diff --git a/CMakeLists_files.cmake b/CMakeLists_files.cmake
index c09e08e11..ecde37a6b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists_files.cmake
+++ b/CMakeLists_files.cmake
@@ -544,6 +544,7 @@ if(ENABLE_ECL_INPUT)
     tests/SPE1CASE1A.UNSMRY
     tests/SPE1CASE1_RST60.SMSPEC
     tests/SPE1CASE1_RST60.UNSMRY
+    tests/SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY
     tests/MODEL2_RESTART.DATA
     tests/restart/MODEL2.UNRST
     tests/UDQ_WCONPROD.DATA
diff --git a/python/tests/data/SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY b/python/tests/data/SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a70d57f9a
Binary files /dev/null and b/python/tests/data/SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY differ
diff --git a/python/tests/test_esmry.py b/python/tests/test_esmry.py
index c6988c29a..f1af54cc4 100755
--- a/python/tests/test_esmry.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_esmry.py
@@ -144,7 +144,6 @@ class TestEclFile(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(time0[0], 1.0)
 
         rst_smry1 = ESmry(test_path("data/SPE1CASE1_RST60.SMSPEC"))
-        rst_smry1.make_esmry_file()
 
         rst_ext_smry1 = ESmry(test_path("data/SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY"))
 
diff --git a/src/opm/io/eclipse/ESmry.cpp b/src/opm/io/eclipse/ESmry.cpp
index 1256c3df3..815607f10 100644
--- a/src/opm/io/eclipse/ESmry.cpp
+++ b/src/opm/io/eclipse/ESmry.cpp
@@ -193,7 +193,10 @@ ESmry::ESmry(const std::string &filename, bool loadBaseRunData) :
         keywordListSpecFile.push_back(combindKeyList);
         getRstString(restartArray, pathRstFile, rstRootN);
 
-        if (rstRootN.string() != ""){
+        if ((rstRootN.string() != "") && (loadBaseRunData)){
+
+            if (! Opm::filesystem::exists(pathRstFile))
+                OPM_THROW(std::runtime_error, "path to restart file not found, '" + pathRstFile.string() + "'");
 
             auto abs_rst_file = Opm::filesystem::canonical(pathRstFile) / rstRootN;
             Opm::filesystem::path rel_path;
diff --git a/tests/SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY b/tests/SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a70d57f9a
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY differ
diff --git a/tests/test_ExtESmry.cpp b/tests/test_ExtESmry.cpp
index 62f9008d0..50656f632 100644
--- a/tests/test_ExtESmry.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_ExtESmry.cpp
@@ -218,7 +218,6 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(TestExtESmry_1) {
         Opm::filesystem::remove("SPE1CASE1.ESMRY");
 }
 
-
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(TestExtESmry_2) {
 
     // using a syntetic restart file.
@@ -248,14 +247,8 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(TestExtESmry_2) {
     if (Opm::filesystem::exists("SPE1CASE1.ESMRY"))
         Opm::filesystem::remove("SPE1CASE1.ESMRY");
 
-    if (Opm::filesystem::exists("SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY"))
-        Opm::filesystem::remove("SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY");
-
     ESmry smry1("SPE1CASE1.SMSPEC");
-    ESmry smry2("SPE1CASE1_RST60.SMSPEC");
-
     smry1.make_esmry_file();
-    smry2.make_esmry_file();
 
     ExtESmry esmry1("SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY");
 
@@ -313,12 +306,8 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(TestExtESmry_2) {
     if (Opm::filesystem::exists("SPE1CASE1.ESMRY"))
         Opm::filesystem::remove("SPE1CASE1.ESMRY");
 
-    if (Opm::filesystem::exists("SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY"))
-        Opm::filesystem::remove("SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY");
 }
 
-
-
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(TestESmry_3) {
 
     // using a syntetic restart file.
@@ -348,14 +337,8 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(TestESmry_3) {
     if (Opm::filesystem::exists("SPE1CASE1.ESMRY"))
         Opm::filesystem::remove("SPE1CASE1.ESMRY");
 
-    if (Opm::filesystem::exists("SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY"))
-        Opm::filesystem::remove("SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY");
-
     ESmry smry1("SPE1CASE1.SMSPEC");
-    ESmry smry2("SPE1CASE1_RST60.SMSPEC");
-
     smry1.make_esmry_file();
-    smry2.make_esmry_file();
 
     ExtESmry esmry1("SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY", true);
 
@@ -391,15 +374,11 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(TestESmry_3) {
         BOOST_REQUIRE_CLOSE (smryVect[i], bpr_111_ref[i], 0.01);
 
     smryVect = esmry1.get("BPR:10,10,3");
-
     for (unsigned int i=0;i< smryVect.size();i++)
         BOOST_REQUIRE_CLOSE (smryVect[i], bpr_10103_ref[i], 0.01);
 
     if (Opm::filesystem::exists("SPE1CASE1.ESMRY"))
         Opm::filesystem::remove("SPE1CASE1.ESMRY");
 
-    if (Opm::filesystem::exists("SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY"))
-        Opm::filesystem::remove("SPE1CASE1_RST60.ESMRY");
 }
 
-