--- /dev/null
+#!/bin/sh
+# Test date --reference
+
+# Copyright (C) 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+# 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 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+. "${srcdir=.}/tests/init.sh"; path_prepend_ ./src
+print_ver_ date
+
+# Avoid any possible glitches due to daylight-saving changes near the
+# timestamps used during the test.
+TZ=UTC0
+export TZ
+
+t1='2025-10-23 03:00'
+t2='2025-10-23 04:00'
+
+# date(1) only considers modiication time
+touch -m -d "$t1" a || framework_failure_
+touch -m -d "$t2" b || framework_failure_
+
+test $(date +%s -r a) -lt $(date +%s -r b) || fail=1
+
+if test "$(date +%s -d "$t1")" -lt "$(date +%s)"; then
+ test "$(date +%s -r a)" -lt "$(date +%s)" || fail=1
+fi
+
+ln -s t1 t1s || framework_failure_
+if ! test t1 -ot t1s && ! test t1 -nt t1s; then
+ test "$(date -r t1)" = "$(date -r t1s)" || fail=1
+fi
+
+returns_ 1 date --reference || fail=1
+returns_ 1 date --reference= || fail=1
+returns_ 1 date --reference=missing || fail=1
+returns_ 1 date -d "$t1" -r/ || fail=1
+
+Exit $fail