diff --git a/tests/sstable_3_x_test.cc b/tests/sstable_3_x_test.cc
index fd691578e4..ea0b1ac48d 100644
--- a/tests/sstable_3_x_test.cc
+++ b/tests/sstable_3_x_test.cc
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ public:
     void read_statistics() {
         _sst->read_statistics(default_priority_class()).get();
     }
+    void load() {
+        _sst->load().get();
+    }
     void assert_toc(const std::set<component_type>& expected_components) {
         for (auto& expected : expected_components) {
             if(_sst->_recognized_components.count(expected) == 0) {
@@ -135,3 +138,10 @@ SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_uncompressed_simple_read_statistics) {
         sst.read_statistics();
     });
 }
+
+SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_uncompressed_simple_load) {
+    return seastar::async([] {
+        sstable_assertions sst(UNCOMPRESSED_SIMPLE_SCHEMA, UNCOMPRESSED_SIMPLE_PATH);
+        sst.load();
+    });
+}