diff --git a/test/notmuch-test b/test/notmuch-test
index bfad5d3c..ea39dfc7 100755
--- a/test/notmuch-test
+++ b/test/notmuch-test
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ TESTS="
   excludes
   tagging
   json
+  text
   multipart
   thread-naming
   raw
diff --git a/test/text b/test/text
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..428c89b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/text
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+test_description="--format=text output"
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_begin_subtest "Show message: text"
+add_message "[subject]=\"text-show-subject\"" "[date]=\"Sat, 01 Jan 2000 12:00:00 -0000\"" "[body]=\"text-show-message\""
+output=$(notmuch show --format=text "text-show-message" | notmuch_show_sanitize_all)
+test_expect_equal "$output" "\
+message{ id:XXXXX depth:0 match:1 excluded:0 filename:XXXXX
+header{
+Notmuch Test Suite <test_suite@notmuchmail.org> (2000-01-01) (inbox unread)
+Subject: text-show-subject
+From: Notmuch Test Suite <test_suite@notmuchmail.org>
+To: Notmuch Test Suite <test_suite@notmuchmail.org>
+Date: Sat, 01 Jan 2000 12:00:00 +0000
+header}
+body{
+part{ ID: 1, Content-type: text/plain
+text-show-message
+part}
+body}
+message}"
+
+test_begin_subtest "Search message: text"
+add_message "[subject]=\"text-search-subject\"" "[date]=\"Sat, 01 Jan 2000 12:00:00 -0000\"" "[body]=\"text-search-message\""
+output=$(notmuch search --format=text "text-search-message" | notmuch_search_sanitize)
+test_expect_equal "$output" \
+"thread:XXX   2000-01-01 [1/1] Notmuch Test Suite; text-search-subject (inbox unread)"
+
+test_begin_subtest "Show message: text, utf-8"
+add_message "[subject]=\"text-show-utf8-body-sübjéct\"" "[date]=\"Sat, 01 Jan 2000 12:00:00 -0000\"" "[body]=\"tëxt-show-méssage\""
+output=$(notmuch show --format=text "tëxt-show-méssage" | notmuch_show_sanitize_all)
+test_expect_equal "$output" "\
+message{ id:XXXXX depth:0 match:1 excluded:0 filename:XXXXX
+header{
+Notmuch Test Suite <test_suite@notmuchmail.org> (2000-01-01) (inbox unread)
+Subject: text-show-utf8-body-sübjéct
+From: Notmuch Test Suite <test_suite@notmuchmail.org>
+To: Notmuch Test Suite <test_suite@notmuchmail.org>
+Date: Sat, 01 Jan 2000 12:00:00 +0000
+header}
+body{
+part{ ID: 1, Content-type: text/plain
+tëxt-show-méssage
+part}
+body}
+message}"
+
+test_begin_subtest "Search message: text, utf-8"
+add_message "[subject]=\"text-search-utf8-body-sübjéct\"" "[date]=\"Sat, 01 Jan 2000 12:00:00 -0000\"" "[body]=\"tëxt-search-méssage\""
+output=$(notmuch search --format=text "tëxt-search-méssage" | notmuch_search_sanitize)
+test_expect_equal "$output" \
+"thread:XXX   2000-01-01 [1/1] Notmuch Test Suite; text-search-utf8-body-sübjéct (inbox unread)"
+
+test_done