diff --git a/tests/test_package_ordering.sh b/tests/test_package_ordering.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..a568abf928
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_package_ordering.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# basic test to ensure that package-install files remain sorted
+# alphabetically.
+
+TOP=$(cd $(dirname "$0")/.. && pwd)
+
+source $TOP/tests/unittest.sh
+
+PKG_FILES=$(find $TOP/files/debs $TOP/files/rpms $TOP/files/rpms-suse -type f)
+
+TMPDIR=$(mktemp -d)
+
+SORTED=${TMPDIR}/sorted
+UNSORTED=${TMPDIR}/unsorted
+
+for p in $PKG_FILES; do
+    grep -v '^#' $p > ${UNSORTED}
+    sort ${UNSORTED} > ${SORTED}
+
+    if [ -n "$(diff -c ${UNSORTED} ${SORTED})" ]; then
+        failed "$p is unsorted"
+        # output this, it's helpful to see what exactly is unsorted
+        diff -c ${UNSORTED} ${SORTED}
+    else
+        passed "$p is sorted"
+    fi
+done
+
+rm -rf ${TMPDIR}
+
+report_results