diff --git a/data/bufr/bufr_data_files.txt b/data/bufr/bufr_data_files.txt
index b79128bc3..04a56d9d4 100644
--- a/data/bufr/bufr_data_files.txt
+++ b/data/bufr/bufr_data_files.txt
@@ -145,3 +145,4 @@ eum_iasi_twt.bufr
 delayed_repl_01.bufr
 israel_observations_2017041010.bufr
 goes16_nm.bufr
+aeolus_wmo_26.bufr
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 1cfa66f44..a67ca59a8 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ list( APPEND tests_data_reqd
     grib_set
     grib_iterator
     grib_compare
+    grib_copy
     grib_level
     index
     grib_bitmap
diff --git a/tests/bufr_copy.sh b/tests/bufr_copy.sh
index ab73c0ba1..f45314222 100755
--- a/tests/bufr_copy.sh
+++ b/tests/bufr_copy.sh
@@ -31,9 +31,8 @@ fBufrTmp=${label}".bufr.tmp"
 cat syno_multi.bufr temp_101.bufr > $fBufrInput 
 
 #----------------------------------------------------
-# Test: copy synop messages 
+# Test: copy synop messages
 #----------------------------------------------------
-
 rm -f $fBufrTmp
 
 echo "Test: copy synop messages " >> $fLog
@@ -45,9 +44,8 @@ for i in 1 2 3 ;do
 done
 
 #----------------------------------------------------
-# Test: copy non-synop messages 
+# Test: copy non-synop messages
 #----------------------------------------------------
-
 rm -f $fBufrTmp
 
 echo "Test: copy non-synop messages " >> $fLog
@@ -55,11 +53,9 @@ ${tools_dir}/bufr_copy -w dataCategory!=0 $fBufrInput $fBufrTmp >> $fLog
 
 [ `${tools_dir}/bufr_get -p dataCategory:l $fBufrTmp`  = "2" ]
 
-
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Test: use the square brackets to insert the value of a key
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
-
 rm -f ${fBufrTmp}
 rm -f ${fBufrTmp}_*.bufr
 
@@ -70,8 +66,28 @@ ${tools_dir}/bufr_copy $fBufrInput ${fBufrTmp}_[dataCategory].bufr >> $fLog
 [ -s ${fBufrTmp}_2.bufr ]
 
 rm -f ${fBufrTmp}_*.bufr
+rm -f $fBufrInput
 
-#Clean up
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Test: The -X option
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+echo "Test: use of -X option" >> $fLog
+fBufrInput=aeolus_wmo_26.bufr
+${tools_dir}/bufr_copy -w count=1 -X 0 $fBufrInput $fBufrTmp #First msg
+r1=`${tools_dir}/bufr_get -w count=1 -n ls $fBufrInput`
+r2=`${tools_dir}/bufr_get -n ls $fBufrTmp`
+[ "$r1" = "$r2" ]
+
+${tools_dir}/bufr_copy -w count=1 -X 19449 $fBufrInput $fBufrTmp #Last msg
+r1=`${tools_dir}/bufr_get -w count=11 -n ls $fBufrInput`
+r2=`${tools_dir}/bufr_get -n ls $fBufrTmp`
+[ "$r1" = "$r2" ]
+
+${tools_dir}/bufr_copy -w count=1 -X 10972 $fBufrInput $fBufrTmp
+r=`${tools_dir}/bufr_get -p typicalTime,numberOfSubsets $fBufrTmp`
+[ "$r" = "000013 41" ]
+
+# Clean up
+#-----------
 rm -f $fLog 
 rm -f $fBufrTmp
-rm -f $fBufrInput
diff --git a/tests/bufr_dump_decode_filter.sh b/tests/bufr_dump_decode_filter.sh
index 9b8559b7b..a111cefba 100755
--- a/tests/bufr_dump_decode_filter.sh
+++ b/tests/bufr_dump_decode_filter.sh
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ fRules=${label}.filter
 #-----------------------------------------------------------
 files=`cat ${data_dir}/bufr/bufr_data_files.txt`
 
-exclude="ias1_240.bufr syno_multi.bufr tropical_cyclone.bufr"
+exclude="ias1_240.bufr syno_multi.bufr tropical_cyclone.bufr aeolus_wmo_26.bufr"
 
 for f in $files
 do
diff --git a/tests/bufr_dump_encode_filter.sh b/tests/bufr_dump_encode_filter.sh
index 36218d52f..82089afe8 100755
--- a/tests/bufr_dump_encode_filter.sh
+++ b/tests/bufr_dump_encode_filter.sh
@@ -41,10 +41,11 @@ files=`cat ${data_dir}/bufr/bufr_data_files.txt`
 # ias1_240.bufr: Too large. The filter rules file generated is too big for the parser!
 # tropical_cyclone.bufr: multi-message
 # syno_multi.bufr: multi-message
+# aeolus_wmo_26:   multi-message
 # israel_observations_2017041010.bufr: Suffers from a bug. In filter cannot do:
 #    set #1#3HourPressureChange=-1.6;
 # The hash cannot be followed by a number!
-exclude="ias1_240.bufr syno_multi.bufr tropical_cyclone.bufr israel_observations_2017041010.bufr"
+exclude="ias1_240.bufr syno_multi.bufr tropical_cyclone.bufr aeolus_wmo_26.bufr israel_observations_2017041010.bufr "
 
 for f in $files
 do
diff --git a/tests/grib_copy.sh b/tests/grib_copy.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..465e35043
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/grib_copy.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Copyright 2005-2018 ECMWF.
+#
+# This software is licensed under the terms of the Apache Licence Version 2.0
+# which can be obtained at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.
+# 
+# In applying this licence, ECMWF does not waive the privileges and immunities granted to it by
+# virtue of its status as an intergovernmental organisation nor does it submit to any jurisdiction.
+#
+
+. ./include.sh
+
+#set -x
+
+#Enter data dir
+cd ${data_dir}
+
+#Define a common label for all the tmp files
+label="grib_copy_test"
+temp=${label}".grib.tmp"
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Test: The -X option
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+echo "Test: use of -X option"
+input=tigge_pf_ecmwf.grib2
+${tools_dir}/grib_copy -w count=1 -X 0 $input $temp #First msg
+r1=`${tools_dir}/grib_get -w count=1 -n ls $input`
+r2=`${tools_dir}/grib_get -n ls $temp`
+[ "$r1" = "$r2" ]
+
+${tools_dir}/grib_copy -w count=1 -X 57143 $input $temp #Last msg
+r1=`${tools_dir}/grib_get -w count=37 -n ls $input`
+r2=`${tools_dir}/grib_get -n ls $temp`
+[ "$r1" = "$r2" ]
+
+# Get two messages
+${tools_dir}/grib_copy -w count=1/2 -X 25071 $input $temp
+count=`${tools_dir}/grib_count $temp`
+[ $count -eq 2 ]
+
+r=`${tools_dir}/grib_get -w count=1 -p typeOfLevel,level,shortName $temp`
+[ "$r" = "heightAboveGround 2 mx2t6" ]
+r=`${tools_dir}/grib_get -w count=2 -p typeOfLevel,level,shortName $temp`
+[ "$r" = "heightAboveGround 2 mn2t6" ]
+
+# Clean up
+#-----------
+rm -f $temp
diff --git a/tools/bufr_copy.c b/tools/bufr_copy.c
index da106ce95..da7c36e99 100644
--- a/tools/bufr_copy.c
+++ b/tools/bufr_copy.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ grib_option grib_options[]={
         {"S",0,0,1,0,0},
         {"g",0,0,0,1,0},
         {"7",0,0,0,1,0},
+        {"X:",0,0,0,1,0},
         {"v",0,0,0,1,0}
 };
 
diff --git a/tools/grib_copy.c b/tools/grib_copy.c
index d2d3d4a4d..954488a8c 100644
--- a/tools/grib_copy.c
+++ b/tools/grib_copy.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ grib_option grib_options[]={
         {"g",0,0,0,1,0},
         {"G",0,0,0,1,0},
         {"7",0,0,0,1,0},
+        {"X:",0,0,0,1,0},
         {"v",0,0,0,1,0}
 };