diff --git a/src/sensors/distant.cpp b/src/sensors/distant.cpp
index ab095da88..303643ae9 100644
--- a/src/sensors/distant.cpp
+++ b/src/sensors/distant.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ Distant radiancemeter sensor (:monosp:`distant`)
  * - direction
    - |vector|
    - Alternative (and exclusive) to ``to_world``. Direction orienting the
-     sensor's reference hemisphere.
+     sensor.
  * - target
    - |point| or nested :paramtype:`shape` plugin
    - *Optional.* Define the ray target sampling strategy.
@@ -241,6 +241,48 @@ class DistantSensorImpl final : public Sensor<Float, Spectrum> {
         return { ray, ray_weight & active };
     }
 
+    Spectrum eval(const SurfaceInteraction3f & /*si*/,
+                  Mask /*active*/) const override {
+        return 0.f;
+    }
+
+    std::pair<DirectionSample3f, Spectrum>
+    sample_direction(const Interaction3f &it, const Point2f & /*sample*/,
+                     Mask active) const override {
+        MTS_MASKED_FUNCTION(ProfilerPhase::EndpointSampleDirection, active);
+
+        Vector3f d = m_to_world.value().transform_affine(Vector3f(0.f, 0.f, 1.f));
+        Float dist = 2.f * m_bsphere.radius + math::RayEpsilon<Float>;
+
+        DirectionSample3f ds = ek::zero<DirectionSample3f>();
+        ds.p     = it.p - d * dist;
+        ds.n     = d;
+        ds.uv    = Point2f(0.f);
+        ds.time  = it.time;
+        ds.pdf   = 1.f;
+        ds.delta = true;
+        ds.d     = -d;
+        ds.dist  = dist;
+        // ds.emitter = this;
+        // TODO: --^ must be fixed as soon as SurfaceInteraction3f is fit for
+        // sensor sampling
+
+        SurfaceInteraction3f si = ek::zero<SurfaceInteraction3f>();
+        si.wavelengths = it.wavelengths;
+
+        // No need to divide by the PDF here (always equal to 1.f)
+        // Note: Must be updated if a sensor response function is added to this plugin
+        UnpolarizedSpectrum spec = 1.f;
+
+        return { ds, spec & active };
+    }
+
+    Float pdf_direction(const Interaction3f & /*it*/,
+                        const DirectionSample3f & /*ds*/,
+                        Mask /*active*/) const override {
+        return 0.f;
+    }
+
     // This sensor does not occupy any particular region of space, return an
     // invalid bounding box
     ScalarBoundingBox3f bbox() const override { return ScalarBoundingBox3f(); }
@@ -248,13 +290,13 @@ class DistantSensorImpl final : public Sensor<Float, Spectrum> {
     std::string to_string() const override {
         std::ostringstream oss;
         oss << "DistantSensor[" << std::endl
-            << "  to_world = " << m_to_world << "," << std::endl
-            << "  film = " << m_film << "," << std::endl;
+            << "  to_world = " << string::indent(m_to_world) << "," << std::endl
+            << "  film = " << string::indent(m_film) << "," << std::endl;
 
         if constexpr (TargetType == RayTargetType::Point)
             oss << "  target = " << m_target_point << std::endl;
         else if constexpr (TargetType == RayTargetType::Shape)
-            oss << "  target = " << m_target_shape << std::endl;
+            oss << "  target = " << string::indent(m_target_shape) << std::endl;
         else // if constexpr (TargetType == RayTargetType::None)
             oss << "  target = none" << std::endl;
 
diff --git a/src/sensors/tests/test_distant.py b/src/sensors/tests/test_distant.py
index 4411064cd..f85460081 100644
--- a/src/sensors/tests/test_distant.py
+++ b/src/sensors/tests/test_distant.py
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ def test_construct(variant_scalar_rgb):
         sensor = make_sensor(sensor_dict(direction=direction))
         result = sensor.world_transform().matrix
         assert ek.allclose(result, expected)
-        # Couldn't get ek.allclose() to work here
 
     # Test different combinations of target and origin values
     # -- No target
@@ -310,6 +309,31 @@ def test_sample_target(variant_scalar_rgb, sensor_setup, w_e, w_o):
     assert np.allclose(result, expected_value, rtol=rtol_value)
 
 
+def test_sample_direction(variants_vec_rgb):
+    from mitsuba.render import SurfaceInteraction3f
+    from mitsuba.core import ScalarVector3f
+
+    direction = ScalarVector3f([1, 1, 1])
+    sensor = make_sensor(sensor_dict(direction=direction))
+
+    it = ek.zero(SurfaceInteraction3f, 3)
+    # Some positions inside the unit sphere
+    it.p = [[-0.5, 0.3, -0.1], [0.8, -0.3, -0.2], [-0.2, 0.6, -0.6]]
+    it.time = 1.0
+
+    # Sample sensor direction
+    samples = [[0.4, 0.5, 0.3], [0.1, 0.4, 0.9]]
+    ds, res = sensor.sample_direction(it, samples)
+
+    assert ek.allclose(ds.pdf, 1.0)
+    assert ek.allclose(ds.d, -ek.normalize(direction))
+    assert ek.allclose(sensor.pdf_direction(it, ds), 0.0)
+    assert ek.allclose(ds.time, it.time)
+
+    # Check spectrum
+    assert ek.allclose(res, 1.0)
+
+
 def test_checkerboard(variants_all_rgb):
     """
     Very basic render test with checkerboard texture and square target.
@@ -317,7 +341,7 @@ def test_checkerboard(variants_all_rgb):
     from mitsuba.core import ScalarTransform4f
     from mitsuba.core.xml import load_dict
 
-    l_o = 1.0
+    l_e = 1.0  # Emitted radiance
     rho0 = 0.5
     rho1 = 1.0
 
@@ -339,7 +363,7 @@ def test_checkerboard(variants_all_rgb):
         "emitter": {
             "type": "directional",
             "direction": [0, 0, -1],
-            "irradiance": 1.0
+            "irradiance": l_e
         },
         "sensor0": {
             "type": "distant",
@@ -386,5 +410,5 @@ def test_checkerboard(variants_all_rgb):
     scene = load_dict(scene_dict)
     data = np.array(scene.render())
 
-    expected = l_o * 0.5 * (rho0 + rho1) / ek.Pi
+    expected = l_e * 0.5 * (rho0 + rho1) / ek.Pi
     assert np.allclose(data, expected, atol=1e-3)