diff --git a/tests/test_recreate.py b/tests/test_recreate.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ddef115
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_recreate.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+from sqlite_utils import Database
+import sqlite3
+import pathlib
+import pytest
+
+
+def test_recreate_ignored_for_in_memory():
+    # None of these should raise an exception:
+    Database(memory=True, recreate=False)
+    Database(memory=True, recreate=True)
+    Database(":memory:", recreate=False)
+    Database(":memory:", recreate=True)
+
+
+def test_recreate_not_allowed_for_connection():
+    conn = sqlite3.connect(":memory:")
+    with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+        db = Database(conn, recreate=True)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "use_path,file_exists", [(True, True), (True, False), (False, True), (False, False)]
+)
+def test_recreate(tmpdir, use_path, file_exists):
+    filepath = str(tmpdir / "data.db")
+    if use_path:
+        filepath = pathlib.Path(filepath)
+    if file_exists:
+        Database(filepath)["t1"].insert({"foo": "bar"})
+        assert ["t1"] == Database(filepath).table_names()
+    Database(filepath, recreate=True)["t2"].insert({"foo": "bar"})
+    assert ["t2"] == Database(filepath).table_names()