diff --git a/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_text_input_external_filename.png b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_text_input_external_filename.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b0c680568ca
Binary files /dev/null and b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_text_input_external_filename.png differ
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_text.py b/pygmt/tests/test_text.py
index 6786106f120..93697397ec7 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_text.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_text.py
@@ -78,6 +78,16 @@ def test_text_input_single_filename():
     return fig
 
 
+@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
+def test_text_input_external_filename():
+    """
+    Run text by passing in an external filename to textfiles
+    """
+    fig = Figure()
+    fig.text(region=[0, 6.5, 0, 6.5], textfiles="@Table_5_11.txt")
+    return fig
+
+
 @pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
 def test_text_input_multiple_filenames():
     """