diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d44922
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+/tests/test-results/
+/tests/trash directory.*
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd921ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "tests/sharness"]
+	path = tests/sharness
+	url = https://github.com/felipec/sharness.git
diff --git a/tests/0000-sanity.t b/tests/0000-sanity.t
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6d38783
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/0000-sanity.t
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description="sanity check before running real tests"
+
+DIR0="$(dirname "$0")"
+TESTDIR="$(realpath "$DIR0")"
+. $TESTDIR/sharness/sharness.sh
+
+test_expect_success "verify test environment" "
+    echo \"XCPTEST_REPOROOT=$XCPTEST_REPOROOT\" | grep '://'
+"
+
+test_done
diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
new file mode 120000
index 0000000..fef5c61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+sharness/example/Makefile
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/sharness b/tests/sharness
new file mode 160000
index 0000000..e457513
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/sharness
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit e457513ae8d4912994f2ea5423a9392ee6d03f4b