diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/spgist.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/spgist.sgml
index a816856f3d..81ddf5dac9 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/spgist.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/spgist.sgml
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@
        <literal>|&amp;&gt;</literal>
       </entry>
       <entry>
+       <literal>&lt;-&gt;</literal>
       </entry>
      </row>
      <row>
diff --git a/src/include/catalog/pg_amop.dat b/src/include/catalog/pg_amop.dat
index ebc38ae64f..232557ee81 100644
--- a/src/include/catalog/pg_amop.dat
+++ b/src/include/catalog/pg_amop.dat
@@ -1546,6 +1546,10 @@
   amopstrategy => '11', amopopr => '|>>(box,box)', amopmethod => 'spgist' },
 { amopfamily => 'spgist/box_ops', amoplefttype => 'box', amoprighttype => 'box',
   amopstrategy => '12', amopopr => '|&>(box,box)', amopmethod => 'spgist' },
+{ amopfamily => 'spgist/box_ops', amoplefttype => 'box',
+  amoprighttype => 'point', amopstrategy => '15', amoppurpose => 'o',
+  amopopr => '<->(box,point)', amopmethod => 'spgist',
+  amopsortfamily => 'btree/float_ops' },
 
 # SP-GiST poly_ops (supports polygons)
 { amopfamily => 'spgist/poly_ops', amoplefttype => 'polygon',
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/box.out b/src/test/regress/expected/box.out
index 998b52223c..4d0f169214 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/box.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/box.out
@@ -480,23 +480,33 @@ DROP INDEX box_spgist;
 --
 -- Test the SP-GiST index on the larger volume of data
 --
-CREATE TABLE quad_box_tbl (b box);
+CREATE TABLE quad_box_tbl (id int, b box);
 INSERT INTO quad_box_tbl
-	SELECT box(point(x * 10, y * 10), point(x * 10 + 5, y * 10 + 5))
-	FROM generate_series(1, 100) x,
-		 generate_series(1, 100) y;
+  SELECT (x - 1) * 100 + y, box(point(x * 10, y * 10), point(x * 10 + 5, y * 10 + 5))
+  FROM generate_series(1, 100) x,
+       generate_series(1, 100) y;
 -- insert repeating data to test allTheSame
 INSERT INTO quad_box_tbl
-	SELECT '((200, 300),(210, 310))'
-	FROM generate_series(1, 1000);
+  SELECT i, '((200, 300),(210, 310))'
+  FROM generate_series(10001, 11000) AS i;
 INSERT INTO quad_box_tbl
-	VALUES
-		(NULL),
-		(NULL),
-		('((-infinity,-infinity),(infinity,infinity))'),
-		('((-infinity,100),(-infinity,500))'),
-		('((-infinity,-infinity),(700,infinity))');
+VALUES
+  (11001, NULL),
+  (11002, NULL),
+  (11003, '((-infinity,-infinity),(infinity,infinity))'),
+  (11004, '((-infinity,100),(-infinity,500))'),
+  (11005, '((-infinity,-infinity),(700,infinity))');
 CREATE INDEX quad_box_tbl_idx ON quad_box_tbl USING spgist(b);
+-- get reference results for ORDER BY distance from seq scan
+SET enable_seqscan = ON;
+SET enable_indexscan = OFF;
+SET enable_bitmapscan = OFF;
+CREATE TABLE quad_box_tbl_ord_seq1 AS
+SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY b <-> point '123,456') n, b <-> point '123,456' dist, id
+FROM quad_box_tbl;
+CREATE TABLE quad_box_tbl_ord_seq2 AS
+SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY b <-> point '123,456') n, b <-> point '123,456' dist, id
+FROM quad_box_tbl WHERE b <@ box '((200,300),(500,600))';
 SET enable_seqscan = OFF;
 SET enable_indexscan = ON;
 SET enable_bitmapscan = ON;
@@ -578,6 +588,54 @@ SELECT count(*) FROM quad_box_tbl WHERE b ~=  box '((200,300),(205,305))';
      1
 (1 row)
 
