diff --git a/Lib/test/test_re.py b/Lib/test/test_re.py
index 07bc63b277a..c86f502c50d 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_re.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_re.py
@@ -235,6 +235,16 @@ class ReTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(re.match('^(?:(a)|c)((?(1)|d))$', 'a').groups(),
                          ('a', ''))
 
+	# Tests for bug #1177831: exercise groups other than the first group
+	p = re.compile('(?P<g1>a)(?P<g2>b)?((?(g2)c|d))')
+	self.assertEqual(p.match('abc').groups(),
+			 ('a', 'b', 'c'))
+	self.assertEqual(p.match('ad').groups(),
+			 ('a', None, 'd'))
+	self.assertEqual(p.match('abd'), None)
+	self.assertEqual(p.match('ac'), None)
+	
+
     def test_re_groupref(self):
         self.assertEqual(re.match(r'^(\|)?([^()]+)\1$', '|a|').groups(),
                          ('|', 'a'))