diff --git a/archiver_test.go b/archiver_test.go
index 043e15cec..2eeee4ff2 100644
--- a/archiver_test.go
+++ b/archiver_test.go
@@ -121,15 +121,6 @@ func BenchmarkChunkEncryptParallel(b *testing.B) {
 	})
 }
 
-func BenchmarkScanner(b *testing.B) {
-	if *benchArchiveDirectory == "" {
-		b.Skip("benchdir not set, skipping BenchmarkScanner")
-	}
-
-	_, err := restic.NewScanner(nil).Scan(*benchArchiveDirectory)
-	ok(b, err)
-}
-
 func BenchmarkArchiveDirectory(b *testing.B) {
 	if *benchArchiveDirectory == "" {
 		b.Skip("benchdir not set, skipping BenchmarkArchiveDirectory")
diff --git a/scanner_test.go b/scanner_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4629cac29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scanner_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package restic_test
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/restic/restic"
+)
+
+var scanDir = flag.String("test.scandir", ".", "test/benchmark scanning a real directory (default: .)")
+
+func TestScanner(t *testing.T) {
+	sc := restic.NewScanner(nil)
+
+	tree, err := sc.Scan(*scanDir)
+	ok(t, err)
+
+	stats := tree.Stat()
+
+	assert(t, stats.Files > 0,
+		"no files in dir %v", *scanDir)
+}
+
+func BenchmarkScanner(b *testing.B) {
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		_, err := restic.NewScanner(nil).Scan(*scanDir)
+		ok(b, err)
+	}
+}