diff --git a/bitwise.hpp b/bitwise.hpp
index 59e9c225..e79be09a 100644
--- a/bitwise.hpp
+++ b/bitwise.hpp
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ const uint8_t BITMASK_8BITS = 0xFF;
 
 
 template <typename T>
-T rotate_left (const T &value, size_t magnitude) {
+T
+rotatel (const T &value, size_t magnitude) {
     magnitude %= sizeof (T) * 8;
     return (value << magnitude) | (value >> sizeof (value) * 8 - magnitude);
 }
diff --git a/test/.gitignore b/test/.gitignore
index c11e95d3..4271c7a7 100644
--- a/test/.gitignore
+++ b/test/.gitignore
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
-/*.log
-/*.trs
 /adler*
 /backtrace*
+/bitwise
 /checksum*
 /float*
 /hton*
 /ip*
 /json
 /json-check*
+/*.log
 /maths*
 /matrix*
 /option
@@ -15,4 +15,5 @@
 /range*
 /region*
 /signal*
+/*.trs
 /version*
diff --git a/test/Makefile.am b/test/Makefile.am
index 6f4799e5..76582941 100644
--- a/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/Makefile.am
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ AM_LDFLAGS  = $(COMMON_LDFLAGS)
 
 TEST_BIN = 		\
 	backtrace 	\
+	bitwise		\
 	checksum	\
 	float		\
 	hton		\
@@ -31,6 +32,9 @@ backtrace_CPPFLAGS = $(COMMON_CXXFLAGS)
 backtrace_LDADD    = $(builddir)/../libutil.la
 backtrace_SOURCES  = backtrace.cpp
 
+bitwise_LDADD      = $(builddir)/../libutil.la
+bitwise_SOURCES    = bitwise.cpp
+
 checksum_LDADD	   = $(builddir)/../libutil.la
 checksum_SOURCES   = checksum.cpp
 
diff --git a/test/bitwise.cpp b/test/bitwise.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7085899a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/bitwise.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#include "../bitwise.hpp"
+
+int
+main (int, char**) {
+    CHECK_EQ (rotatel (uint8_t (0x0F), 0), 0x0F);
+    CHECK_EQ (rotatel (uint8_t (0x0F), 4), 0xF0);
+    CHECK_EQ (rotatel (uint8_t (0xF0), 4), 0x0F);
+    CHECK_EQ (rotatel (uint8_t (0x0F), 8), 0x0F);
+
+    CHECK_EQ (rotatel (uint16_t (0xABCD),  0), 0xABCD);
+    CHECK_EQ (rotatel (uint16_t (0xABCD),  4), 0xBCDA);
+    CHECK_EQ (rotatel (uint16_t (0xABCD),  8), 0xCDAB);
+    CHECK_EQ (rotatel (uint16_t (0xABCD), 12), 0xDABC);
+    CHECK_EQ (rotatel (uint16_t (0xABCD), 16), 0xABCD);
+
+    CHECK_EQ (rotatel (uint32_t (0x12345670), 12), 0x45670123);
+
+    CHECK_EQ (rotatel (uint64_t (0x1234567890ABCDEF), 12), 0x4567890ABCDEF123);
+
+    return 0;
+}