diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsdataitem.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsdataitem.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+/***************************************************************************
+     testqgsdataitem.cpp
+     --------------------------------------
+    Date                 : Thu May 24 10:44:50 BRT 2012
+    Copyright            : (C) 2012 Etienne Tourigny
+    Email                : etourigny.dev at gmail dot com
+ ***************************************************************************
+ *                                                                         *
+ *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify  *
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by  *
+ *   the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or     *
+ *   (at your option) any later version.                                   *
+ *                                                                         *
+ ***************************************************************************/
+#include <QtTest>
+#include <QObject>
+#include <QString>
+#include <QStringList>
+#include <QSettings>
+
+//qgis includes...
+#include <qgsdataitem.h>
+#include <qgsvectorlayer.h>
+#include <qgsapplication.h>
+#include <qgslogger.h>
+
+/** \ingroup UnitTests
+ * This is a unit test for the QgsDataItem class.
+ */
+class TestQgsDataItem: public QObject
+{
+    Q_OBJECT;
+
+  private slots:
+    void initTestCase();// will be called before the first testfunction is executed.
+    void cleanupTestCase();;// will be called after the last testfunction was executed.
+    void init() {};// will be called before each testfunction is executed.
+    void cleanup() {};// will be called after every testfunction.
+
+    void testValid();
+    void testDirItemChildren();
+
+  private:
+    QgsDirectoryItem* mDirItem;
+    int mScanItemsSetting;
+    bool isValidDirItem( QgsDirectoryItem *item );
+};
+
+void TestQgsDataItem::initTestCase()
+{
+  //
+  // Runs once before any tests are run
+  //
+  // init QGIS's paths - true means that all path will be inited from prefix
+  QgsApplication::init();
+  QgsApplication::initQgis();
+  QgsApplication::showSettings();
+
+  // Set up the QSettings environment
+  QCoreApplication::setOrganizationName( "QuantumGIS" );
+  QCoreApplication::setOrganizationDomain( "qgis.org" );
+  QCoreApplication::setApplicationName( "QGIS-TEST" );
+  // save current scanItemsSetting value
+  QSettings settings;
+  mScanItemsSetting = settings.value( "/qgis/scanItemsInBrowser", 0 ).toInt();
+
+  //create a directory item that will be used in all tests...
+  mDirItem = new QgsDirectoryItem( 0, "Test", TEST_DATA_DIR );
+}
+
+void TestQgsDataItem::cleanupTestCase()
+{
+  // restore scanItemsSetting
+  QSettings settings;
+  settings.setValue( "/qgis/scanItemsInBrowser", mScanItemsSetting );
+  if ( mDirItem )
+    delete mDirItem;
+}
+
+bool TestQgsDataItem::isValidDirItem( QgsDirectoryItem *item )
+{
+  return ( item && item->hasChildren() );
+}
+
+void TestQgsDataItem::testValid()
+{
+  if ( mDirItem )
+    QgsDebugMsg( QString( "dirItem has %1 children" ).arg( mDirItem->rowCount() ) );
+  QVERIFY( isValidDirItem( mDirItem ) );
+}
+
+void TestQgsDataItem::testDirItemChildren()
+{
+  QSettings settings;
+  for ( int iSetting = 0 ; iSetting <= 1 ; iSetting++ )
+  {
+    settings.setValue( "/qgis/scanItemsInBrowser", iSetting );
+    QgsDirectoryItem* dirItem = new QgsDirectoryItem( 0, "Test", TEST_DATA_DIR );
+    QVERIFY( isValidDirItem( dirItem ) );
+
+    QVector<QgsDataItem*> children = dirItem->createChildren();
+    for ( int i = 0; i < children.size(); i++ )
+    {
+      QgsDataItem* dataItem = children[i];
+      QgsLayerItem* layerItem = dynamic_cast<QgsLayerItem*>( dataItem );
+      if ( ! layerItem )
+        continue;
+
+      // test .vrt and .gz files are not loaded by gdal and ogr
+      QFileInfo info( layerItem->path() );
+      QString lFile = info.fileName();
+      QString lProvider = layerItem->providerKey();
+      QString errStr = QString( "layer #%1 - %2 provider = %3 iSetting = %4" ).arg( i ).arg( lFile ).arg( lProvider ).arg( iSetting );
+      const char* err = errStr.toLocal8Bit().constData();
+
+      QgsDebugMsg( QString( "testing child name=%1 provider=%2 path=%3" ).arg( layerItem->name() ).arg( lProvider ).arg( lFile ) );
+
+      if ( lFile == "landsat.tif" )
+      {
+        QVERIFY2( lProvider == "gdal", err );
+      }
+      else if ( lFile == "points.vrt" )
+      {
+        QVERIFY2( lProvider == "ogr", err );
+      }
+      else if ( lFile == "landsat.vrt" )
+      {
+        QVERIFY2( lProvider == "gdal", err );
+      }
+      else if ( lFile == "landsat_b1.tif.gz" )
+      {
+        QVERIFY2( lProvider == "gdal", err );
+      }
+      else if ( lFile == "points3.geojson.gz" )
+      {
+        QVERIFY2( lProvider == "ogr", err );
+      }
+
+      // test layerName() does not include extension for gdal and ogr items (bug #5621)
+      QString lName = layerItem->layerName();
+      errStr = QString( "layer #%1 - %2 lName = %3 iSetting = %4" ).arg( i ).arg( lFile ).arg( lName ).arg( iSetting );
+      err = errStr.toLocal8Bit().constData();
+
+      if ( lFile == "landsat.tif" )
+      {
+        QVERIFY2( lName == "landsat", err );
+      }
+      else if ( lFile == "points.shp" )
+      {
+        QVERIFY2( lName == "points", err );
+      }
+      else if ( lFile == "landsat_b1.tif.gz" )
+      {
+        QVERIFY2( lName == "landsat_b1", err );
+      }
+      else if ( lFile == "points3.geojson.gz" )
+      {
+        QVERIFY2( lName == "points3", err );
+      }
+
+    }
+    if ( dirItem )
+      delete dirItem;
+  }
+}
+
+QTEST_MAIN( TestQgsDataItem )
+#include "moc_testqgsdataitem.cxx"
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testziplayer.cpp b/tests/src/core/testziplayer.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class TestZipLayer: public QObject
     // get map layer using QgsZipItem (only 1 child)
     QgsMapLayer * getZipLayer( QString myPath, QString myName );
     // test item(s) in zip item (supply name or test all)
-    bool testZipItem( QString myFileName, QString myChildName );
+    bool testZipItem( QString myFileName, QString myChildName = "", QString myDriverName = "" );
     // get layer transparency to test for .qml loading
     int getLayerTransparency( QString myFileName, QString myProviderKey, int myScanZipSetting = 1 );
 