+-- test ORDER BY distance
+SET enable_indexscan = ON;
+SET enable_bitmapscan = OFF;
+EXPLAIN (COSTS OFF)
+SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY b <-> point '123,456') n, b <-> point '123,456' dist, id
+FROM quad_box_tbl;
+                       QUERY PLAN                        
+---------------------------------------------------------
+ WindowAgg
+   ->  Index Scan using quad_box_tbl_idx on quad_box_tbl
+         Order By: (b <-> '(123,456)'::point)
+(3 rows)
+
+CREATE TEMP TABLE quad_box_tbl_ord_idx1 AS
+SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY b <-> point '123,456') n, b <-> point '123,456' dist, id
+FROM quad_box_tbl;
+SELECT *
+FROM quad_box_tbl_ord_seq1 seq FULL JOIN quad_box_tbl_ord_idx1 idx
+	ON seq.n = idx.n AND seq.id = idx.id AND
+		(seq.dist = idx.dist OR seq.dist IS NULL AND idx.dist IS NULL)
+WHERE seq.id IS NULL OR idx.id IS NULL;
+ n | dist | id | n | dist | id 
+---+------+----+---+------+----
+(0 rows)
+
+EXPLAIN (COSTS OFF)
+SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY b <-> point '123,456') n, b <-> point '123,456' dist, id
+FROM quad_box_tbl WHERE b <@ box '((200,300),(500,600))';
+                       QUERY PLAN                        
+---------------------------------------------------------
+ WindowAgg
+   ->  Index Scan using quad_box_tbl_idx on quad_box_tbl
+         Index Cond: (b <@ '(500,600),(200,300)'::box)
+         Order By: (b <-> '(123,456)'::point)
+(4 rows)
+
+CREATE TEMP TABLE quad_box_tbl_ord_idx2 AS
+SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY b <-> point '123,456') n, b <-> point '123,456' dist, id
+FROM quad_box_tbl WHERE b <@ box '((200,300),(500,600))';
+SELECT *
+FROM quad_box_tbl_ord_seq2 seq FULL JOIN quad_box_tbl_ord_idx2 idx
+	ON seq.n = idx.n AND seq.id = idx.id AND
+		(seq.dist = idx.dist OR seq.dist IS NULL AND idx.dist IS NULL)
+WHERE seq.id IS NULL OR idx.id IS NULL;
+ n | dist | id | n | dist | id 
+---+------+----+---+------+----
+(0 rows)
+
 RESET enable_seqscan;
 RESET enable_indexscan;
 RESET enable_bitmapscan;
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/sanity_check.out b/src/test/regress/expected/sanity_check.out
index 8ff0da185e..d6e75ffce6 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/sanity_check.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/sanity_check.out
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ pg_user_mapping|t
 point_tbl|t
 polygon_tbl|t
 quad_box_tbl|t
+quad_box_tbl_ord_seq1|f
+quad_box_tbl_ord_seq2|f
 quad_point_tbl|t
 quad_poly_tbl|t
 radix_text_tbl|t
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/box.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/box.sql
index 6710fc90f5..cd3e00261f 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/box.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/box.sql
@@ -192,28 +192,41 @@ DROP INDEX box_spgist;
 --
 -- Test the SP-GiST index on the larger volume of data
 --
-CREATE TABLE quad_box_tbl (b box);
+CREATE TABLE quad_box_tbl (id int, b box);
 
 INSERT INTO quad_box_tbl
-	SELECT box(point(x * 10, y * 10), point(x * 10 + 5, y * 10 + 5))
-	FROM generate_series(1, 100) x,
-		 generate_series(1, 100) y;
+  SELECT (x - 1) * 100 + y, box(point(x * 10, y * 10), point(x * 10 + 5, y * 10 + 5))
+  FROM generate_series(1, 100) x,
+       generate_series(1, 100) y;
 
