diff --git a/bob/learn/libsvm/test_machine.py b/bob/learn/libsvm/test_machine.py
index 468e6a36ddfba18d03c92d1e392d889f6728ead6..ee0f59221bcd61ed8a3a2b73ed9e2f6641448388 100644
--- a/bob/learn/libsvm/test_machine.py
+++ b/bob/learn/libsvm/test_machine.py
@@ -101,10 +101,10 @@ def test_can_save():
 
   os.unlink(tmp)
 
-def test_can_save_hdf5():
+def run_for_extension(ext):
 
   machine = Machine(HEART_MACHINE)
-  tmp = tempname('.hdf5')
+  tmp = tempname(ext)
   machine.save(bob.io.base.HDF5File(tmp, 'w'))
   del machine
 
@@ -123,6 +123,15 @@ def test_can_save_hdf5():
 
   os.unlink(tmp)
 
+def test_can_save_arbitrary():
+  run_for_extension('.arbitrary')
+
+def test_can_save_h5():
+  run_for_extension('.h5')
+
+def test_can_save_hdf5():
+  run_for_extension('.hdf5')
+
 def test_data_loading():
 
   #tests if I can load data in libsvm format using SVMFile