diff --git a/common/include/pcl/pcl_tests.h b/common/include/pcl/pcl_tests.h
index f9b8f1366bb..5b378542303 100644
--- a/common/include/pcl/pcl_tests.h
+++ b/common/include/pcl/pcl_tests.h
@@ -188,6 +188,39 @@ namespace pcl
                << "Which is: " << p1.getRGBAVector4i ().transpose ();
       }
 
+      template <typename PointCloud1T, typename PointCloud2T>
+      ::testing::AssertionResult MetaDataEQ (const char* expr1,
+                                             const char* expr2,
+                                             const PointCloud1T& p1,
+                                             const PointCloud2T& p2)
+      {
+        if (!(p1.header == p2.header))
+          return ::testing::AssertionFailure () << "Headers are different";
+        if (p1.width != p2.width)
+          return ::testing::AssertionFailure ()
+                 << "Value of: " << expr2 << ".width" << std::endl
+                 << "  Actual: " << p2.width << std::endl
+                 << "Expected: " << expr1 << ".width" << std::endl
+                 << "Which is: " << p1.width << std::endl;
+        if (p1.height != p2.height)
+          return ::testing::AssertionFailure ()
+                 << "Value of: " << expr2 << ".height" << std::endl
+                 << "  Actual: " << p2.height << std::endl
+                 << "Expected: " << expr1 << ".height" << std::endl
+                 << "Which is: " << p1.height << std::endl;
+        if (p1.is_dense != p2.is_dense)
+          return ::testing::AssertionFailure ()
+                 << "Value of: " << expr2 << ".is_dense" << std::endl
+                 << "  Actual: " << p2.is_dense << std::endl
+                 << "Expected: " << expr1 << ".is_dense" << std::endl
+                 << "Which is: " << p1.is_dense << std::endl;
+        if (p1.sensor_origin_ != p2.sensor_origin_)
+          return ::testing::AssertionFailure () << "Sensor origins are different";
+        if (p1.sensor_orientation_.coeffs () != p2.sensor_orientation_.coeffs ())
+          return ::testing::AssertionFailure () << "Sensor orientations are different";
+        return ::testing::AssertionSuccess ();
+      }
+
     }
 
   }
@@ -215,7 +248,7 @@ namespace pcl
 /// Assert that differences between x, y, and z fields in
 /// two points are each within abs_error.
 #define ASSERT_XYZ_NEAR(expected, actual, abs_error)     \
-  EXPECT_PRED_FORMAT3(::pcl::test::internal::XYZNear,    \
+  ASSERT_PRED_FORMAT3(::pcl::test::internal::XYZNear,    \
                       (expected), (actual), abs_error)
 
 /// Expect that each of normal_x, normal_y, and normal_z
@@ -241,7 +274,7 @@ namespace pcl
 /// and normal_z fields in two points are each within
 /// abs_error.
 #define ASSERT_NORMAL_NEAR(expected, actual, abs_error)  \
-  EXPECT_PRED_FORMAT3(::pcl::test::internal::NormalNear, \
+  ASSERT_PRED_FORMAT3(::pcl::test::internal::NormalNear, \
                       (expected), (actual), abs_error)
 
 /// Expect that each of r, g, and b fields are equal in
@@ -268,4 +301,18 @@ namespace pcl
   ASSERT_PRED_FORMAT2(::pcl::test::internal::RGBAEQ,     \
                       (expected), (actual))
 
+/// Assert that the metadata (header, width, height,
+/// is_dense, sensor origin and orientation) are equal
+/// in two point clouds.
+#define ASSERT_METADATA_EQ(expected, actual)             \
+  ASSERT_PRED_FORMAT2(::pcl::test::internal::MetaDataEQ, \
+                      expected, actual)
+
+/// Expect that the metadata (header, width, height,
+/// is_dense, sensor origin and orientation) are equal
+/// in two point clouds.
+#define EXPECT_METADATA_EQ(expected, actual)             \
+  EXPECT_PRED_FORMAT2(::pcl::test::internal::MetaDataEQ, \
+                      expected, actual)
+
 #endif
diff --git a/test/common/test_io.cpp b/test/common/test_io.cpp
index 7bc6f09b670..63c0242acdb 100644
--- a/test/common/test_io.cpp
+++ b/test/common/test_io.cpp
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ TEST (PCL, copyPointCloud)
 
   CloudXYZRGBNormal cloud_xyz_rgb_normal;
   pcl::copyPointCloud (cloud_xyz_rgba, cloud_xyz_rgb_normal);
-  EXPECT_EQ (int (cloud_xyz_rgb_normal.size ()), 5);
+  ASSERT_METADATA_EQ (cloud_xyz_rgba, cloud_xyz_rgb_normal);
+  ASSERT_EQ (int (cloud_xyz_rgb_normal.size ()), 5);
   for (int i = 0; i < 5; ++i)
   {
     EXPECT_XYZ_EQ (cloud_xyz_rgba[i], cloud_xyz_rgb_normal[i]);
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ TEST (PCL, copyPointCloud)
   vector<int> indices;
   indices.push_back (0); indices.push_back (1); 
   pcl::copyPointCloud (cloud_xyz_rgba, indices, cloud_xyz_rgb_normal);
-  EXPECT_EQ (int (cloud_xyz_rgb_normal.size ()), 2);
+  ASSERT_EQ (int (cloud_xyz_rgb_normal.size ()), 2);
   for (int i = 0; i < 2; ++i)
   {
     EXPECT_XYZ_EQ (cloud_xyz_rgba[i], cloud_xyz_rgb_normal[i]);
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ TEST (PCL, copyPointCloud)
   vector<int, Eigen::aligned_allocator<int> > indices_aligned;
   indices_aligned.push_back (1); indices_aligned.push_back (2); indices_aligned.push_back (3); 
   pcl::copyPointCloud (cloud_xyz_rgba, indices_aligned, cloud_xyz_rgb_normal);
-  EXPECT_EQ (int (cloud_xyz_rgb_normal.size ()), 3);
+  ASSERT_EQ (int (cloud_xyz_rgb_normal.size ()), 3);
   for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i)
   {
     EXPECT_XYZ_EQ (cloud_xyz_rgba[i], cloud_xyz_rgb_normal[i]);
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ TEST (PCL, copyPointCloud)
 
   PointIndices pindices;
   pindices.indices.push_back (0); pindices.indices.push_back (2); pindices.indices.push_back (4);
-  EXPECT_EQ (int (cloud_xyz_rgb_normal.size ()), 3);
+  ASSERT_EQ (int (cloud_xyz_rgb_normal.size ()), 3);
   for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i)
   {
     EXPECT_XYZ_EQ (cloud_xyz_rgba[i], cloud_xyz_rgb_normal[i]);