diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
index 5e8934e4..3a23d7e7 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #   TEST=GLOB      run test(s) from directories matching GLOB
 #   TEST_LOG=tty   print name of a command run via the execution helpers
 #   TEST_LOG=dump  dump testing log file when a test fails
+#   TEST_FLAVOR    test build flavor: dynamic (default), static
 #
 #   TOP=path       test binaries from the given path
 
diff --git a/tests/README.md b/tests/README.md
index 7b86716c..56cd1fa6 100644
--- a/tests/README.md
+++ b/tests/README.md
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ occurs, possibly allowing to continue interactively debugging.
 
 * `TEST_LOG=dump` -- dump the entire testing log when a test fails
 
+* `TEST_FLAVOR` -- run binaries of specified flavor, which is dynamic build by
+  default, or *static* using all the build binaries with *.static* suffix
+
 * `TEST_ENABLE_OVERRIDE` -- defined either as make arguments or via
   `tests/common.local` to enable additional arguments to some commands, using
   the variable(s) below (default: false, enable by setting to 'true')
diff --git a/tests/common b/tests/common
index 94b9d24c..de8a47cf 100644
--- a/tests/common
+++ b/tests/common
@@ -198,7 +198,11 @@ expand_command()
 		if [ $i -eq $ins -a ! -z "$spec" ]; then
 			cmd_array+=("$spec")
 		fi
-		cmd_array+=("${!i}")
+		if [ $i -eq $command_index -a "$TEST_FLAVOR" = 'static' ]; then
+			cmd_array+=("${!i}".static)
+		else
+			cmd_array+=("${!i}")
+		fi
 	done
 }
 
@@ -376,8 +380,12 @@ check_prereq()
 		fi
 		;;
 	*)
-		if ! [ -f "$TOP/$1" ]; then
-			_fail "Failed prerequisites: $TOP/$1";
+		bin="$TOP/$1"
+		if [ "$TEST_FLAVOR" = 'static' ]; then
+			bin="${bin}.static"
+		fi
+		if ! [ -f "$bin"  ]; then
+			_fail "Failed prerequisites: $bin";
 		fi
 		;;
 	esac