diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index 086ee55c..982b49d0 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ src_TESTS = \
   no-rpath-pie-powerpc.sh \
   build-id.sh \
   invalid-elf.sh \
+  endianness.sh \
   contiguous_note_sections.sh
 
 build_TESTS = \
diff --git a/tests/endianness.sh b/tests/endianness.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..23b4aead
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/endianness.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#! /bin/sh -e
+SCRATCH=scratch/$(basename $0 .sh)
+PATCHELF="../src/patchelf"
+
+for arch in ppc64 ppc64le; do
+    rm -rf ${SCRATCH}
+    mkdir -p ${SCRATCH}
+
+    cp endianness/${arch}/main endianness/${arch}/libtest.so ${SCRATCH}/
+
+    rpath="${PWD}/${SCRATCH}"
+
+    # set rpath to scratch dir
+    ${PATCHELF} --output ${SCRATCH}/main-rpath --set-rpath $rpath ${SCRATCH}/main
+
+    # attempt to shrink rpath, should not result in empty rpath
+    ${PATCHELF} --output ${SCRATCH}/main-shrunk --shrink-rpath --debug ${SCRATCH}/main-rpath 
+
+    # check whether rpath is still present
+    if ! ${PATCHELF} --print-rpath ${SCRATCH}/main-shrunk | grep -q "$rpath"; then
+        echo "rpath was removed for ${arch}"
+	exit 1
+    fi
+done
diff --git a/tests/endianness/Makefile b/tests/endianness/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..914e3630
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/endianness/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+all:
+	$(CC) -xc -nostdlib -shared -o libtest.so - <<< 'void test() {}'
+	$(CC) -xc -nostdlib -L. -ltest -o main - <<< 'void _start() {}'
diff --git a/tests/endianness/ppc64/libtest.so b/tests/endianness/ppc64/libtest.so
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..31340787
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diff --git a/tests/endianness/ppc64/main b/tests/endianness/ppc64/main
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..c7c8869f
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diff --git a/tests/endianness/ppc64le/libtest.so b/tests/endianness/ppc64le/libtest.so
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..07d7611b
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diff --git a/tests/endianness/ppc64le/main b/tests/endianness/ppc64le/main
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..386c3be7
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