diff --git a/libsrc/nc3internal.c b/libsrc/nc3internal.c
index db056125f..123274b09 100644
--- a/libsrc/nc3internal.c
+++ b/libsrc/nc3internal.c
@@ -1621,14 +1621,12 @@ NC3_inq_format(int ncid, int *formatp)
  * associated with an open file.
  *
  * \param ncid the ID of the open file.
-
  * \param formatp a pointer that gets the extended format. Note that
  * this is not the same as the format provided by nc_inq_format(). The
  * extended foramt indicates the dispatch layer model. Classic, 64-bit
  * offset, and CDF5 files all have an extended format of
  * ::NC_FORMATX_NC3. Ignored if NULL.
- *
- * \modep a pointer that gets the open/create mode associated with
+ * \param modep a pointer that gets the open/create mode associated with
  * this file. Ignored if NULL.
  *
  * \returns NC_NOERR No error.
diff --git a/libsrc4/ncfunc.c b/libsrc4/ncfunc.c
index 8cc1d5704..0f7cd4c0f 100644
--- a/libsrc4/ncfunc.c
+++ b/libsrc4/ncfunc.c
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 /*
-Copyright 2003, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. See
-netcdf-4/docs/COPYRIGHT file for copying and redistribution
-conditions.
+  Copyright 2003, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. See
+  netcdf-4/docs/COPYRIGHT file for copying and redistribution
+  conditions.
 
-This file is part of netcdf-4, a netCDF-like interface for HDF5, or a
-HDF5 backend for netCDF, depending on your point of view.
+  This file is part of netcdf-4, a netCDF-like interface for HDF5, or a
+  HDF5 backend for netCDF, depending on your point of view.
 
-This file handles the (useless) *_base_pe() functions, and the
-inq_format functions.
+  This file handles the (useless) *_base_pe() functions, and the
+  inq_format functions.
 
-@author Ed Hartnett, Dennis Heimbigner
+  @author Ed Hartnett, Dennis Heimbigner
 
 */
 
@@ -17,30 +17,50 @@ inq_format functions.
 #include "nc4dispatch.h"
 
 /**
- * This function only does anything for netcdf-3 files. 
- * 
+ * This function only does anything for netcdf-3 files.
+ *
  * \param ncid File ID (ignored).
  * \param pe Processor element (ignored).
  *
- * \returns NC_ENOTNC3 - Not a netCDF classic format file.
+ * \returns ::NC_ENOTNC3 Not a netCDF classic format file.
  * \internal
  * \author Ed Hartnett
-*/
+ */
 int
 NC4_set_base_pe(int ncid, int pe)
 {
-      return NC_ENOTNC3;
+   return NC_ENOTNC3;
 }
 
-/* This function only does anything for netcdf-3 files. */
+/**
+ * This function only does anything for netcdf-3 files.
+ *
+ * \param ncid File ID (ignored).
+ * \param pe Pointer to processor element. Ignored if NULL. Gets a 0
+ * if present.
+ *
+ * \returns ::NC_ENOTNC3 Not a netCDF classic format file.
+ * \internal
+ * \author Ed Hartnett
+ */
 int
 NC4_inq_base_pe(int ncid, int *pe)
 {
    return NC_ENOTNC3;
 }
 
-/* Get the format (i.e. classic, 64-bit-offset, or netcdf-4) of an
- * open file. */
+/**
+ * Get the format (i.e. NC_FORMAT_NETCDF4 pr
+ * NC_FORMAT_NETCDF4_CLASSIC) of an open netCDF-4 file.
+ *
+ * \param ncid File ID (ignored).
+ * \param formatp Pointer that gets the constant indicating format.
+
+ * \returns ::NC_NOERR No error.
+ * \returns ::NC_EBADID Bad ncid.
+ * \internal
+ * \author Ed Hartnett
+ */
 int
 NC4_inq_format(int ncid, int *formatp)
 {
@@ -66,7 +86,24 @@ NC4_inq_format(int ncid, int *formatp)
    return NC_NOERR;
 }
 
-/* Get the extended format of an open file. */
+/**
+ * Return the extended format (i.e. the dispatch model), plus the mode
+ * associated with an open file.
+ *
+ * \param ncid File ID (ignored).
+ * \param formatp a pointer that gets the extended format. Note that
+ * this is not the same as the format provided by nc_inq_format(). The
+ * extended foramt indicates the dispatch layer model. NetCDF-4 files
+ * will always get NC_FORMATX_NC4 for netCDF files, NC_FORMATX_HDF4
+ * for HDF4 files.
+ * \param modep a pointer that gets the open/create mode associated with
+ * this file. Ignored if NULL.
+
+ * \returns ::NC_NOERR No error.
+ * \returns ::NC_EBADID Bad ncid.
+ * \internal
+ * \author Dennis Heimbigner
+ */
 int
 NC4_inq_format_extended(int ncid, int *formatp, int *modep)
 {
@@ -83,10 +120,10 @@ NC4_inq_format_extended(int ncid, int *formatp, int *modep)
 
