diff --git a/Makefile-tests.am b/Makefile-tests.am
index a44743c6..b4eada7b 100644
--- a/Makefile-tests.am
+++ b/Makefile-tests.am
@@ -67,20 +67,27 @@ CLEANFILES += \
 	tests/common/compose/test-repo-local.repo \
 	$(NULL)
 
-testbin_cppflags = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -I $(srcdir)/src/libpriv -I $(srcdir)/libglnx
+testbin_cppflags = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -I $(srcdir)/src/libpriv -I $(srcdir)/libglnx -I $(srcdir)/tests/common
 testbin_cflags = $(AM_CFLAGS) $(PKGDEP_RPMOSTREE_CFLAGS)
 testbin_ldadd = $(PKGDEP_RPMOSTREE_LIBS) librpmostree-1.la librpmostreepriv.la
+
+noinst_LTLIBRARIES += libtest.la
+libtest_la_SOURCES = tests/common/libtest.c
+libtest_la_CPPFLAGS = $(testbin_cppflags)
+libtest_la_CFLAGS = $(testbin_cflags)
+libtest_la_LIBADD = $(testbin_ldadd)
+
 tests_check_jsonutil_CPPFLAGS = $(testbin_cppflags)
 tests_check_jsonutil_CFLAGS = $(testbin_cflags)
-tests_check_jsonutil_LDADD = $(testbin_ldadd)
+tests_check_jsonutil_LDADD = $(testbin_ldadd) libtest.la
 
 tests_check_postprocess_CPPFLAGS = $(testbin_cppflags)
 tests_check_postprocess_CFLAGS = $(testbin_cflags)
-tests_check_postprocess_LDADD = $(testbin_ldadd)
+tests_check_postprocess_LDADD = $(testbin_ldadd) libtest.la
 
 tests_check_test_utils_CPPFLAGS = $(testbin_cppflags)
 tests_check_test_utils_CFLAGS = $(testbin_cflags)
-tests_check_test_utils_LDADD = $(testbin_ldadd)
+tests_check_test_utils_LDADD = $(testbin_ldadd) libtest.la
 
 tests/check/test-compose.sh: tests/common/compose/test-repo.repo
 
diff --git a/tests/common/libtest.c b/tests/common/libtest.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1c294157
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/common/libtest.c
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/* -*- mode: C; c-file-style: "gnu"; indent-tabs-mode: nil; -*-
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2017 Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the
+ * Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
+ * Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
+ */
+
+#include <glib.h>
+
+#include "libtest.h"
+
+/* Copied and adapted from:
+ * https://github.com/ostreedev/ostree/blob/master/tests/libostreetest.c
+ *
+ * This function hovers in a quantum superposition of horrifying and
+ * beautiful.  Future generations may interpret it as modern art.
+ */
+gboolean
+rot_test_run_libtest (const char *cmd, GError **error)
+{
+  const char *srcdir = g_getenv ("topsrcdir");
+  int estatus;
+  g_autoptr(GPtrArray) argv = g_ptr_array_new ();
+  g_autoptr(GString) cmdstr = g_string_new ("");
+
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv, "bash");
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv, "-c");
+
+  g_string_append (cmdstr, "set -xeuo pipefail; . ");
+  g_string_append (cmdstr, srcdir);
+  g_string_append (cmdstr, "/tests/common/libtest.sh; ");
+  g_string_append (cmdstr, cmd);
+
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv, cmdstr->str);
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv, NULL);
+
+  if (!g_spawn_sync (NULL, (char**)argv->pdata, NULL, G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH,
+                     NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, &estatus, error))
+    return FALSE;
+
+  if (!g_spawn_check_exit_status (estatus, error))
+    return FALSE;
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
diff --git a/tests/common/libtest.h b/tests/common/libtest.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..22f0441b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/common/libtest.h
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/* -*- mode: C; c-file-style: "gnu"; indent-tabs-mode: nil; -*-
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 Colin Walters <walters@verbum.org>
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the
+ * Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
+ * Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
+ *
+ * Author: Colin Walters <walters@verbum.org>
+ */
+
+/* Copied and adapted from:
+ * https://github.com/ostreedev/ostree/blob/master/tests/libostreetest.c
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+G_BEGIN_DECLS
+
+gboolean rot_test_run_libtest (const char *cmd, GError **error);
+
+G_END_DECLS