diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index bec0930c11..fe78bd6c98 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ test_programs = virshtest sockettest \
 	virnetdevtest \
 	virtypedparamtest \
 	vshtabletest \
+	virerrortest \
 	$(NULL)
 
 test_libraries = libshunload.la \
@@ -952,6 +953,11 @@ metadatatest_SOURCES = \
 	testutils.c testutils.h
 metadatatest_LDADD = $(LDADDS) $(LIBXML_LIBS)
 
+virerrortest_SOURCES = \
+	virerrortest.c \
+	testutils.c testutils.h
+virerrortest_LDADD = $(LDADDS)
+
 vshtabletest_SOURCES = \
 	vshtabletest.c \
 	testutils.c testutils.h
diff --git a/tests/virerrortest.c b/tests/virerrortest.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eebf259343
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/virerrortest.c
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+/*
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 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
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library;  If not, see
+ * <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include <config.h>
+
+#include "testutils.h"
+
+#define LIBVIRT_VIRERRORPRIV_H_ALLOW
+#include "virerrorpriv.h"
+#undef LIBVIRT_VIRERRORPRIV_H_ALLOW
+
+static int
+virErrorTestMsgFormatInfoOne(const char *msg)
+{
+    bool found = false;
+    char *next;
+    int ret = 0;
+
+    for (next = (char *)msg; (next = strchr(next, '%')); next++) {
+        if (next[1] != 's') {
+            VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nerror message '%s' contains disallowed printf modifiers\n", msg);
+            ret = -1;
+        } else {
+            if (found) {
+                VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nerror message '%s' contains multiple %%s modifiers\n", msg);
+                ret = -1;
+            } else {
+                found = true;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!found) {
+        VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nerror message '%s' does not contain any %%s modifiers\n", msg);
+        ret = -1;
+    }
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
+static int
+virErrorTestMsgs(const void *opaque ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
+{
+    const char *err_noinfo;
+    const char *err_info;
+    size_t i;
+    int ret = 0;
+
+    for (i = 1; i < VIR_ERR_NUMBER_LAST; i++) {
+        err_noinfo = virErrorMsg(i, NULL);
+        err_info = virErrorMsg(i, "");
+
+        if (!err_noinfo) {
+            VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nmissing string without info for error id %zu\n", i);
+            ret = -1;
+        }
+
+        if (!err_info) {
+            VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nmissing string with info for error id %zu\n", i);
+            ret = -1;
+        }
+
+        if (strchr(err_noinfo, '%')) {
+            VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nerror message id %zu contains formatting characters: '%s'\n",
+                             i, err_noinfo);
+            ret = -1;
+        }
+
+        if (virErrorTestMsgFormatInfoOne(err_info) < 0)
+            ret = -1;
+    }
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
+static int
+mymain(void)
+{
+    int ret = 0;
+
+    if (virTestRun("error message strings ", virErrorTestMsgs, NULL) < 0)
+        ret = -1;
+
+    return ret == 0 ? EXIT_SUCCESS : EXIT_FAILURE;
+}
+
+VIR_TEST_MAIN(mymain)