diff --git a/test/data/optionalchoice/ref.cpp b/test/data/optionalchoice/ref.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69463a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/data/optionalchoice/ref.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2020 RISC Software GmbH
+//
+// This file was generated by CPACSGen from CPACS XML Schema (c) German Aerospace Center (DLR/SC).
+// Do not edit, all changes are lost when files are re-generated.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License")
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <boost/optional.hpp>
+#include <boost/utility/in_place_factory.hpp>
+#include <string>
+#include <tixi.h>
+#include "tigl_internal.h"
+
+namespace tigl
+{
+class CTiglUIDObject;
+
+namespace generated
+{
+    // This class is used in:
+    class CPACSRoot
+    {
+    public:
+        TIGL_EXPORT CPACSRoot();
+        TIGL_EXPORT virtual ~CPACSRoot();
+
+        TIGL_EXPORT virtual CTiglUIDObject* GetNextUIDParent();
+        TIGL_EXPORT virtual const CTiglUIDObject* GetNextUIDParent() const;
+
+        TIGL_EXPORT virtual void ReadCPACS(const TixiDocumentHandle& tixiHandle, const std::string& xpath);
+        TIGL_EXPORT virtual void WriteCPACS(const TixiDocumentHandle& tixiHandle, const std::string& xpath) const;
+
+        TIGL_EXPORT bool ValidateChoices() const;
+
+        TIGL_EXPORT virtual const boost::optional<int>& GetA_choice1() const;
+        TIGL_EXPORT virtual void SetA_choice1(const boost::optional<int>& value);
+
+        TIGL_EXPORT virtual const boost::optional<int>& GetB_choice2() const;
+        TIGL_EXPORT virtual void SetB_choice2(const boost::optional<int>& value);
+
+    protected:
+        boost::optional<int> m_a_choice1;
+        boost::optional<int> m_b_choice2;
+
+    private:
+        CPACSRoot(const CPACSRoot&) = delete;
+        CPACSRoot& operator=(const CPACSRoot&) = delete;
+
+        CPACSRoot(CPACSRoot&&) = delete;
+        CPACSRoot& operator=(CPACSRoot&&) = delete;
+    };
+} // namespace generated
+
+// Aliases in tigl namespace
+using CCPACSRoot = generated::CPACSRoot;
+} // namespace tigl
+// Copyright (c) 2020 RISC Software GmbH
+//
+// This file was generated by CPACSGen from CPACS XML Schema (c) German Aerospace Center (DLR/SC).
+// Do not edit, all changes are lost when files are re-generated.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License")
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+#include "CPACSRoot.h"
+#include "CTiglError.h"
+#include "CTiglLogging.h"
+#include "CTiglUIDObject.h"
+#include "TixiHelper.h"
+
+namespace tigl
+{
+namespace generated
+{
+    CPACSRoot::CPACSRoot()
+    {
+    }
+
+    CPACSRoot::~CPACSRoot()
+    {
+    }
+
+    const CTiglUIDObject* CPACSRoot::GetNextUIDParent() const
+    {
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+
+    CTiglUIDObject* CPACSRoot::GetNextUIDParent()
+    {
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+
+    void CPACSRoot::ReadCPACS(const TixiDocumentHandle& tixiHandle, const std::string& xpath)
+    {
+        // read element a
+        if (tixi::TixiCheckElement(tixiHandle, xpath + "/a")) {
+            m_a_choice1 = tixi::TixiGetElement<int>(tixiHandle, xpath + "/a");
+        }
+
+        // read element b
+        if (tixi::TixiCheckElement(tixiHandle, xpath + "/b")) {
+            m_b_choice2 = tixi::TixiGetElement<int>(tixiHandle, xpath + "/b");
+        }
+
+        if (!ValidateChoices()) {
+            LOG(ERROR) << "Invalid choice configuration at xpath " << xpath;
+        }
+    }
+
+    void CPACSRoot::WriteCPACS(const TixiDocumentHandle& tixiHandle, const std::string& xpath) const
+    {
+        // write element a
+        if (m_a_choice1) {
+            tixi::TixiCreateElementIfNotExists(tixiHandle, xpath + "/a");
+            tixi::TixiSaveElement(tixiHandle, xpath + "/a", *m_a_choice1);
+        }
+        else {
+            if (tixi::TixiCheckElement(tixiHandle, xpath + "/a")) {
+                tixi::TixiRemoveElement(tixiHandle, xpath + "/a");
+            }
+        }
+
+        // write element b
+        if (m_b_choice2) {
+            tixi::TixiCreateElementIfNotExists(tixiHandle, xpath + "/b");
+            tixi::TixiSaveElement(tixiHandle, xpath + "/b", *m_b_choice2);
+        }
+        else {
+            if (tixi::TixiCheckElement(tixiHandle, xpath + "/b")) {
+                tixi::TixiRemoveElement(tixiHandle, xpath + "/b");
+            }
+        }
+
+    }
+
+    bool CPACSRoot::ValidateChoices() const
+    {
+        return
+        (
+            // all uninitialized is valid since choice is optional
+            !(
+                m_a_choice1.is_initialized()
+                ||
+                m_b_choice2.is_initialized()
+            )
+            ||
+            (
+                (
+                    // mandatory elements of this choice must be there
+                    m_a_choice1.is_initialized()
+                    &&
+                    // elements of other choices must not be there
+                    !(
+                        m_b_choice2.is_initialized()
+                    )
+                )
+                +
+                (
+                    // mandatory elements of this choice must be there
+                    m_b_choice2.is_initialized()
+                    &&
+                    // elements of other choices must not be there
+                    !(
+                        m_a_choice1.is_initialized()
+                    )
+                )
+                == 1
+            )
+        )
+        ;
+    }
+
+    const boost::optional<int>& CPACSRoot::GetA_choice1() const
+    {
+        return m_a_choice1;
+    }
+
+    void CPACSRoot::SetA_choice1(const boost::optional<int>& value)
+    {
+        m_a_choice1 = value;
+    }
+
+    const boost::optional<int>& CPACSRoot::GetB_choice2() const
+    {
+        return m_b_choice2;
+    }
+
+    void CPACSRoot::SetB_choice2(const boost::optional<int>& value)
+    {
+        m_b_choice2 = value;
+    }
+
+} // namespace generated
+} // namespace tigl
diff --git a/test/data/optionalchoice/schema.xsd b/test/data/optionalchoice/schema.xsd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc4f59e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/data/optionalchoice/schema.xsd
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<xsd:schema xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
+	<xsd:element name="root" type="RootType"/>
+	<xsd:complexType name="RootType">
+        <xsd:choice minOccurs="0">
+            <xsd:element name="a" type="xsd:integer"/>
+            <xsd:element name="b" type="xsd:integer"/>
+        </xsd:choice>
+    </xsd:complexType>
+</xsd:schema>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/main.cpp b/test/main.cpp
index aed9c9e..eae08d4 100644
--- a/test/main.cpp
+++ b/test/main.cpp
@@ -80,3 +80,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(complextypewithsimplecontent) {
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(collapsedifferentenums) {
     runTest();
 }
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(optionalchoice) {
+    runTest();
+}