diff --git a/collects/tests/mzscheme/list.ss b/collects/tests/mzscheme/list.ss
index 0aea0bd345..f6519acc96 100644
--- a/collects/tests/mzscheme/list.ss
+++ b/collects/tests/mzscheme/list.ss
@@ -113,7 +113,18 @@
   (for-each (lambda (l) (test '((0 2) (0 3) (1 1)) sort* l))
             '(((1 1) (0 2) (0 3))
               ((0 2) (1 1) (0 3))
-              ((0 2) (0 3) (1 1)))))
+              ((0 2) (0 3) (1 1))))
+  ;; exhaustive tests for 2 and 3 item lists
+  (for-each (lambda (l) (test '((1 x) (2 y)) sort* l))
+            '(((1 x) (2 y))
+              ((2 y) (1 x))))
+  (for-each (lambda (l) (test '((1 x) (2 y) (3 z)) sort* l))
+            '(((1 x) (2 y) (3 z))
+              ((2 y) (1 x) (3 z))
+              ((2 y) (3 z) (1 x))
+              ((3 z) (2 y) (1 x))
+              ((3 z) (1 x) (2 y))
+              ((1 x) (3 z) (2 y)))))
 ;; test #:key and #:cache-keys?
 (let ()
   (define l '((0) (9) (1) (8) (2) (7) (3) (6) (4) (5)))