diff --git a/pkgs/test/texlive/default.nix b/pkgs/test/texlive/default.nix
index cb607f3a132..db83bd5149f 100644
--- a/pkgs/test/texlive/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/test/texlive/default.nix
@@ -2,6 +2,15 @@
 
 {
 
+  tlpdb-nix = runCommand "texlive-test-tlpdb-nix" {
+    nixpkgsTlpdbNix = ../../tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/tlpdb.nix;
+    tlpdbNix = texlive.tlpdb-nix;
+  }
+  ''
+    mkdir -p "$out"
+    diff -u "''${nixpkgsTlpdbNix}" "''${tlpdbNix}" | tee "$out/tlpdb.nix.patch"
+  '';
+
   luaotfload-fonts = runCommand "texlive-test-lualatex" {
     nativeBuildInputs = [
       (with texlive; combine { inherit scheme-medium libertinus-fonts; })
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/UPGRADING.md b/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/UPGRADING.md
index 7f6dcff4042..acad0646d2b 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/UPGRADING.md
+++ b/pkgs/tools/typesetting/tex/texlive/UPGRADING.md
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ This will download the daily snapshot of the CTAN package database
 numbers and sha512 hashes) for the selected upstream distribution. Then replace
 `tlpdb.nix` with the generated file.
 
+The test `pkgs.tests.texlive.tlpdb-nix` verifies that the file `tlpdb.nix`
+in Nixpkgs matches the one that generated from `texlive.tlpdb.xz`.
 
 ### Build packages locally and generate fix hashes