diff --git a/alternator-test/conftest.py b/alternator-test/conftest.py
index 54ee95462b..5b822ce543 100644
--- a/alternator-test/conftest.py
+++ b/alternator-test/conftest.py
@@ -104,9 +104,11 @@ def test_2_tables(dynamodb):
 
 # "filled_test_table" fixture:  Create a temporary table to be used in tests
 # that involve reading data - GetItem, Scan, etc. The table is filled with
-# 164 elements - each consisting of a partition key, clustering key
-# and two string attributes. This table is supposed to be read from,
-# not updated nor overwritten.
+# 328 items - each consisting of a partition key, clustering key and two
+# string attributes. 164 of the items are in a single partition (with the
+# partition key 'long') and the 164 other items are each in a separate
+# partition.
+# This table is supposed to be read from, not updated nor overwritten.
 # This fixture returns both a table object and the description of all items
 # inserted into it.
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
@@ -126,6 +128,12 @@ def filled_test_table(dynamodb):
         'attribute': "x" * 7,
         'another': "y" * 16
     } for i in range(count)]
+    items = items + [{
+        'p': 'long',
+        'c': str(i),
+        'attribute': "x" * 7,
+        'another': "y" * 16
+    } for i in range(count)]
 
     for item in items:
         # TODO: eventually, when Alternator supports batch operations,
diff --git a/alternator-test/test_scan.py b/alternator-test/test_scan.py
index d012104a94..c3f8b2269b 100644
--- a/alternator-test/test_scan.py
+++ b/alternator-test/test_scan.py
@@ -47,3 +47,26 @@ def test_scan_with_paginator(dynamodb, filled_test_table):
 
     assert len(items) == len(got_items)
     assert set_of_frozen_elements(items) == set_of_frozen_elements(got_items)
+
+# Although partitions are scanned in seemingly-random order, inside a
+# partition items must be returned by Scan sorted in sort-key order.
+# This test verifies this, for string sort key. We'll need separate
+# tests for the other sort-key types (number and binary)
+def test_scan_sort_order_string(filled_test_table):
+    test_table, items = filled_test_table
+    pos = None
+    got_items = []
+    while True:
+        response = test_table.scan(ExclusiveStartKey=pos) if pos else test_table.scan()
+        pos = response.get('LastEvaluatedKey', None)
+        got_items += response['Items']
+        if not pos:
+            break
+    assert len(items) == len(got_items)
+    # Extract just the sort key ("c") from the partition "long"
+    items_long = [x['c'] for x in items if x['p'] == 'long']
+    got_items_long = [x['c'] for x in got_items if x['p'] == 'long']
+    # Verify that got_items_long are already sorted (in string order)
+    assert sorted(got_items_long) == got_items_long
+    # Verify that got_items_long are a sorted version of the expected items_long
+    assert sorted(items_long) == got_items_long