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ class TestZipLayer: public QObject
     void testGZipItemRasterTransparency();
     //make sure items inside subfolders can be read
     void testZipItemSubfolder();
+    //make sure .vrt items are loaded by proper provider (gdal/ogr)
+    void testZipItemVRT();
 };
 
 
@@ -128,13 +130,15 @@ bool TestZipLayer::testZipItemPassthru( QString myFileName, QString myProviderKe
   return ok;
 }
 
-bool TestZipLayer::testZipItem( QString myFileName, QString myChildName = "" )
+bool TestZipLayer::testZipItem( QString myFileName, QString myChildName, QString myProviderName )
 {
-  QgsDebugMsg( QString( "\n=======================================\nfile = %1 name = %2" ).arg( myFileName ).arg( myChildName ) );
+  QgsDebugMsg( QString( "\n=======================================\nfile = %1 name = %2 provider = %3"
+                      ).arg( myFileName ).arg( myChildName ).arg( myProviderName ) );
   QFileInfo myFileInfo( myFileName );
   QgsZipItem *myZipItem = new QgsZipItem( NULL, myFileInfo.fileName(), myFileName );
   myZipItem->populate();
   bool ok = false;
+  QString driverName;
   QVector<QgsDataItem*> myChildren = myZipItem->children();
 
   if ( myChildren.size() > 0 )
@@ -168,6 +172,16 @@ bool TestZipLayer::testZipItem( QString myFileName, QString myChildName = "" )
             }
             else
             {
+              //verify correct provider was used
+              if ( myProviderName != "" )
+              {
+                ok = ( myProviderName == layerItem->providerKey() );
+                if ( ! ok )
+                {
+                  QWARN( QString( "Layer %1 opened by provider %2, expecting %3"
+                                ).arg( layerItem->path() ).arg( layerItem->providerKey() ).arg( myProviderName ).toLocal8Bit().data() );
+                }
+              }
               break;
             }
           }
@@ -388,5 +402,19 @@ void TestZipLayer::testZipItemSubfolder()
     QVERIFY( testZipItem( mDataDir + "testzip.zip", "folder/folder2/landsat_b2.tif" ) );
   }
 }
+
+
+void TestZipLayer::testZipItemVRT()
+{
+  QSettings settings;
+  for ( int i = 2 ; i <= mMaxScanZipSetting ; i++ )
+  {
+    settings.setValue( "/qgis/scanZipInBrowser", i );
+    QVERIFY( i == settings.value( "/qgis/scanZipInBrowser" ).toInt() );
+    QVERIFY( testZipItem( mDataDir + "testzip.zip", "landsat.vrt", "gdal" ) );
+    QVERIFY( testZipItem( mDataDir + "testzip.zip", "points.vrt", "ogr" ) );
+  }
+}
+
 QTEST_MAIN( TestZipLayer )
 #include "moc_testziplayer.cxx"
diff --git a/tests/testdata/points.vrt b/tests/testdata/points.vrt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<OGRVRTDataSource>
+    <OGRVRTLayer name="points">
+        <SrcDataSource relativeToVRT="1">points.shp</SrcDataSource>
+    </OGRVRTLayer>
+</OGRVRTDataSource>
diff --git a/tests/testdata/testzip.zip b/tests/testdata/testzip.zip