diff --git a/tests/reftests/Makefile.am b/tests/reftests/Makefile.am
index e632a04bde..625c56ff8a 100644
--- a/tests/reftests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/reftests/Makefile.am
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ EXTRA_DIST += \
 	background-area.css \
 	background-area.ref.ui \
 	background-area.ui \
+	border-color-default.css \
+	border-color-default.ref.ui \
+	border-color-default.ui \
 	border-image-ball-green.png \
 	border-image-ball-red.png \
 	border-image-ball-yellow.png \
diff --git a/tests/reftests/border-color-default.css b/tests/reftests/border-color-default.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5eba00fbba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/reftests/border-color-default.css
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+* {
+  border-image: none;
+  border-style: solid;
+  border-width: 5;
+}
+
+GtkButton {
+  /* using a nonexistant color because that will lead to the default value */
+  border-color: @doesnotexist;
+  color: purple;
+}
+
+#reference {
+  border-color: purple;
+  color: purple;
+}
+
diff --git a/tests/reftests/border-color-default.ref.ui b/tests/reftests/border-color-default.ref.ui
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f648f97eb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/reftests/border-color-default.ref.ui
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<interface>
+  <!-- interface-requires gtk+ 3.0 -->
+  <object class="GtkWindow" id="window1">
+    <property name="can_focus">False</property>
+    <property name="type">popup</property>
+    <child>
+      <object class="GtkButton" id="button1">
+        <property name="name">reference</property>
+        <property name="visible">True</property>
+        <property name="can_focus">True</property>
+        <property name="receives_default">True</property>
+        <property name="use_action_appearance">False</property>
+      </object>
+    </child>
+  </object>
+</interface>
diff --git a/tests/reftests/border-color-default.ui b/tests/reftests/border-color-default.ui
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..99cdcd3709
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/reftests/border-color-default.ui
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<interface>
+  <!-- interface-requires gtk+ 3.0 -->
+  <object class="GtkWindow" id="window1">
+    <property name="can_focus">False</property>
+    <property name="type">popup</property>
+    <child>
+      <object class="GtkButton" id="button1">
+        <property name="visible">True</property>
+        <property name="can_focus">True</property>
+        <property name="receives_default">True</property>
+        <property name="use_action_appearance">False</property>
+      </object>
+    </child>
+  </object>
+</interface>