diff --git a/regtest/basic/rt-make-7/COLVAR.reference b/regtest/basic/rt-make-7/COLVAR.reference
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..298bd6e7b691af262a8140f9129bd8dd1991b598
--- /dev/null
+++ b/regtest/basic/rt-make-7/COLVAR.reference
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#! FIELDS time d d1
+ 0.000000 5.196152 5.196152
diff --git a/regtest/basic/rt-make-7/Makefile b/regtest/basic/rt-make-7/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..3703b27cea227aa053fb6d1d73f861e4384dbcee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/regtest/basic/rt-make-7/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+include ../../scripts/test.make
diff --git a/regtest/basic/rt-make-7/config b/regtest/basic/rt-make-7/config
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..df1f95bf3ee289aa8367431334c00cf144754ddf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/regtest/basic/rt-make-7/config
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+type=make
diff --git a/regtest/basic/rt-make-7/main.cpp b/regtest/basic/rt-make-7/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..a2e926a2af74d0dfdb25f42f8e2f74a06fffc6d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/regtest/basic/rt-make-7/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#include "plumed/wrapper/Plumed.h"
+#include <vector>
+
+using namespace PLMD;
+
+int main(){
+  Plumed* plumed=new Plumed;
+
+  int natoms=10;
+
+  std::vector<double> positions(3*natoms,0.0);
+  for(unsigned i=0;i<natoms;i++) positions[i]=i;
+  std::vector<double> masses(natoms,1.0);
+  std::vector<double> forces(3*natoms,0.0);
+  std::vector<double> box(9,0.0);
+  std::vector<double> virial(9,0.0);
+
+  plumed->cmd("setNatoms",&natoms);
+  plumed->cmd("setLogFile","test.log");
+  plumed->cmd("init");
+  plumed->cmd("readInputLine","d: DISTANCE ATOMS=1,2");
+  plumed->cmd("readInputLine","d1: DISTANCE ATOMS={1 2}"); // check if braces are parsed correctly
+  plumed->cmd("readInputLine","PRINT ARG=d,d1 FILE=COLVAR");
+
+
+  int step=1;
+  plumed->cmd("setStep",&step);
+  plumed->cmd("setPositions",&positions[0]);
+  plumed->cmd("setBox",&box[0]);
+  plumed->cmd("setForces",&forces[0]);
+  plumed->cmd("setVirial",&virial[0]);
+  plumed->cmd("setMasses",&masses[0]);
+  plumed->cmd("calc");
+
+  delete plumed;
+  return 0;
+}