diff --git a/tests/compile-fail/validity/ref_to_uninhabited1.rs b/tests/compile-fail/validity/ref_to_uninhabited1.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e5522ccaeab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/compile-fail/validity/ref_to_uninhabited1.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#![feature(never_type)]
+use std::mem::transmute;
+
+fn main() { unsafe {
+    let _x: &! = transmute(&42); //~ERROR encountered a reference pointing to uninhabited type !
+} }
diff --git a/tests/compile-fail/validity/ref_to_uninhabited2.rs b/tests/compile-fail/validity/ref_to_uninhabited2.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3778719dc58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/compile-fail/validity/ref_to_uninhabited2.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+use std::mem::transmute;
+
+enum Void {}
+
+fn main() { unsafe {
+    let _x: &(i32, Void) = transmute(&42); //~ERROR encountered a reference pointing to uninhabited type (i32, Void)
+} }