    if(formatp) {
 #ifdef USE_HDF4
-	/* Distinguish HDF5 from HDF4 */
-	*formatp = (h5->hdf4 ? NC_FORMATX_NC_HDF4 : NC_FORMATX_NC_HDF5);
+      /* Distinguish HDF5 from HDF4 */
+      *formatp = (h5->hdf4 ? NC_FORMATX_NC_HDF4 : NC_FORMATX_NC_HDF5);
 #else /* USE_HDF4 */
-	*formatp = NC_FORMATX_NC_HDF5;
+      *formatp = NC_FORMATX_NC_HDF5;
 #endif /* USE_HDF4 */
    }
    return NC_NOERR;
diff --git a/nc_test/Makefile.am b/nc_test/Makefile.am
index dd1494897..6163cca55 100644
--- a/nc_test/Makefile.am
+++ b/nc_test/Makefile.am
@@ -92,10 +92,10 @@ endif # USE_VALGRIND_TESTS
 
 # Distribute the .c files so that m4 isn't required on the users
 # machine.
-EXTRA_DIST = test_get.m4 test_put.m4 run_valgrind_tests.sh              \
-run_diskless.sh run_diskless2.sh run_diskless5.sh run_mmap.sh           \
-run_pnetcdf_test.sh test_read.m4 test_write.m4 ref_tst_diskless2.cdl    \
-tst_diskless5.cdl CMakeLists.txt
+EXTRA_DIST = test_get.m4 test_put.m4 run_valgrind_tests.sh		\
+run_diskless.sh run_diskless2.sh run_diskless5.sh run_mmap.sh		\
+run_pnetcdf_test.sh test_read.m4 test_write.m4 ref_tst_diskless2.cdl	\
+tst_diskless5.cdl CMakeLists.txt ref_contiguous.hdf4
 
 # These files are created by the tests.
 CLEANFILES = nc_test_classic.nc nc_test_64bit.nc nc_test_netcdf4.nc     \
diff --git a/nc_test/ref_contiguous.hdf4 b/nc_test/ref_contiguous.hdf4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..487dd6155
Binary files /dev/null and b/nc_test/ref_contiguous.hdf4 differ
diff --git a/nc_test/tst_formats.c b/nc_test/tst_formats.c
index 43ee3a0d1..924cdcf47 100644
--- a/nc_test/tst_formats.c
+++ b/nc_test/tst_formats.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "err_macros.h"
 
 #define FILE_NAME_BASE "tst_formats"
+#define HDF4_FILE "ref_contiguous.hdf4"
 
 /* Determine how many formats are available, and what they are. */
 void
@@ -55,7 +56,10 @@ check_inq_format(int ncid, int expected_format, int expected_extended_format, in
    if (nc_inq_format(ncid + 66000, NULL) != NC_EBADID) ERR;
    if (nc_inq_format(ncid, NULL)) ERR;
    if (nc_inq_format(ncid, &format)) ERR;
-   if (format != expected_format) ERR;
+   if (format != expected_format) {
+      printf("format %d expected_format %d\n", format, expected_format);      
+      ERR;
+   }
    if (nc_inq_format_extended(ncid + 66000, &extended_format, &mode) != NC_EBADID) ERR;
    {
       int mode;
@@ -92,19 +96,18 @@ check_inq_format(int ncid, int expected_format, int expected_extended_format, in
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-   int format[MAX_NUM_FORMATS];
-   int num_formats;
-   char file_name[NC_MAX_NAME + 1];
-   int f;
-
-   /* How many formats to be tested? */
-   determine_test_formats(&num_formats, format);
-      
    printf("\n*** Testing netcdf format functions.\n");
    {
       int ncid;
       int expected_mode;
       int expected_extended_format;
+      char file_name[NC_MAX_NAME + 1];
+      int f;
+      int format[MAX_NUM_FORMATS];
+      int num_formats;
+
+      /* How many formats to be tested? */
+      determine_test_formats(&num_formats, format);
 
       for (f = 0; f < num_formats; f++)
       {
@@ -136,7 +139,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
          }
          if (nc_set_default_format(format[f], NULL)) ERR;
 
-         /* Create a file with some global atts. */
+         /* Create a file. */
          if (nc_create(file_name, 0, &ncid)) ERR;
          if (check_inq_format(ncid, format[f], expected_extended_format, expected_mode)) ERR;
          if (nc_close(ncid)) ERR;
@@ -152,5 +155,25 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
          SUMMARIZE_ERR;
       } /* next format */
    }
+#ifdef USE_HDF4
+   printf("\n*** Testing netcdf format functions for HDF4.\n");
+   {
+      int ncid;
+      int expected_mode;
+      int expected_extended_format;
+
+      printf("*** testing nc_inq_format() and nc_inq_format_extended() with HDF4...");
+
+      /* Set up test. */
+      expected_extended_format = NC_FORMATX_NC_HDF4;
+      expected_mode = NC_NETCDF4;
+
+      /* Open a HDF4 file and check it. */
+      if (nc_open(HDF4_FILE, 0, &ncid)) ERR;
+      if (check_inq_format(ncid, NC_FORMAT_NETCDF4, expected_extended_format, expected_mode)) ERR;
+      if (nc_close(ncid)) ERR;
+   }
+   SUMMARIZE_ERR;
+#endif /* USE_HDF4 */
    FINAL_RESULTS;
 }