diff --git a/tests/check/Makefile.am b/tests/check/Makefile.am
index e577979d38..097edf2475 100644
--- a/tests/check/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/check/Makefile.am
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ check_law =
 endif
 
 if USE_GDK_PIXBUF
-check_gdkpixbuf = elements/gdkpixbufsink
+check_gdkpixbuf = elements/gdkpixbufsink elements/gdkpixbufoverlay
 else
 check_gdkpixbuf =
 endif
diff --git a/tests/check/elements/.gitignore b/tests/check/elements/.gitignore
index 5f76795c6a..3846e6f864 100644
--- a/tests/check/elements/.gitignore
+++ b/tests/check/elements/.gitignore
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ deinterlace
 deinterleave
 dtmf
 equalizer
+gdkpixbufoverlay
 gdkpixbufsink
 flacparse
 flvdemux
diff --git a/tests/check/elements/gdkpixbufoverlay.c b/tests/check/elements/gdkpixbufoverlay.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bc45554894
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/check/elements/gdkpixbufoverlay.c
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+/* GStreamer unit test for the gdkpixbufoverlay element
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Tim-Philipp Müller <tim centricular com>
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Library General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Library General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the
+ * Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor,
+ * Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+# include "config.h"
+#endif
+
+#include <gst/check/gstcheck.h>
+
+GST_START_TEST (test_simple_overlay)
+{
+  GstElement *pipeline, *src, *overlay, *sink;
+  GstMessage *msg;
+  GstBus *bus;
+
+  src = gst_element_factory_make ("videotestsrc", NULL);
+  fail_unless (src != NULL);
+  g_object_set (src, "num-buffers", 3, NULL);
+
+  overlay = gst_element_factory_make ("gdkpixbufoverlay", NULL);
+  fail_unless (overlay != NULL);
+
+#define IMAGE_PATH GST_TEST_FILES_PATH G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S "image.jpg"
+  g_object_set (overlay, "location", IMAGE_PATH, NULL);
+
+  sink = gst_element_factory_make ("fakesink", NULL);
+  fail_unless (sink != NULL);
+
+  pipeline = gst_pipeline_new (NULL);
+  gst_bin_add_many (GST_BIN (pipeline), src, overlay, sink, NULL);
+  gst_element_link_many (src, overlay, sink, NULL);
+
+  /* start prerolling */
+  fail_unless_equals_int (gst_element_set_state (pipeline, GST_STATE_PLAYING),
+      GST_STATE_CHANGE_ASYNC);
+
+  bus = gst_element_get_bus (pipeline);
+
+  /* wait for EOS */
+  msg = gst_bus_timed_pop_filtered (bus, GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE, GST_MESSAGE_EOS);
+  gst_message_unref (msg);
+
+  fail_unless_equals_int (gst_element_set_state (pipeline, GST_STATE_NULL),
+      GST_STATE_CHANGE_SUCCESS);
+
+  gst_object_unref (bus);
+  gst_object_unref (pipeline);
+}
+
+GST_END_TEST;
+
+static Suite *
+gdkpixbufoverlay_suite (void)
+{
+  Suite *s = suite_create ("gdkpixbufoverlay");
+  TCase *tc_chain = tcase_create ("general");
+
+  suite_add_tcase (s, tc_chain);
+  tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_simple_overlay);
+
+  return s;
+}
+
+GST_CHECK_MAIN (gdkpixbufoverlay);