diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index bf87efb71..b09fadf40 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -84,9 +84,12 @@ TESTS += check-link$(EXEEXT)
 endif
 
 EXTRA_DIST += $(TESTS_SH) check-has-hidden-symbols.c
-check_PROGRAMS += check-link
+check_PROGRAMS += check-link check-skiplist
 check_link_LDADD = libcairo.la
 
+check_skiplist_SOURCES = cairo-skiplist.c
+check_skiplist_CPPFLAGS = -DMAIN $(AM_CPPFLAGS)
+
 check: headers-standalone
 
 PREPROCESS_ARGS = $(DEFS) $(DEFAULT_INCLUDES) $(INCLUDES) $(AM_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS)
diff --git a/src/cairo-skiplist.c b/src/cairo-skiplist.c
index 403771505..b08453b01 100644
--- a/src/cairo-skiplist.c
+++ b/src/cairo-skiplist.c
@@ -305,3 +305,39 @@ _cairo_skip_list_delete_given (cairo_skip_list_t *list, skip_elt_t *given)
 	list->max_level--;
     free_elt (list, elt);
 }
+
+#if MAIN
+typedef struct {
+    int n;
+    skip_elt_t elt;
+} test_elt_t;
+
+static int
+test_cmp (void *list, void *A, void *B)
+{
+    const test_elt_t *a = A, *b = B;
+    return a->n - b->n;
+}
+
+int
+main (void)
+{
+    cairo_skip_list_t list;
+    test_elt_t elt;
+    int n;
+
+    _cairo_skip_list_init (&list, test_cmp, sizeof (test_elt_t));
+    for (n = 0; n < 10000000; n++) {
+	void *elt_and_data;
+	elt.n = n;
+	elt_and_data = _cairo_skip_list_insert (&list, &elt, TRUE);
+	assert (elt_and_data != NULL);
+    }
+    _cairo_skip_list_fini (&list);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+/* required supporting stubs */
+cairo_status_t _cairo_error (cairo_status_t status) { return status; }
+#endif