diff --git a/CMakeLists_files.cmake b/CMakeLists_files.cmake
index 82cc735c9..368118038 100644
--- a/CMakeLists_files.cmake
+++ b/CMakeLists_files.cmake
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ list (APPEND MAIN_SOURCE_FILES
 list (APPEND TEST_SOURCE_FILES
       tests/test_SimulationDataContainer.cpp
       tests/test_cmp.cpp
+      tests/test_ConditionalStorage.cpp
       tests/test_OpmLog.cpp
       tests/test_messagelimiter.cpp
       tests/test_param.cpp
diff --git a/tests/test_ConditionalStorage.cpp b/tests/test_ConditionalStorage.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..777c370d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_ConditionalStorage.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+// -*- mode: C++; tab-width: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 4 -*-
+// vi: set et ts=4 sw=4 sts=4:
+/*
+  This file is part of the Open Porous Media project (OPM).
+
+  OPM is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+  the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or
+  (at your option) any later version.
+
+  OPM is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+  GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+  along with OPM.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+  Consult the COPYING file in the top-level source directory of this
+  module for the precise wording of the license and the list of
+  copyright holders.
+*/
+/*!
+ * \file
+ *
+ * \brief This is a simple test that illustrates how to use the Opm::ConditionalStorage
+ *        class.
+*/
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <opm/common/Unused.hpp>
+#include <opm/common/ConditionalStorage.hpp>
+
+#include <string>
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <type_traits>
+
+template <bool foo>
+class EnsureCompileTimeConstant
+{};
+
+class IAmAnIslandLeaveMeAlone
+{
+public:
+    IAmAnIslandLeaveMeAlone(int, int)
+    {}
+
+    IAmAnIslandLeaveMeAlone& operator=(const IAmAnIslandLeaveMeAlone&) = delete;
+};
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    {
+        typedef Opm::ConditionalStorage<true, std::string> ConditionalTrueString;
+        ConditionalTrueString foo; // default constructor
+        ConditionalTrueString bar("hello"); // construct using arguments
+        ConditionalTrueString baz(bar); // copy constructor
+
+        EnsureCompileTimeConstant<ConditionalTrueString::condition> hello OPM_UNUSED;
+        if (!std::is_same<typename ConditionalTrueString::type, std::string>::value)
+            // something went wrong with the exported type
+            std::abort();
+
+        if (ConditionalTrueString::condition != true)
+            // the condition is not exported correctly
+            std::abort();
+
+        if (*bar != "hello")
+            // value constructor did not work
+            std::abort();
+
+        if (*bar != *baz)
+            // copy constructor did not work
+            std::abort();
+
+        if (foo->size() != 0)
+            // default constructor did not work
+            std::abort();
+
+        // the assignment operator for the "wrapper" object should work
+        foo = baz;
+        if (*foo != *baz)
+            // assignment operator did not work
+            std::abort();
+    }
+
+    {
+        typedef Opm::ConditionalStorage<false, std::string> ConditionalFalseString;
+        ConditionalFalseString foo; // default constructor
+        ConditionalFalseString bar("hello"); // construct by value
+        ConditionalFalseString OPM_UNUSED baz(bar); // copy constructor
+
+        EnsureCompileTimeConstant<ConditionalFalseString::condition> hello OPM_UNUSED;
+        if (!std::is_same<typename ConditionalFalseString::type, std::string>::value)
+            // something went wrong with the exported type
+            std::abort();
+
+        if (ConditionalFalseString::condition != false)
+            // the condition is not exported correctly
+            std::abort();
+
+        // the assignment operator for the "wrapper" object should always work
+        baz = foo;
+
+        try {
+            *bar;
+
+            // this is supposed to throw an std::logic_error
+            std::abort();
+        }
+        catch (std::logic_error &) {}
+
+        try {
+            foo->size();
+
+            // this is supposed to throw an std::logic_error
+            std::abort();
+        }
+        catch (std::logic_error &) {}
+    }
+
+    {
+        typedef Opm::ConditionalStorage<true, IAmAnIslandLeaveMeAlone> ConditionalTrueIsland;
+        ConditionalTrueIsland OPM_UNUSED foo(1, 2);
+        // ConditionalTrueIsland OPM_UNUSED bar; // compiler fails because of missing default ctor
+    }
+
+    {
+        typedef Opm::ConditionalStorage<false, IAmAnIslandLeaveMeAlone> ConditionalFalseIsland;
+        ConditionalFalseIsland OPM_UNUSED foo(1, 2);
+        // ConditionalFalseIsland OPM_UNUSED bar; // compiler fails because of missing default ctor
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}