diff --git a/test/TestInventory.py b/test/TestInventory.py
index 53c8107467..f2035231d4 100644
--- a/test/TestInventory.py
+++ b/test/TestInventory.py
@@ -282,6 +282,10 @@ class TestInventory(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_incorrect_format(self):
         Inventory(os.path.join(self.test_dir, 'inventory','test_incorrect_format'))
 
+    @raises(errors.AnsibleError)
+    def test_alpha_end_before_beg(self):
+        Inventory(os.path.join(self.test_dir, 'inventory','test_alpha_end_before_beg'))
+
 
     ###################################################
     ### Inventory API tests
diff --git a/test/inventory/test_alpha_end_before_beg b/test/inventory/test_alpha_end_before_beg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1b7a478d87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/inventory/test_alpha_end_before_beg
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[test]
+host[Z:T]