diff --git a/src/tests/get_item.c b/src/tests/get_item.c
index f4c8d9228..f2757c29d 100644
--- a/src/tests/get_item.c
+++ b/src/tests/get_item.c
@@ -600,6 +600,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	if (c->set_config_item(c, "lxc.notaconfigkey", "invalid")) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "%d: Managed to set \"lxc.notaconfigkey\"\n", __LINE__);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+
 	printf("All get_item tests passed\n");
 	fret = EXIT_SUCCESS;
 
diff --git a/src/tests/parse_config_file.c b/src/tests/parse_config_file.c
index b13982d30..b8b71c8e1 100644
--- a/src/tests/parse_config_file.c
+++ b/src/tests/parse_config_file.c
@@ -778,6 +778,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		goto non_test_error;
 	}
 
+	if (c->set_config_item(c, "lxc.notaconfigkey", "invalid")) {
+		lxc_error("%s\n", "Managed to set to set invalid config item \"lxc.notaconfigkey\" to \"invalid\"");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	fret = EXIT_SUCCESS;
 
 non_test_error: