diff --git a/tests/cql_query_test.cc b/tests/cql_query_test.cc
index 402493aaaa..9f68c7fe5d 100644
--- a/tests/cql_query_test.cc
+++ b/tests/cql_query_test.cc
@@ -187,20 +187,35 @@ SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_drop_table_with_si_and_mv) {
 
 SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_list_elements_validation) {
     return do_with_cql_env_thread([](cql_test_env& e) {
+        auto test_inline = [&] (sstring value, bool should_throw) {
+            auto cql = sprint("INSERT INTO tbl (a, b) VALUES(1, ['%s'])", value);
+            if (should_throw) {
+                BOOST_REQUIRE_THROW(e.execute_cql(cql).get(), exceptions::invalid_request_exception);
+            } else {
+                BOOST_REQUIRE_NO_THROW(e.execute_cql(cql).get());
+            }
+        };
         e.execute_cql("CREATE TABLE tbl (a int, b list<date>, PRIMARY KEY (a))").get();
-        BOOST_REQUIRE_THROW(
-            e.execute_cql("INSERT INTO tbl (a, b) VALUES(1, ['definietly not a date value'])").get(),
-            exceptions::invalid_request_exception);
+        test_inline("definietly not a date value", true);
+        test_inline("2015-05-03", false);
         e.execute_cql("CREATE TABLE tbl2 (a int, b list<text>, PRIMARY KEY (a))").get();
         auto id = e.prepare("INSERT INTO tbl2 (a, b) VALUES(?, ?)").get0();
-        auto my_list_type = list_type_impl::get_instance(utf8_type, true);
-        std::vector<cql3::raw_value> raw_values;
-        raw_values.emplace_back(cql3::raw_value::make_value(int32_type->decompose(int32_t{1})));
-        auto values = my_list_type->decompose(make_list_value(my_list_type, {sstring(1, '\255')}));
-        raw_values.emplace_back(cql3::raw_value::make_value(values));
-        BOOST_REQUIRE_THROW(
-            e.execute_prepared(id, raw_values).get(),
-            exceptions::invalid_request_exception);
+        auto test_bind = [&] (sstring value, bool should_throw) {
+            auto my_list_type = list_type_impl::get_instance(utf8_type, true);
+            std::vector<cql3::raw_value> raw_values;
+            raw_values.emplace_back(cql3::raw_value::make_value(int32_type->decompose(int32_t{1})));
+            auto values = my_list_type->decompose(make_list_value(my_list_type, {value}));
+            raw_values.emplace_back(cql3::raw_value::make_value(values));
+            if (should_throw) {
+                BOOST_REQUIRE_THROW(
+                    e.execute_prepared(id, raw_values).get(),
+                    exceptions::invalid_request_exception);
+            } else {
+                BOOST_REQUIRE_NO_THROW(e.execute_prepared(id, raw_values).get());
+            }
+        };
+        test_bind(sstring(1, '\255'), true);
+        test_bind("proper utf8 string", false);
     });
 }