diff --git a/tests/funcs/filter.sh b/tests/funcs/filter.sh
index 8d632f34..6d1185f6 100644
--- a/tests/funcs/filter.sh
+++ b/tests/funcs/filter.sh
@@ -56,8 +56,11 @@ t_filter_dmesg()
 	re="$re|scoutfs .*: all clients recovered"
 	re="$re|scoutfs .* error: client rid.*lock recovery timed out"
 
-	# some tests mount w/o options
+	# we test bad devices and options
 	re="$re|scoutfs .* error: Required mount option \"metadev_path\" not found"
+	re="$re|scoutfs .* error: meta_super META flag not set"
+	re="$re|scoutfs .* error: could not open metadev:.*"
+	re="$re|scoutfs .* error: Unknown or malformed option,.*"
 
 	# in debugging kernels we can slow things down a bit
 	re="$re|hrtimer: interrupt took .*"
diff --git a/tests/golden/basic-bad-mounts b/tests/golden/basic-bad-mounts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6c84453f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/golden/basic-bad-mounts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+== prepare devices, mount point, and logs
+== bad devices, bad options
+== swapped devices
+== both meta devices
+== both data devices
+== good volume, bad option and good options
diff --git a/tests/sequence b/tests/sequence
index b86452dd..40c82e52 100644
--- a/tests/sequence
+++ b/tests/sequence
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 export-get-name-parent.sh
 basic-block-counts.sh
+basic-bad-mounts.sh
 inode-items-updated.sh
 simple-inode-index.sh
 simple-staging.sh
diff --git a/tests/tests/basic-bad-mounts.sh b/tests/tests/basic-bad-mounts.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f7bd80c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tests/basic-bad-mounts.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+
+mount_fail()
+{
+	local mnt=${!#}
+
+	echo "mounting $@" >> $T_TMP.mount.out
+	mount -t scoutfs "$@" >> $T_TMP.mount.out 2>&1
+	if [ $? == 0 ]; then
+		umount "$mnt" || t_fail "couldn't unmount"
+		t_fail "bad mount succeeded"
+	fi
+}
+
+echo "== prepare devices, mount point, and logs"
+SCR="/mnt/scoutfs.extra"
+mkdir -p "$SCR"
+> $T_TMP.mount.out
+scoutfs mkfs -f -Q 0,127.0.0.1,53000 "$T_EX_META_DEV" "$T_EX_DATA_DEV" > $T_TMP.mkfs.out 2>&1 \
+	|| t_fail "mkfs failed"
+
+echo "== bad devices, bad options"
+mount_fail -o _bad /dev/null /dev/null "$SCR"
+
+echo "== swapped devices"
+mount_fail -o metadev_path=$T_EX_DATA_DEV,quorum_slot_nr=0 "$T_EX_META_DEV" "$SCR"
+
+echo "== both meta devices"
+mount_fail -o metadev_path=$T_EX_META_DEV,quorum_slot_nr=0 "$T_EX_META_DEV" "$SCR"
+
+echo "== both data devices"
+mount_fail -o metadev_path=$T_EX_DATA_DEV,quorum_slot_nr=0 "$T_EX_DATA_DEV" "$SCR"
+
+echo "== good volume, bad option and good options"
+mount_fail -o _bad,metadev_path=$T_EX_META_DEV,quorum_slot_nr=0 "$T_EX_DATA_DEV" "$SCR" 
+
+t_pass