diff --git a/bob/bio/base/algorithm/Distance.py b/bob/bio/base/algorithm/Distance.py
index a3d91aa37ef0b80f94d88f7753bcfba544555456..efde5502b15a6f60701c477a7b03bb92d743f6d0 100644
--- a/bob/bio/base/algorithm/Distance.py
+++ b/bob/bio/base/algorithm/Distance.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class Distance (Algorithm):
     probe : object
       The probe.
     """
-    return utils.load(feature_file)
+    return utils.load(probe_file)
 
 
   def score(self, model, probe):
diff --git a/bob/bio/base/test/test_algorithms.py b/bob/bio/base/test/test_algorithms.py
index 66fd58817e4c482459035687c55b556d183b4720..f479f737d799bd56c2b9131003abd24d2acfa671 100644
--- a/bob/bio/base/test/test_algorithms.py
+++ b/bob/bio/base/test/test_algorithms.py
@@ -216,6 +216,37 @@ def test_lda():
 
 
 
+
+def test_distance():
+
+  import scipy.spatial
+  
+  # assure that the configurations are loadable
+  distance = bob.bio.base.load_resource("distance-cosine", "algorithm", preferred_package = 'bob.bio.base')
+  assert isinstance(distance, bob.bio.base.algorithm.Distance)
+  assert isinstance(distance, bob.bio.base.algorithm.Algorithm)
+
+  assert distance.performs_projection==False
+  assert distance.requires_projector_training==False
+  assert distance.use_projected_features_for_enrollment == False
+  assert distance.split_training_features_by_client == False
+  assert distance.requires_enroller_training == False
+  
+  distance =  bob.bio.base.algorithm.Distance(
+            distance_function = scipy.spatial.distance.cosine,
+            is_distance_function = True
+          )  
+
+  # compare model with probe
+  enroll = utils.random_training_set(5, 5, 0., 255., seed=21);
+  model = numpy.mean(distance.enroll(enroll),axis=0)
+  probe = distance.read_probe(pkg_resources.resource_filename('bob.bio.base.test', 'data/lda_projected.hdf5'))
+  
+  reference_score = -0.1873371
+  assert abs(distance.score(model, probe) - reference_score) < 1e-5, "The scores differ: %3.8f, %3.8f" % (distance.score(model, probe), reference_score)
+
+
+
 def test_bic():
   temp_file = bob.io.base.test_utils.temporary_filename()
   # assure that the configurations are loadable