diff --git a/src/core/qgsabstractgeopdfexporter.h b/src/core/qgsabstractgeopdfexporter.h
index 39f30a3cf490..359304343ee8 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsabstractgeopdfexporter.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsabstractgeopdfexporter.h
@@ -131,8 +131,11 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter
     /**
      * To be called after the rendering operation is complete.
      *
-     * Will export the list of PDF layer \a components to a new PDF file at \a destinationFile. Any features
-     * previously collected by calls to pushRenderedFeature() will be included automatically in the GeoPDF
+     * Will export the list of PDF layer \a components to a new PDF file at \a destinationFile. The \a components
+     * argument gives a list of additional layers to include in the generated PDF file. These must have already
+     * been created, e.g. as a result of rendering layers to seperate PDF source files.
+     *
+     * Any features previously collected by calls to pushRenderedFeature() will be included automatically in the GeoPDF
      * export.
      *
      * Returns TRUE if the operation was successful, or FALSE if an error occurred. If an error occurred, it
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsgeopdfexport.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsgeopdfexport.cpp
index fc46f12c3a4a..03a600286213 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsgeopdfexport.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsgeopdfexport.cpp
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class TestQgsGeoPdfExport : public QObject
     void init();// will be called before each testfunction is executed.
     void cleanup();// will be called after every testfunction.
     void testCollectingFeatures();
+    void testComposition();
 
   private:
 
@@ -174,5 +175,93 @@ void TestQgsGeoPdfExport::testCollectingFeatures()
   QCOMPARE( f.geometry().asWkt(), QStringLiteral( "LineString (1 1, 2 2)" ) );
 }
 
+void TestQgsGeoPdfExport::testComposition()
+{
+  if ( !QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::geoPDFCreationAvailable() )
+  {
+    QSKIP( "This test requires GeoPDF creation abilities", SkipSingle );
+  }
+
+  TestGeoPdfExporter geoPdfExporter;
+  // no features, no crash
+  QVERIFY( geoPdfExporter.saveTemporaryLayers() );
+  QCOMPARE( geoPdfExporter.mVectorComponents.count(), 0 );
+
+  QgsFields fields;
+  fields.append( QgsField( QStringLiteral( "a1" ), QVariant::Int ) );
+  fields.append( QgsField( QStringLiteral( "a2" ), QVariant::Int ) );
+  QgsFeature f( fields );
+
+  f.setAttributes( QgsAttributes() << 1 << 2 );
+  f.setGeometry( QgsGeometry( new QgsPoint( 1, 2 ) ) );
+  QgsGeometry renderedBounds( QgsGeometry::fromRect( QgsRectangle( 1, 10, 6, 20 ) ) );
+  geoPdfExporter.pushRenderedFeature( QStringLiteral( "layer1" ), QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::RenderedFeature( f, renderedBounds ) );
+  f.setAttributes( QgsAttributes() << 31 << 32 );
+  f.setGeometry( QgsGeometry( new QgsPoint( 4, 5 ) ) );
+  renderedBounds = QgsGeometry::fromWkt( QStringLiteral( "LineString(1 1, 2 2)" ) );
+  geoPdfExporter.pushRenderedFeature( QStringLiteral( "layer2" ), QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::RenderedFeature( f, renderedBounds ) );
+
+  QVERIFY( geoPdfExporter.saveTemporaryLayers() );
+  QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::VectorComponentDetail component;
+  QString layer1Path;
+  QString layer1Layer;
+  QString layer2Path;
+  QString layer2Layer;
+
+  for ( const auto &it : qgis::as_const( geoPdfExporter.mVectorComponents ) )
+  {
+    if ( it.mapLayerId == QStringLiteral( "layer1" ) )
+    {
+      layer1Path = it.sourceVectorPath;
+      layer1Layer = it.sourceVectorLayer;
+    }
+    else if ( it.mapLayerId == QStringLiteral( "layer2" ) )
+    {
+      layer2Path = it.sourceVectorPath;
+      layer2Layer = it.sourceVectorLayer;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // test creation of the composition xml
+  QList< QgsAbstractGeoPdfExporter::ComponentLayerDetail > renderedLayers; // no extra layers for now
+  QString composition = geoPdfExporter.createCompositionXml( renderedLayers );
+  QgsDebugMsg( composition );
+  QDomDocument doc;
+  doc.setContent( composition );
+  QDomNodeList ifLayerOnList = doc.elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "IfLayerOn" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.count(), 2 );
+
+  int layer1Idx = ifLayerOnList.at( 0 ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "layerId" ) ) == QStringLiteral( "layer1" ) ? 0 : 1;
+  int layer2Idx = layer1Idx == 0 ? 1 : 0;
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.at( layer1Idx ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "layerId" ) ), QStringLiteral( "layer1" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.at( layer1Idx ).toElement().elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "Vector" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "dataset" ) ), layer1Path );
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.at( layer1Idx ).toElement().elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "Vector" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "layer" ) ), layer1Layer );
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.at( layer1Idx ).toElement().elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "Vector" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "visible" ) ), QStringLiteral( "false" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.at( layer1Idx ).toElement().elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "LogicalStructure" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "fieldToDisplay" ) ), QStringLiteral( "attr layer1" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.at( layer1Idx ).toElement().elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "LogicalStructure" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "displayLayerName" ) ), QStringLiteral( "name layer1" ) );
+
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.at( layer2Idx ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "layerId" ) ), QStringLiteral( "layer2" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.at( layer2Idx ).toElement().elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "Vector" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "dataset" ) ), layer2Path );
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.at( layer2Idx ).toElement().elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "Vector" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "layer" ) ), layer2Layer );
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.at( layer2Idx ).toElement().elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "Vector" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "visible" ) ), QStringLiteral( "false" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.at( layer2Idx ).toElement().elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "LogicalStructure" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "fieldToDisplay" ) ), QStringLiteral( "attr layer2" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( ifLayerOnList.at( layer2Idx ).toElement().elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "LogicalStructure" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "displayLayerName" ) ), QStringLiteral( "name layer2" ) );
+
+
+  QDomNodeList layerTreeList = doc.elementsByTagName( QStringLiteral( "LayerTree" ) ).at( 0 ).toElement().childNodes();
+  QCOMPARE( layerTreeList.count(), 2 );
+
+  layer1Idx = layerTreeList.at( 0 ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "id" ) ) == QStringLiteral( "layer1" ) ? 0 : 1;
+  layer2Idx = layer1Idx == 0 ? 1 : 0;
+  QCOMPARE( layerTreeList.at( layer1Idx ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "id" ) ), QStringLiteral( "layer1" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( layerTreeList.at( layer1Idx ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "name" ) ), QStringLiteral( "name layer1" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( layerTreeList.at( layer1Idx ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "initiallyVisible" ) ), QStringLiteral( "true" ) );
+
+  QCOMPARE( layerTreeList.at( layer2Idx ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "id" ) ), QStringLiteral( "layer2" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( layerTreeList.at( layer2Idx ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "name" ) ), QStringLiteral( "name layer2" ) );
+  QCOMPARE( layerTreeList.at( layer2Idx ).toElement().attribute( QStringLiteral( "initiallyVisible" ) ), QStringLiteral( "true" ) );
+
+}
+
 QGSTEST_MAIN( TestQgsGeoPdfExport )
 #include "testqgsgeopdfexport.moc"