diff --git a/common/homedir.c b/common/homedir.c
index 59b713526..6b40bb6bf 100644
--- a/common/homedir.c
+++ b/common/homedir.c
@@ -884,15 +884,60 @@ get_default_pinentry_name (int reset)
 }
 
 
+/* If set, 'gnupg_module_name' returns modules from that build
+ * directory.  */
+static char *gnupg_build_directory;
+
+/* For sanity checks.  */
+static int gnupg_module_name_called;
+
+
+/* Set NEWDIR as the new build directory.  This will make
+ * 'gnupg_module_name' return modules from that build directory.  Must
+ * be called before any invocation of 'gnupg_module_name', and must
+ * not be called twice.  It can be used by test suites to make sure
+ * the components from the build directory are used instead of
+ * potentially outdated installed ones.  */
+void
+gnupg_set_builddir (const char *newdir)
+{
+  log_assert (! gnupg_module_name_called);
+  log_assert (! gnupg_build_directory);
+  gnupg_build_directory = xtrystrdup (newdir);
+}
+
+
+/* If no build directory has been configured, try to set it from the
+ * environment.  We only do this in development builds to avoid
+ * increasing the set of influential environment variables and hence
+ * the attack surface of production builds.  */
+static void
+gnupg_set_builddir_from_env (void)
+{
+#ifdef IS_DEVELOPMENT_VERSION
+  if (gnupg_build_directory)
+    return;
+
+  gnupg_build_directory = getenv ("GNUPG_BUILDDIR");
+#endif
+}
+
+
 /* Return the file name of a helper tool.  WHICH is one of the
    GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_foo constants.  */
 const char *
 gnupg_module_name (int which)
 {
-#define X(a,b) do {                                                     \
+  gnupg_set_builddir_from_env ();
+  gnupg_module_name_called = 1;
+
+#define X(a,b,c) do {                                                   \
     static char *name;                                                  \
     if (!name)                                                          \
-      name = xstrconcat (gnupg_ ## a (), DIRSEP_S b EXEEXT_S, NULL);    \
+      name = gnupg_build_directory                                      \
+        ? xstrconcat (gnupg_build_directory,                            \
+                      DIRSEP_S b DIRSEP_S c EXEEXT_S, NULL)             \
+        : xstrconcat (gnupg_ ## a (), DIRSEP_S c EXEEXT_S, NULL);       \
     return name;                                                        \
   } while (0)
 
@@ -902,7 +947,7 @@ gnupg_module_name (int which)
 #ifdef GNUPG_DEFAULT_AGENT
       return GNUPG_DEFAULT_AGENT;
 #else
-      X(bindir, "gpg-agent");
+      X(bindir, "agent", "gpg-agent");
 #endif
 
     case GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_PINENTRY:
@@ -916,55 +961,57 @@ gnupg_module_name (int which)
 #ifdef GNUPG_DEFAULT_SCDAEMON
       return GNUPG_DEFAULT_SCDAEMON;
 #else
-      X(libexecdir, "scdaemon");
+      X(libexecdir, "scd", "scdaemon");
 #endif
 
     case GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_DIRMNGR:
 #ifdef GNUPG_DEFAULT_DIRMNGR
       return GNUPG_DEFAULT_DIRMNGR;
 #else
-      X(bindir, DIRMNGR_NAME);
+      X(bindir, "dirmngr", DIRMNGR_NAME);
 #endif
 
     case GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_PROTECT_TOOL:
 #ifdef GNUPG_DEFAULT_PROTECT_TOOL
       return GNUPG_DEFAULT_PROTECT_TOOL;
 #else
-      X(libexecdir, "gpg-protect-tool");
+      X(libexecdir, "agent", "gpg-protect-tool");
 #endif
 
     case GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_DIRMNGR_LDAP:
 #ifdef GNUPG_DEFAULT_DIRMNGR_LDAP
       return GNUPG_DEFAULT_DIRMNGR_LDAP;
 #else
-      X(libexecdir, "dirmngr_ldap");
+      X(libexecdir, "dirmngr", "dirmngr_ldap");
 #endif
 
     case GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_CHECK_PATTERN:
-      X(libexecdir, "gpg-check-pattern");
+      X(libexecdir, "tools", "gpg-check-pattern");
 
     case GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_GPGSM:
-      X(bindir, "gpgsm");
+      X(bindir, "sm", "gpgsm");
 
     case GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_GPG:
 #if USE_GPG2_HACK
-      X(bindir, GPG_NAME "2");
-#else
-      X(bindir, GPG_NAME);
+      if (! gnupg_build_directory)
+        X(bindir, "g10", GPG_NAME "2");
+      else
 #endif
+        X(bindir, "g10", GPG_NAME);
 
