diff --git a/tests/regression_tests/source_mcpl_file/gen_dummy_mcpl.c b/tests/regression_tests/source_mcpl_file/gen_dummy_mcpl.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7b5a933f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/regression_tests/source_mcpl_file/gen_dummy_mcpl.c
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+#include <mcpl.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <math.h>
+
+const int batches=10;
+const int particles=10000;
+
+double rand01(){
+  double r=rand()/((double) RAND_MAX);
+  return r;
+}
+
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv){
+  char outfilename[128];
+  snprintf(outfilename,127,"source.%d.mcpl",batches);
+
+  /*generate an mcpl_header_of sorts*/
+  mcpl_outfile_t outfile=mcpl_create_outfile(outfilename);
+  mcpl_particle_t *particle, Particle;
+
+  char line[256];
+  snprintf(line,255,"gen_dummy_mcpl.c");
+  mcpl_hdr_set_srcname(outfile,line);
+  mcpl_enable_universal_pdgcode(outfile,2112);/*all particles are neutrons*/
+  snprintf(line,255,"Dummy MCPL-file for testing OpenMC mcpl input");
+  mcpl_hdr_add_comment(outfile,line);
+
+  /*also add the instrument file and the command line as blobs*/
+  FILE *fp;
+  if( (fp=fopen("gen_dummy_mcpl.c","rb"))!=NULL){
+    unsigned char *buffer;
+    int size,status;
+    /*find the file size by seeking to end, "tell" the position, and then go back again*/
+    fseek(fp, 0L, SEEK_END);
+    size = ftell(fp); // get current file pointer
+    fseek(fp, 0L, SEEK_SET); // seek back to beginning of file
+    if ( size && (buffer=malloc(size))!=NULL){
+      if (size!=(fread(buffer,1,size,fp))){
+        fprintf(stderr,"Warning: c source generator file not read cleanly\n");
+      }
+      mcpl_hdr_add_data(outfile, "mcpl_point_source_file_generator", size, buffer);
+      free(buffer);
+    }
+    fclose(fp);
+  } else {
+    fprintf(stderr,"Warning: could not open c source generator file, hence not embedded.\n");
+  }
+
+
+  /*the main particle loop*/
+  particle=&Particle;
+  int i;
+  for (i=0;i<batches*particles; i++){
+    if(i%particles==0){
+      printf("batch number %d\n",i/particles);
+    }
+    /*generate a point source - i.e. x,y,z are 0*/
+    particle->position[0]=0;
+    particle->position[1]=0;
+    particle->position[2]=0;
+    
+    /*generate a random direction on unit sphere*/
+    double nrm=2.0;
+    double vx,vy,vz;
+    int iter=0;
+    do {
+      if(iter>100){
+        printf("warning: exceeed max random vector attempts: at loop %d -> %g   %d\n",i,nrm,iter);
+      }
+      vx=rand01()*2.0-1.0;
+      vy=rand01()*2.0-1.0;
+      vz=rand01()*2.0-1.0;
+      nrm=(vx*vx + vy*vy + vz*vz);
+      iter++;
+    } while (nrm>1.0);
+    vx/=sqrt(nrm);
+    vy/=sqrt(nrm);
+    vz/=sqrt(nrm);
+    particle->direction[0]=vx;
+    particle->direction[1]=vy;
+    particle->direction[2]=vz;
+
+    /*generate the kinetic energy (in MeV) of the particle*/ 
+    particle->ekin=1e-3;
+ 
+    /*set time=0*/
+    particle->time=0;
+    /*set weight*/
+    particle->weight=1;
+
+    particle->userflags=0;
+    mcpl_add_particle(outfile,particle);
+  }
+  mcpl_closeandgzip_outfile(outfile);
+}