diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 8e64e8692..5ca17c7a9 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ list(APPEND test_c_bins
     bufr_extract_headers
     extract_offsets
     bufr_check_descriptors
+    bufr_coordinate_descriptors
     codes_new_from_samples
     codes_set_samples_path
     grib_sh_ieee64
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ if( HAVE_BUILD_TOOLS )
         grib_dump_samples
         bufr_dump_samples
         bufr_check_descriptors
+        bufr_coordinate_descriptors
         definitions
         grib2_version
         grib_calendar
@@ -440,6 +442,7 @@ else()
         unit_tests
         julian
         bufr_check_descriptors
+        bufr_coordinate_descriptors
         grib_sh_imag
         grib_sh_spectral_complex
         grib_2nd_order_numValues
diff --git a/tests/bufr_coordinate_descriptors.cc b/tests/bufr_coordinate_descriptors.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c089f16e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bufr_coordinate_descriptors.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+/*
+ * (C) Copyright 2005- 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 "eccodes.h"
+#undef NDEBUG
+#include <assert.h>
+
+static int is_coord_using_Xcode(const char* X)
+{
+    if (strcmp(X, "01")==0) return 1;
+    if (strcmp(X, "02")==0) return 1;
+    if (strcmp(X, "04")==0) return 1;
+    if (strcmp(X, "05")==0) return 1;
+    if (strcmp(X, "06")==0) return 1;
+    if (strcmp(X, "07")==0) return 1;
+    if (strcmp(X, "08")==0) return 1;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char* argv[])
+{
+    int err                         = 0;
+    codes_handle* h                 = NULL;
+    char* filename                  = NULL;
+    FILE* fin                       = NULL;
+
+    assert (argc == 2);
+    filename = argv[1];
+
+    fin = fopen(filename, "rb");
+    assert(fin);
+    while ((h = codes_handle_new_from_file(NULL, fin, PRODUCT_BUFR, &err)) != NULL || err != CODES_SUCCESS) {
+        codes_bufr_keys_iterator* kiter = NULL;
+        CODES_CHECK(codes_set_long(h, "unpack", 1), 0);
+        kiter = codes_bufr_keys_iterator_new(h, 0);
+        assert(kiter);
+        while (codes_bufr_keys_iterator_next(kiter)) {
+            char* name = codes_bufr_keys_iterator_get_name(kiter);
+            if (strcmp(name, "subsetNumber") == 0) continue;
+            if (!codes_bufr_key_is_header(h, name, &err) && !err) {
+                char name1[256] = {0,};
+                char scode[256] = {0,};
+                char X[3] = {0,}; // the 'X' part of FXY
+                size_t slen     = 256;
+                snprintf(name1, 256, "%s->code", name);
+                int error = codes_get_string(h, name1, scode, &slen);
+                if (!error) {
+                    assert( strlen(scode)==6);
+                    X[0] = scode[1];
+                    X[1] = scode[2];
+                    X[2] = 0;
+                    int is_X_coord = is_coord_using_Xcode(X);
+                    int is_coord = codes_bufr_key_is_coordinate(h, name, &error);
+                    assert(!error);
+                    if (is_coord != is_X_coord) {
+                        fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: %s X=%s   is_coord=%d is_X_coord=%d\n", name, X, is_coord, is_X_coord);
+                        return 1;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        codes_bufr_keys_iterator_delete(kiter);
+        codes_handle_delete(h);
+    }
+    fclose(fin);
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tests/bufr_coordinate_descriptors.sh b/tests/bufr_coordinate_descriptors.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..41aebf8ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bufr_coordinate_descriptors.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# (C) Copyright 2005- 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.ctest.sh
+
+label="bufr_coordinate_descriptors_test"
+temp=temp.$label.txt
+
+bufr_files=`cat ${data_dir}/bufr/bufr_data_files.txt`
+for f in ${bufr_files}; do
+    fpath=${data_dir}/bufr/$f
+    ${test_dir}/bufr_coordinate_descriptors $fpath
+done
+rm -f $temp