+                        path.join(directory.replace(base_dir, "").lstrip('/'),
+                                  '*'))
+    return package_data
+
+
+setup(
+    name=PYPI_NAME,
+    version="0.0.0",
+    package_dir={SKILL_PKG: ""},
+    package_data={SKILL_PKG: find_resource_files()},
+    packages=[SKILL_PKG],
+    include_package_data=True,
+    keywords='ovos skill plugin',
+    entry_points={'ovos.plugin.skill': PLUGIN_ENTRY_POINT}
+)
diff --git a/test/end2end/session/test_fallback_v1.py b/test/end2end/session/test_fallback_v1.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ea0491a54ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/end2end/session/test_fallback_v1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+from time import sleep
+from unittest import TestCase
+
+from ovos_bus_client.message import Message
+from ovos_bus_client.session import SessionManager, Session
+from .minicroft import get_minicroft
+
+
+class TestFallback(TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.skill_id = "skill-ovos-fallback-unknownv1.openvoiceos"
+        self.core = get_minicroft(self.skill_id)
+
+    def test_fallback_v1(self):
+        SessionManager.sessions = {}
+        SessionManager.default_session = SessionManager.sessions["default"] = Session("default")
+        SessionManager.default_session.lang = "en-us"
+        messages = []
+
+        def new_msg(msg):
+            nonlocal messages
+            m = Message.deserialize(msg)
+            if m.msg_type in ["ovos.skills.settings_changed"]:
+                return  # skip these, only happen in 1st run
+            messages.append(m)
+            print(len(messages), msg)
+
+        def wait_for_n_messages(n):
+            nonlocal messages
+            while len(messages) < n:
+                sleep(0.1)
+
+        self.core.bus.on("message", new_msg)
+
+        utt = Message("recognizer_loop:utterance",
+                      {"utterances": ["invalid"]},
+                      {"session": SessionManager.default_session.serialize(),  # explicit default sess
+                       "x": "xx"})
+        self.core.bus.emit(utt)
+
+        # confirm all expected messages are sent
+        expected_messages = [
+            "recognizer_loop:utterance",
+            # Converse
+            "skill.converse.ping",
+            "skill.converse.pong",
+            # FallbackV1 - high prio
+            "mycroft.skills.fallback",
+            "mycroft.skill.handler.start",
+            "mycroft.skill.handler.complete",
+            "mycroft.skills.fallback.response",
+            # FallbackV1 - medium prio
+            "mycroft.skills.fallback",
+            "mycroft.skill.handler.start",
+            "mycroft.skill.handler.complete",
+            "mycroft.skills.fallback.response",
+            # FallbackV1 - low prio -> skill selected
+            "mycroft.skills.fallback",
+            "mycroft.skill.handler.start",
+            "enclosure.active_skill",
+            "speak",
+            "intent.service.skills.activate",
+            "intent.service.skills.activated",
+            f"{self.skill_id}.activate",
+            # backwards compat activation for older cores
+            "active_skill_request",
+            "intent.service.skills.activated",
+            f"{self.skill_id}.activate",
+            # report handling
+            "mycroft.skill.handler.complete",
+            "mycroft.skills.fallback.response",
+            # update default sess
+            "ovos.session.update_default"
+        ]
+        wait_for_n_messages(len(expected_messages))
+
+        self.assertEqual(len(expected_messages), len(messages))
+
+        mtypes = [m.msg_type for m in messages]
+        for m in expected_messages:
+            self.assertTrue(m in mtypes)
+
+        # verify that contexts are kept around
+        for m in messages:
+            self.assertEqual(m.context["session"]["session_id"], "default")
+            self.assertEqual(m.context["x"], "xx")
+        # verify active skills is empty until "intent.service.skills.activated"
+        for m in messages[:16]:
+            self.assertEqual(m.context["session"]["session_id"], "default")
+            self.assertEqual(m.context["session"]["active_skills"], [])
+
+        # verify converse ping/pong answer from skill
+        self.assertEqual(messages[1].msg_type, "skill.converse.ping")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[2].msg_type, "skill.converse.pong")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[2].data["skill_id"], self.skill_id)
+        self.assertEqual(messages[2].context["skill_id"], self.skill_id)
+        self.assertFalse(messages[2].data["can_handle"])
+
+        # high prio fallback
+        self.assertEqual(messages[3].msg_type, "mycroft.skills.fallback")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[3].data["fallback_range"], [0, 5])
+        self.assertEqual(messages[4].msg_type, "mycroft.skill.handler.start")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[4].data["handler"], "fallback")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[5].msg_type, "mycroft.skill.handler.complete")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[5].data["handler"], "fallback")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[6].msg_type, "mycroft.skills.fallback.response")
+        self.assertFalse(messages[6].data["handled"])
+
+        # medium prio fallback
+        self.assertEqual(messages[7].msg_type, "mycroft.skills.fallback")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[7].data["fallback_range"], [5, 90])
+        self.assertEqual(messages[8].msg_type, "mycroft.skill.handler.start")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[8].data["handler"], "fallback")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[9].msg_type, "mycroft.skill.handler.complete")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[9].data["handler"], "fallback")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[10].msg_type, "mycroft.skills.fallback.response")
+        self.assertFalse(messages[10].data["handled"])
+
+        # low prio fallback
+        self.assertEqual(messages[11].msg_type, "mycroft.skills.fallback")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[11].data["fallback_range"], [90, 101])
+        self.assertEqual(messages[12].msg_type, "mycroft.skill.handler.start")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[12].data["handler"], "fallback")
+
+        # skill execution
+        self.assertEqual(messages[13].msg_type, "enclosure.active_skill")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[13].data["skill_id"], self.skill_id)
+        self.assertEqual(messages[14].msg_type, "speak")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[14].data["meta"]["dialog"], "unknown")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[14].data["meta"]["skill"], self.skill_id)
+
+        # skill making itself active
+        self.assertEqual(messages[15].msg_type, "intent.service.skills.activate")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[15].data["skill_id"], self.skill_id)
+        self.assertEqual(messages[16].msg_type, "intent.service.skills.activated")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[16].data["skill_id"], self.skill_id)
+        self.assertEqual(messages[17].msg_type, f"{self.skill_id}.activate")
+        # skill making itself active again - backwards compat namespace
+        self.assertEqual(messages[18].msg_type, "active_skill_request")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[18].data["skill_id"], self.skill_id)
+        self.assertEqual(messages[19].msg_type, "intent.service.skills.activated")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[19].data["skill_id"], self.skill_id)
+        self.assertEqual(messages[20].msg_type, f"{self.skill_id}.activate")
+
+        # fallback execution response
+        self.assertEqual(messages[21].msg_type, "mycroft.skill.handler.complete")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[21].data["handler"], "fallback")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[22].msg_type, "mycroft.skills.fallback.response")
+        self.assertTrue(messages[22].data["handled"])
+
+        # verify default session is now updated
+        self.assertEqual(messages[23].msg_type, "ovos.session.update_default")
+        self.assertEqual(messages[23].data["session_data"]["session_id"], "default")
+
+        # test second message with no session resumes default active skills
+        messages = []
+        utt = Message("recognizer_loop:utterance",
+                      {"utterances": ["invalid"]})
+        self.core.bus.emit(utt)
+        wait_for_n_messages(len(expected_messages))
+        self.assertEqual(len(expected_messages), len(messages))
+
+        # verify that contexts are kept around
+        for m in messages[1:]:
+            self.assertEqual(m.context["session"]["session_id"], "default")
+            self.assertEqual(m.context["session"]["active_skills"][0][0], self.skill_id)
+