diff --git a/tests/reftests/Makefile.am b/tests/reftests/Makefile.am
index e0b6a0b0fd..e632a04bde 100644
--- a/tests/reftests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/reftests/Makefile.am
@@ -137,4 +137,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST += \
 	simple.ref.ui \
 	simple.ui \
 	toplevel-vs-popup.ref.ui \
-	toplevel-vs-popup.ui
+	toplevel-vs-popup.ui \
+	unresolvable.css \
+	unresolvable.ref.ui \
+	unresolvable.ui
diff --git a/tests/reftests/unresolvable.css b/tests/reftests/unresolvable.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e7f908e5b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/reftests/unresolvable.css
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+GtkWindow {
+  engine: none;
+  background-image: none;
+  background-color: @doesntexist;
+  box-shadow: @nonexistant 5 5;
+  border-image: -gtk-gradient(linear,
+                              left top, left bottom,
+                              from(@notaavailable),
+                              to(@whatever)) 2;
+}
+
+#reference {
+  background-color: pink;
+  box-shadow: none;
+  border-image: none;
+}
diff --git a/tests/reftests/unresolvable.ref.ui b/tests/reftests/unresolvable.ref.ui
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..973a68ffd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/reftests/unresolvable.ref.ui
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<interface>
+  <!-- interface-requires gtk+ 3.0 -->
+  <object class="GtkWindow" id="window1">
+    <property name="width_request">10</property>
+    <property name="height_request">10</property>
+    <property name="can_focus">False</property>
+    <property name="type">popup</property>
+    <property name="name">reference</property>
+  </object>
+</interface>
diff --git a/tests/reftests/unresolvable.ui b/tests/reftests/unresolvable.ui
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2f24fa197b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/reftests/unresolvable.ui
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<interface>
+  <!-- interface-requires gtk+ 3.0 -->
+  <object class="GtkWindow" id="window1">
+    <property name="width_request">10</property>
+    <property name="height_request">10</property>
+    <property name="can_focus">False</property>
+    <property name="type">popup</property>
+    <child>
+      <placeholder/>
+    </child>
+  </object>
+</interface>