diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 87576f0a2..28e0ebe4a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -643,6 +643,7 @@ tests/src/editor/test-data.txt
 tests/src/vfs/Makefile
 tests/src/vfs/extfs/Makefile
 tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/Makefile
+tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/data/config.sh
 ])
 
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/Makefile.am b/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/Makefile.am
index 716c3a367..957631ac5 100644
--- a/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/Makefile.am
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ run:
 # The 'abs_' isn't mandatory. It lets you move this script out of the build tree.
 	@echo '"$(abs_srcdir)"/test_all "$$@" \' >> $@
 	@echo '  --data-dir "$(abs_srcdir)/data" \' >> $@
+	@echo '  --data-build-dir "$(abs_builddir)/data" \' >> $@
 # Before installation, some helpers are in the build tree, some in the src tree.
 	@echo '  --helpers-dir "$(abs_top_builddir)/src/vfs/extfs/helpers" \' >> $@
 	@echo '  --helpers-dir "$(abs_top_srcdir)/src/vfs/extfs/helpers"' >> $@
@@ -99,6 +100,9 @@ run:
 # (We can alternatively create run from a run.in template
 # with 'AC_CONFIG_FILES[run, chmod +x run]'.)
 
+# Whenever we change the recipe above, we need to regenerate the 'run' script:
+run: Makefile
+
 #
 # Documentation
 #
diff --git a/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/README b/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/README
index b9c76ff0f..0c3bda65d 100644
--- a/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/README
+++ b/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/README
@@ -185,3 +185,23 @@ Contains the path of the [input file]. You'll more commonly use
 
 Contains the path of [the data folder]. Use it when you need to
 construct the paths of other files you store there.
+
+#### MC_TEST_EXTFS_DATA_BUILD_DIR ####
+
+Contains the path of [the data folder], but in the *build* tree. This is
+where *.in files from the source tree end up. If you don't know what
+these are, you can safely ignore this variable.
+
+#### MC_TEST_EXTFS_CONFIG_SH ####
+
+Contains the path of *config.sh*, a file you can "source" into shell
+scripts (including the [environment file]) to gain access to values set
+when Midnight Commander was compiled. Example:
+
+    . "$MC_TEST_EXTFS_CONFIG_SH"
+    $PERL -e 'print "hello"'
+
+Currently, this variable is equal to
+"[$MC_TEST_EXTFS_DATA_BUILD_DIR][MC_TEST_EXTFS_DATA_BUILD_DIR]/config.sh",
+but you're advised to use only `$MC_TEST_EXTFS_CONFIG_SH` as we may
+change this file's location in the future.
diff --git a/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/data/config.sh.in b/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/data/config.sh.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..05aca0649
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/data/config.sh.in
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#
+# Configure-time parameters that may be useful in tests.
+#
+# See README for how to use this file.
+#
+PERL="@PERL@"
+AWK="@AWK@"
+PYTHON="@PYTHON@"
+RUBY="@RUBY@"
diff --git a/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/test_all b/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/test_all
index f4dd4f1ff..23f8cea79 100755
--- a/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/test_all
+++ b/tests/src/vfs/extfs/helpers-list/test_all
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ SYNOPSIS
 
   $(basename "$0") \\
      --data-dir /path/to/where/data/files/are/stored \\
-     --helpers-dir /path/to/where/helpers/are/stored
+     --helpers-dir /path/to/where/helpers/are/stored \\
+     --data-build-dir /path/to/where/config.sh/is/stored
 
 (But you're more likely to invoke this program with the 'run' script
 created by 'make check'; or by 'make check' itself.)
@@ -43,11 +44,15 @@ their output to the expected output.
 
 See README for full details.
 
-You need to tell this program two things: where the helpers are stored,
-and where the "data files" are stored. The data files are *.input files
-that are fed to the helpers and *.output files that are the correct
+You need to tell this program primarily two things: where the helpers are
+stored, and where the "data files" are stored. The data files are *.input
+files that are fed to the helpers and *.output files that are the correct
 output expected from these helpers.
 
+You also need to tell this program where the build flavor of the "data
+files" is stored. Most notably this is where the 'config.sh' file is
+created during build time. You do this with '--data-build-dir'.
+
 EOS
 }
 
@@ -57,6 +62,7 @@ EOS
 
 # The directories used.
 data_dir=
+data_build_dir=
 helpers_dir1=
 helpers_dir2=
 
@@ -177,6 +183,13 @@ find_helper() {
   fi
 }
 
+#
+# Returns the path of 'config.sh'.
+#
+path_of_config_sh() {
+  echo "$data_build_dir/config.sh"
+}
+
 #
 # Export variables to be used by tests.
 #
@@ -194,6 +207,10 @@ export_useful_variables() {
   export MC_TEST_EXTFS_INPUT
   MC_TEST_EXTFS_DATA_DIR=$data_dir
   export MC_TEST_EXTFS_DATA_DIR
+  MC_TEST_EXTFS_DATA_BUILD_DIR=$data_build_dir
+  export MC_TEST_EXTFS_DATA_BUILD_DIR
+  MC_TEST_EXTFS_CONFIG_SH=$(path_of_config_sh)
+  export MC_TEST_EXTFS_CONFIG_SH
 }
 
 #
@@ -346,6 +363,10 @@ parse_command_line_arguments() {
         data_dir=$2
         shift 2
         ;;
+      --data-build-dir)
+        data_build_dir=$2
+        shift 2
+        ;;
       --helpers-dir)
         if [ -z "$helpers_dir1" ]; then
           helpers_dir1=$2
@@ -378,15 +399,18 @@ parse_command_line_arguments() {
 #
 verify_setup() {
   [ -n "$data_dir" ] || die "You didn't specify the data dir (--data-dir). Run me with --help for info."
+  [ -n "$data_build_dir" ] || die "You didn't specify the data build dir (--data-build-dir). Run me with --help for info."
   [ -n "$helpers_dir1" ] || die "You didn't specify the helpers dir (--helpers-dir). Run me with --help for info."
   [ -z "$helpers_dir2" ] && helpers_dir2=$helpers_dir1  # we're being lazy.
 
   local dir
-  for dir in "$data_dir" "$helpers_dir1" "$helpers_dir2"; do
+  for dir in "$data_dir" "$data_build_dir" "$helpers_dir1" "$helpers_dir2"; do
     assert_dir_exists "$dir"
     has_string "$dir" " " && die "$dir: Sorry, spaces aren't allowed in pathnames."  # search "reason", twice, above.
   done
 
+  [ -e "$(path_of_config_sh)" ] || die "Missing file $(path_of_config_sh). You probably have a mistake in the '--data-build-dir' path."
+
   local missing_progs=""
   check_prog() {
     if ! has_prog "$1"; then