diff --git a/tests/test-char.c b/tests/test-char.c
index dfe856cb85..9e361c8d09 100644
--- a/tests/test-char.c
+++ b/tests/test-char.c
@@ -450,6 +450,32 @@ static void char_udp_test(void)
     g_free(tmp);
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_CHARDEV_SERIAL
+static void char_serial_test(void)
+{
+    QemuOpts *opts;
+    Chardev *chr;
+
+    opts = qemu_opts_create(qemu_find_opts("chardev"), "serial-id",
+                            1, &error_abort);
+    qemu_opt_set(opts, "backend", "serial", &error_abort);
+    qemu_opt_set(opts, "path", "/dev/null", &error_abort);
+
+    chr = qemu_chr_new_from_opts(opts, NULL);
+    g_assert_nonnull(chr);
+    /* TODO: add more tests with a pty */
+    object_unparent(OBJECT(chr));
+
+    /* test tty alias */
+    qemu_opt_set(opts, "backend", "tty", &error_abort);
+    chr = qemu_chr_new_from_opts(opts, NULL);
+    g_assert_nonnull(chr);
+    object_unparent(OBJECT(chr));
+
+    qemu_opts_del(opts);
+}
+#endif
+
 static void char_file_test(void)
 {
     char *tmp_path = g_dir_make_tmp("qemu-test-char.XXXXXX", NULL);
@@ -597,6 +623,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     g_test_add_func("/char/file", char_file_test);
     g_test_add_func("/char/socket", char_socket_test);
     g_test_add_func("/char/udp", char_udp_test);
+#ifdef HAVE_CHARDEV_SERIAL
+    g_test_add_func("/char/serial", char_serial_test);
+#endif
 
     return g_test_run();
 }