diff --git a/tests/schema_evolution/README.md b/tests/schema_evolution/README.md
index 0b55945ab..4ed849b48 100644
--- a/tests/schema_evolution/README.md
+++ b/tests/schema_evolution/README.md
@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@ tested (if it is supported)
 |--|--|--|--|
 | `SimpleStruct` | no `int y` member in v1 | Addition of new members in components | As  member of `ExampleWithArrayComponent` |
 | `ExampleHit` | no `double energy` member in v1 | Addition of new members in datatypes | Directly via `ExampleHit` |
+| `ex2::NamespaceStruct` | renaming of `y_old` to `y` | Renaming of member variables | As member of `ex42::ExampleWithNamespace` |
diff --git a/tests/schema_evolution/read_new_data.h b/tests/schema_evolution/read_new_data.h
index e31e3c3e8..59ed31550 100644
--- a/tests/schema_evolution/read_new_data.h
+++ b/tests/schema_evolution/read_new_data.h
@@ -3,20 +3,28 @@
 
 #include "datamodel/ExampleHitCollection.h"
 #include "datamodel/ExampleWithArrayComponentCollection.h"
+#include "datamodel/ExampleWithNamespaceCollection.h"
 
 #include "podio/Frame.h"
 
 #include <iostream>
 #include <string>
 
+#define ASSERT_EQUAL(actual, expected, msg)                                                                            \
+  if ((expected) != (actual)) {                                                                                        \
+    std::cerr << __PRETTY_FUNCTION__ << ": " << msg << " (expected: " << expected << ", actual: " << actual << ")";    \
+    return 1;                                                                                                          \
+  }
+
 int readSimpleStruct(const podio::Frame& event) {
   const auto& coll = event.get<ExampleWithArrayComponentCollection>("simpleStructTest");
   auto elem = coll[0];
   const auto sstruct = elem.s();
 
-  if (sstruct.y != 0 || sstruct.x != 42 || sstruct.z != 123) {
-    return 1;
-  }
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(sstruct.y, 0, "New component member not 0 initialized");
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(sstruct.x, 42, "Existing component member changed");
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(sstruct.z, 123, "Existing component member changed");
+
   return 0;
 }
 
@@ -24,12 +32,21 @@ int readExampleHit(const podio::Frame& event) {
   const auto& coll = event.get<ExampleHitCollection>("datatypeMemberAdditionTest");
   auto elem = coll[0];
 
-  if (elem.energy() != 0) {
-    return 1;
-  }
-  if (elem.x() != 1.23 || elem.y() != 1.23 || elem.z() != 1.23 || elem.cellID() != 0xcaffee) {
-    return 1;
-  }
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(elem.energy(), 0, "New datatype member variable not 0 initialized");
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(elem.x(), 1.23, "Member variables unrelated to schema evolution have changed");
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(elem.y(), 1.23, "Member variables unrelated to schema evolution have changed");
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(elem.z(), 1.23, "Member variables unrelated to schema evolution have changed");
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(elem.cellID(), 0xcaffee, "Member variables unrelated to schema evolution have changed");
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+int readExampleWithNamespace(const podio::Frame& event) {
+  const auto& coll = event.get<ex42::ExampleWithNamespaceCollection>("componentMemberRenameTest");
+  auto elem = coll[0];
+
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(elem.y(), 42, "Renamed component member variable does not have the expected value");
+  ASSERT_EQUAL(elem.x(), 123, "Member variables unrelated to schema evolution have changed");
 
   return 0;
 }
@@ -44,6 +61,7 @@ int read_new_data(const std::string& filename) {
   int result = 0;
   result += readSimpleStruct(event);
   result += readExampleHit(event);
+  result += readExampleWithNamespace(event);
 
   return result;
 }
diff --git a/tests/schema_evolution/write_old_data.h b/tests/schema_evolution/write_old_data.h
index 3367f2fa9..9232e59af 100644
--- a/tests/schema_evolution/write_old_data.h
+++ b/tests/schema_evolution/write_old_data.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "datamodel/ExampleHitCollection.h"
 #include "datamodel/ExampleWithArrayComponentCollection.h"
+#include "datamodel/ExampleWithNamespaceCollection.h"
 
 #include "podio/Frame.h"
 
@@ -31,11 +32,21 @@ auto writeExampleHit() {
   return coll;
 }
 
+auto writeExampleWithNamespace() {
+  ex42::ExampleWithNamespaceCollection coll;
+  auto elem = coll.create();
+  elem.y_old(42);
+  elem.x(123);
+
+  return coll;
+}
+
 podio::Frame createFrame() {
   podio::Frame event;
 
   event.put(writeSimpleStruct(), "simpleStructTest");
   event.put(writeExampleHit(), "datatypeMemberAdditionTest");
+  event.put(writeExampleWithNamespace(), "componentMemberRenameTest");
 
   return event;
 }