 -- insert repeating data to test allTheSame
 INSERT INTO quad_box_tbl
-	SELECT '((200, 300),(210, 310))'
-	FROM generate_series(1, 1000);
+  SELECT i, '((200, 300),(210, 310))'
+  FROM generate_series(10001, 11000) AS i;
 
 INSERT INTO quad_box_tbl
-	VALUES
-		(NULL),
-		(NULL),
-		('((-infinity,-infinity),(infinity,infinity))'),
-		('((-infinity,100),(-infinity,500))'),
-		('((-infinity,-infinity),(700,infinity))');
+VALUES
+  (11001, NULL),
+  (11002, NULL),
+  (11003, '((-infinity,-infinity),(infinity,infinity))'),
+  (11004, '((-infinity,100),(-infinity,500))'),
+  (11005, '((-infinity,-infinity),(700,infinity))');
 
 CREATE INDEX quad_box_tbl_idx ON quad_box_tbl USING spgist(b);
 
+-- get reference results for ORDER BY distance from seq scan
+SET enable_seqscan = ON;
+SET enable_indexscan = OFF;
+SET enable_bitmapscan = OFF;
+
+CREATE TABLE quad_box_tbl_ord_seq1 AS
+SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY b <-> point '123,456') n, b <-> point '123,456' dist, id
+FROM quad_box_tbl;
+
+CREATE TABLE quad_box_tbl_ord_seq2 AS
+SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY b <-> point '123,456') n, b <-> point '123,456' dist, id
+FROM quad_box_tbl WHERE b <@ box '((200,300),(500,600))';
+
 SET enable_seqscan = OFF;
 SET enable_indexscan = ON;
 SET enable_bitmapscan = ON;
@@ -232,6 +245,39 @@ SELECT count(*) FROM quad_box_tbl WHERE b @>  box '((201,301),(202,303))';
 SELECT count(*) FROM quad_box_tbl WHERE b <@  box '((100,200),(300,500))';
 SELECT count(*) FROM quad_box_tbl WHERE b ~=  box '((200,300),(205,305))';
 
+-- test ORDER BY distance
+SET enable_indexscan = ON;
+SET enable_bitmapscan = OFF;
+
+EXPLAIN (COSTS OFF)
+SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY b <-> point '123,456') n, b <-> point '123,456' dist, id
+FROM quad_box_tbl;
+
+CREATE TEMP TABLE quad_box_tbl_ord_idx1 AS
+SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY b <-> point '123,456') n, b <-> point '123,456' dist, id
+FROM quad_box_tbl;
+
+SELECT *
+FROM quad_box_tbl_ord_seq1 seq FULL JOIN quad_box_tbl_ord_idx1 idx
+	ON seq.n = idx.n AND seq.id = idx.id AND
+		(seq.dist = idx.dist OR seq.dist IS NULL AND idx.dist IS NULL)
+WHERE seq.id IS NULL OR idx.id IS NULL;
+
+
+EXPLAIN (COSTS OFF)
+SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY b <-> point '123,456') n, b <-> point '123,456' dist, id
+FROM quad_box_tbl WHERE b <@ box '((200,300),(500,600))';
+
+CREATE TEMP TABLE quad_box_tbl_ord_idx2 AS
+SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY b <-> point '123,456') n, b <-> point '123,456' dist, id
+FROM quad_box_tbl WHERE b <@ box '((200,300),(500,600))';
+
+SELECT *
+FROM quad_box_tbl_ord_seq2 seq FULL JOIN quad_box_tbl_ord_idx2 idx
+	ON seq.n = idx.n AND seq.id = idx.id AND
+		(seq.dist = idx.dist OR seq.dist IS NULL AND idx.dist IS NULL)
+WHERE seq.id IS NULL OR idx.id IS NULL;
+
 RESET enable_seqscan;
 RESET enable_indexscan;
 RESET enable_bitmapscan;