diff --git a/packaging/acceptance/tests/agent_runs_without_hosts_file.rb b/packaging/acceptance/tests/agent_runs_without_hosts_file.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fa58f26dd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/acceptance/tests/agent_runs_without_hosts_file.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+test_name 'puppet agent runs without /etc/hosts' do
+  tag 'audit:high',
+      'audit:acceptance'
+
+  agents.each do |agent|
+    skip_test('This test only applies to Linux agents') if agent['platform'] =~ /windows/
+
+    hosts_file = '/etc/hosts'
+    backup_dir = agent.tmpdir('missing_hosts_file')
+    backup_hosts = File.join(backup_dir, 'hosts')
+
+    teardown do
+      on(agent, "if test -f #{backup_hosts}; then cp #{backup_hosts} #{hosts_file}; fi")
+    end
+
+    step 'Back up /etc/hosts and remove it' do
+      on(agent, "mkdir -p #{backup_dir}")
+      on(agent, "if test -f #{hosts_file}; then cp #{hosts_file} #{backup_hosts}; fi")
+      on(agent, "rm -f #{hosts_file}")
+      on(agent, "test ! -e #{hosts_file}")
+    end
+
+    step 'Run puppet agent without /etc/hosts' do
+      on(agent, puppet('agent --test'), acceptable_exit_codes: [0, 2]) do |result|
+        assert_match(/Applied catalog/, result.stdout)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end