     case GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_GPGV:
 #if USE_GPG2_HACK
-      X(bindir, GPG_NAME "v2");
-#else
-      X(bindir, GPG_NAME "v");
+      if (! gnupg_build_directory)
+        X(bindir, "g10", GPG_NAME "v2");
+      else
 #endif
+        X(bindir, "g10", GPG_NAME "v");
 
     case GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_CONNECT_AGENT:
-      X(bindir, "gpg-connect-agent");
+      X(bindir, "tools", "gpg-connect-agent");
 
     case GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_GPGCONF:
-      X(bindir, "gpgconf");
+      X(bindir, "tools", "gpgconf");
 
     default:
       BUG ();
diff --git a/common/util.h b/common/util.h
index 2ff2bbcb3..f7a53e160 100644
--- a/common/util.h
+++ b/common/util.h
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ char *_gnupg_socketdir_internal (int skip_checks, unsigned *r_info);
 #define GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_GPGV          12
 const char *gnupg_module_name (int which);
 void gnupg_module_name_flush_some (void);
+void gnupg_set_builddir (const char *newdir);
 
 
 
diff --git a/tests/openpgp/defs.scm b/tests/openpgp/defs.scm
index 5249ca9da..ef81f9964 100644
--- a/tests/openpgp/defs.scm
+++ b/tests/openpgp/defs.scm
@@ -56,9 +56,7 @@
 	value)))
 
 (define tools
-  '((gpg "GPG" "g10/gpg")
-    (gpgv "GPGV" "g10/gpgv")
-    (gpg-agent "GPG_AGENT" "agent/gpg-agent")
+  '((gpgv "GPGV" "g10/gpgv")
     (gpg-connect-agent "GPG_CONNECT_AGENT" "tools/gpg-connect-agent")
     (gpgconf "GPGCONF" "tools/gpgconf")
     (gpg-preset-passphrase "GPG_PRESET_PASSPHRASE"
@@ -67,7 +65,7 @@
     (gpg-zip "GPGZIP" "tools/gpg-zip")
     (pinentry "PINENTRY" "tests/openpgp/fake-pinentry")))
 
-(define (tool which)
+(define (tool-hardcoded which)
   (let ((t (assoc which tools))
 	(prefix (getenv "BIN_PREFIX")))
     (getenv' (cadr t)
@@ -75,6 +73,24 @@
 			  (string-append (getenv "objdir") "/" (caddr t))
 			  (string-append prefix "/" (basename (caddr t))))))))
 
+(define (gpg-conf . args)
+  (let ((s (call-popen `(,(tool-hardcoded 'gpgconf) ,@args) "")))
+    (map (lambda (line) (string-split line #\:))
+	 (string-split-newlines s))))
+(define :gc:c:name car)
+(define :gc:c:description cadr)
+(define :gc:c:pgmname caddr)
+
+(setenv "GNUPG_BUILDDIR" (getenv "objdir") #t)
+(define gpg-components (gpg-conf '--build-prefix (getenv "objdir")
+				 '--list-components))
+
+(define (tool which)
+  (case which
+    ((gpg gpg-agent scdaemon gpgsm dirmngr)
+     (:gc:c:pgmname (assoc (symbol->string which) gpg-components)))
+    (else
+     (tool-hardcoded which))))
 
 (define (gpg-has-option? option)
   (string-contains? (call-popen `(,(tool 'gpg) --dump-options) "")
diff --git a/tools/gpgconf.c b/tools/gpgconf.c
index 5f7912a03..d056f4f57 100644
--- a/tools/gpgconf.c
+++ b/tools/gpgconf.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ enum cmd_and_opt_values
     oNull       = '0',
     oNoVerbose	= 500,
     oHomedir,
+    oBuilddir,
 
     aListComponents,
     aCheckPrograms,
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ static ARGPARSE_OPTS opts[] =
     { oRuntime, "runtime",  0, N_("activate changes at runtime, if possible") },
     /* hidden options */
     { oHomedir, "homedir", 2, "@" },
+    { oBuilddir, "build-prefix", 2, "@" },
     { oNull, "null", 0, "@" },
     { oNoVerbose, "no-verbose",  0, "@"},
     {0}
@@ -483,6 +485,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
         case oVerbose:   opt.verbose++; break;
         case oNoVerbose: opt.verbose = 0; break;
         case oHomedir:   gnupg_set_homedir (pargs.r.ret_str); break;
+        case oBuilddir:  gnupg_set_builddir (pargs.r.ret_str); break;
         case oNull:      opt.null = 1; break;
 
 	case aListDirs: