diff --git a/examples/C/check_gaussian_grid.c b/examples/C/check_gaussian_grid.c
index 85a19861f..e65b91fe7 100644
--- a/examples/C/check_gaussian_grid.c
+++ b/examples/C/check_gaussian_grid.c
@@ -138,13 +138,18 @@ int process_file(const char* filename)
         }
 
         if (is_reduced) {
-            int pl_sum = 0, max_pl = 0;
+            int pl_sum = 0, max_pl = 0, is_missing_Ni = 0, is_missing_Di = 0;
             size_t i = 0, pl_len = 0;
             long is_octahedral = 0;
-            int is_missing = codes_is_missing(h, "Ni", &err);
+            is_missing_Ni = codes_is_missing(h, "Ni", &err);
             assert(err == CODES_SUCCESS);
-            if (!is_missing) {
-                error("ERROR: Ni should be missing!\n");
+            is_missing_Di = grib_is_missing(h, "iDirectionIncrement", &err);
+            assert(err == GRIB_SUCCESS);
+            if (!is_missing_Ni) {
+                error("ERROR: For a reduced gaussian grid Ni should be missing!\n");
+            }
+            if (!is_missing_Di) {
+                error("ERROR: For a reduced gaussian grid iDirectionIncrement should be missing!\n");
             }
 
             CODES_CHECK(codes_get_size(h, "pl", &pl_len),0);
diff --git a/tests/grib_util_set_spec.c b/tests/grib_util_set_spec.c
index 6766df152..829153348 100644
--- a/tests/grib_util_set_spec.c
+++ b/tests/grib_util_set_spec.c
@@ -10,18 +10,20 @@
 #include "eccodes.h"
 #include <assert.h>
 
-void test1(const char* input_filename, const char* output_filename)
+#define STR_EQUAL(s1, s2) (strcmp((s1), (s2)) == 0)
+
+void test_reduced_gg(const char* input_filename, const char* output_filename)
 {
     /* based on copy_spec_from_ksec */
     int err = 0;
-    size_t inlen = 0;
-    size_t outlen = 0;
+    size_t slen = 32, inlen = 0, outlen = 0;
     size_t size=0;
     int set_spec_flags=0;
     double* values = NULL;
     FILE* in = NULL;
     FILE* out = NULL;
     const void* buffer = NULL;
+    char gridType[128] = {0,};
 
     codes_handle *handle = 0;
     codes_handle *finalh = 0;
@@ -29,13 +31,89 @@ void test1(const char* input_filename, const char* output_filename)
     grib_util_packing_spec packing_spec={0,};
 
     in = fopen(input_filename,"r");     assert(in);
+    handle = grib_handle_new_from_file(0,in,&err);    assert(handle);
+
+    CODES_CHECK(grib_get_string(handle, "gridType", gridType, &slen),0);
+    if (!STR_EQUAL(gridType, "reduced_gg")) {
+        grib_handle_delete(handle);
+        return;
+    }
+    out = fopen(output_filename,"w");   assert(out);
+
+    CODES_CHECK(grib_get_size(handle,"values",&inlen), 0);
+    values = (double*)malloc(sizeof(double)*inlen);
+    CODES_CHECK(grib_get_double_array(handle, "values", values,&inlen), 0);
+
+    spec.grid_type = GRIB_UTIL_GRID_SPEC_REDUCED_GG;
+    spec.N = 320;   /* hardcoded for now */
+    spec.Nj = 2 * spec.N;
+    outlen = inlen;
+    spec.iDirectionIncrementInDegrees = 1.5;
+    spec.jDirectionIncrementInDegrees = 1.5;
+    spec.latitudeOfFirstGridPointInDegrees  = 89.785;
+    spec.longitudeOfFirstGridPointInDegrees = 0.0;
+    spec.latitudeOfLastGridPointInDegrees   = -89.785;
+    spec.longitudeOfLastGridPointInDegrees  = 359.719;
+    spec.bitmapPresent = 0;
+
+    packing_spec.packing_type = GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_TYPE_GRID_SIMPLE;
+    packing_spec.bitsPerValue = 24;
+    packing_spec.accuracy=GRIB_UTIL_ACCURACY_USE_PROVIDED_BITS_PER_VALUES;
+    packing_spec.packing=GRIB_UTIL_PACKING_USE_PROVIDED;
+
+    finalh = grib_util_set_spec(
+            handle,
+            &spec,
+            &packing_spec,
+            set_spec_flags,
+            values,
+            outlen,
+            &err);
+    assert(finalh);
+    assert(err == 0);
+
+    /* Write out the message to the output file */
+    CODES_CHECK(grib_get_message(finalh, &buffer, &size),0);
+    if(fwrite(buffer,1,size,out) != size) {
+        assert(0);
+    }
+    grib_handle_delete(handle);
+    grib_handle_delete(finalh);
+    fclose(in);
+    fclose(out);
+}
+
+void test_regular_ll(const char* input_filename, const char* output_filename)
+{
+    /* based on copy_spec_from_ksec */
+    int err = 0;
+    size_t slen = 32, inlen = 0, outlen = 0;
+    size_t size=0;
+    int set_spec_flags=0;
+    double* values = NULL;
+    FILE* in = NULL;
+    FILE* out = NULL;
+    const void* buffer = NULL;
+    char gridType[128] = {0,};
+
+    codes_handle *handle = 0;
+    codes_handle *finalh = 0;
+    grib_util_grid_spec spec={0,};
+    grib_util_packing_spec packing_spec={0,};
+
+    in = fopen(input_filename,"r");     assert(in);
+    handle = codes_handle_new_from_file(0, in, PRODUCT_GRIB, &err);    assert(handle);
+
+    CODES_CHECK(grib_get_string(handle, "gridType", gridType, &slen),0);
+    if (!STR_EQUAL(gridType, "regular_ll")) {
+        grib_handle_delete(handle);
+        return;
+    }
     out = fopen(output_filename,"w");   assert(out);
 
-    handle = codes_handle_new_from_file(0, in, PRODUCT_GRIB, &err);
-    assert(handle);
     CODES_CHECK(codes_get_size(handle,"values",&inlen), 0);
     values = (double*)malloc(sizeof(double)*inlen);
-    GRIB_CHECK(codes_get_double_array(handle, "values", values,&inlen), 0);
+    CODES_CHECK(codes_get_double_array(handle, "values", values,&inlen), 0);
 
     spec.grid_type = GRIB_UTIL_GRID_SPEC_REGULAR_LL;
     spec.Nj = 14;
@@ -72,6 +150,8 @@ void test1(const char* input_filename, const char* output_filename)
     }
     codes_handle_delete(handle);
     codes_handle_delete(finalh);
+    fclose(in);
+    fclose(out);
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
@@ -79,7 +159,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     const char *infile = argv[1];
     const char *outfile = argv[2];
 
-    test1(infile, outfile);
+    test_regular_ll(infile, outfile);
+    test_reduced_gg(infile, outfile);
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tests/grib_util_set_spec.sh b/tests/grib_util_set_spec.sh
index cf941fa07..e62c6af60 100755
--- a/tests/grib_util_set_spec.sh
+++ b/tests/grib_util_set_spec.sh
@@ -10,8 +10,11 @@
 
 . ./include.sh
 
+### Regular Lat/Lon Grid
+###########################################
 infile=../data/latlon.grib
 outfile=out.grib_util_set_spec.grib
+rm -f $outfile
 
 ${test_dir}/grib_util_set_spec $infile $outfile > /dev/null
 
@@ -20,4 +23,16 @@ res=`${tools_dir}grib_get -p Ni,Nj,numberOfValues,bitsPerValue $outfile`
 
 ${tools_dir}grib_get_data $outfile > /dev/null
 
+### Reduced Gaussian Grid
+###########################################
+infile=$ECCODES_SAMPLES_PATH/reduced_gg_pl_320_grib2.tmpl
+outfile=out.grib_util_set_spec.grib
+rm -f $outfile
+
+${test_dir}/grib_util_set_spec $infile $outfile
+
+${tools_dir}grib_get_data $outfile > /dev/null
+
+
+### Clean up
 rm -f $outfile