diff --git a/tests/management/__init__.py b/tests/management/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/tests/management/commands/__init__.py b/tests/management/commands/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/tests/management/commands/old_optparse_command.py b/tests/management/commands/old_optparse_command.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d7844e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/management/commands/old_optparse_command.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+from optparse import make_option
+from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
+
+
+class Command(BaseCommand):
+
+    # Used by a specific test to see how unupgraded
+    # management commands play with configurations.
+    # See the test code for more details.
+
+    option_list = BaseCommand.option_list + (
+        make_option('--arg1', action='store_true'),
+    )
+
+    def handle(self, *args, **options):
+        pass
diff --git a/tests/requirements.txt b/tests/requirements.txt
index 5eb9697..ac59224 100644
--- a/tests/requirements.txt
+++ b/tests/requirements.txt
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ dj-email-url
 dj-search-url
 django-cache-url>=1.0.0
 six
+unittest2
diff --git a/tests/test_main.py b/tests/test_main.py
index fb5ebba..e6e1dd2 100644
--- a/tests/test_main.py
+++ b/tests/test_main.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
+import unittest2
 
+from django import VERSION as DJANGO_VERSION
 from django.conf import global_settings
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
@@ -108,3 +110,20 @@ class MainTests(TestCase):
         proc = subprocess.Popen(['django-cadmin', 'runserver', '--help'],
                                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
         self.assertIn('--configuration', proc.communicate()[0].decode('utf-8'))
+
+    @unittest2.skipIf(DJANGO_VERSION >= (1, 10), 'only applies to Django < 1.10')
+    def test_deprecated_option_list_command(self):
+        """
+        Verify that the configuration option is correctly added to any
+        management commands which are still relying on option_list to
+        add their own custom arguments
+
+        Specific test for a pattern which was deprecated in Django 1.8
+        and which will become completely unsupported in Django 1.10.
+        https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.8/howto/custom-management-commands/#custom-commands-options
+        """
+        proc = subprocess.Popen(['django-cadmin', 'old_optparse_command', '--help'],
+                                stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+        output = proc.communicate()[0].decode('utf-8')
+        self.assertIn('--configuration', output)
+        self.assertIn('--arg1', output)