diff --git a/tests/before b/tests/before
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..43479221
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/before
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+# Do common operations before a particular test.
+
+mkdir tmp-$$
+cd tmp-$$
+
+case $srcdir in
+  /*|~*) ;;
+  *) srcdir=../$srcdir ;;
+esac
+
+out=
+err=
+
+echo $0 > checking
+exec 1> stdout
+exec 2> stderr
+
+PATH=..:../../src:$PATH