diff --git a/test/initmain.c b/test/initmain.c
index a9a568b4..46ec5ddf 100644
--- a/test/initmain.c
+++ b/test/initmain.c
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 // 10 april 2019
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include "lib/thread.h"
 #include "test.h"
-#include "thread.h"
 
 // TODO fix up the formatting of testing.c so we can use newlines on the got/want stuff
 
diff --git a/test/lib/meson.build b/test/lib/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..afa6926c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lib/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# 23 march 2019
+
+libui_test_sources += [
+	'lib/testing.c',
+	'lib/timer.c',
+]
+
+if libui_OS == 'windows'
+	libui_test_sources += [
+		'lib/thread_windows.c',
+		'lib/timer_windows.c',
+	]
+else
+	libui_test_sources += [
+		'lib/thread_darwinunix.c',
+		'lib/timer_darwinunix.c'
+	]
+endif
+
+libui_test_deps += [
+	dependency('threads',
+		required: true),
+]
+if libui_OS == 'windows'
+	libui_test_manifest = 'test.manifest'
+	if libui_mode == 'static'
+		libui_test_manifest = 'test.static.manifest'
+	endif
+	libui_test_sources += [
+		windows.compile_resources('resources.rc',
+			args: libui_manifest_args,
+			depend_files: [libui_test_manifest]),
+	]
+	if libui_mode != 'static'
+		libui_test_deps += [
+			meson.get_compiler('c').find_library('kernel32',
+				required: true),
+			meson.get_compiler('c').find_library('user32',
+				required: true),
+		]
+	endif
+elif libui_OS == 'darwin'
+	# do nothing
+else
+	libui_test_deps += [
+		# satisfy old versions of glibc
+		# TODO is this really needed?
+		meson.get_compiler('c').find_library('rt',
+			required: false),
+	]
+endif
diff --git a/test/testing.c b/test/lib/testing.c
similarity index 100%
rename from test/testing.c
rename to test/lib/testing.c
diff --git a/test/testing.h b/test/lib/testing.h
similarity index 100%
rename from test/testing.h
rename to test/lib/testing.h
diff --git a/test/thread.h b/test/lib/thread.h
similarity index 100%
rename from test/thread.h
rename to test/lib/thread.h
diff --git a/test/thread_darwinunix.c b/test/lib/thread_darwinunix.c
similarity index 100%
rename from test/thread_darwinunix.c
rename to test/lib/thread_darwinunix.c
diff --git a/test/thread_windows.c b/test/lib/thread_windows.c
similarity index 100%
rename from test/thread_windows.c
rename to test/lib/thread_windows.c
diff --git a/test/timer.c b/test/lib/timer.c
similarity index 100%
rename from test/timer.c
rename to test/lib/timer.c
diff --git a/test/timer.h b/test/lib/timer.h
similarity index 100%
rename from test/timer.h
rename to test/lib/timer.h
diff --git a/test/timer_darwinunix.c b/test/lib/timer_darwinunix.c
similarity index 100%
rename from test/timer_darwinunix.c
rename to test/lib/timer_darwinunix.c
diff --git a/test/timer_windows.c b/test/lib/timer_windows.c
similarity index 100%
rename from test/timer_windows.c
rename to test/lib/timer_windows.c
diff --git a/test/meson.build b/test/meson.build
index f20a1b19..6fc094cf 100644
--- a/test/meson.build
+++ b/test/meson.build
@@ -3,54 +3,11 @@
 libui_test_sources = [
 	'initmain.c',
 	'main.c',
-	'testing.c',
-	'timer.c',
 ]
 
-if libui_OS == 'windows'
-	libui_test_sources += [
-		'thread_windows.c',
-		'timer_windows.c',
-	]
-else
-	libui_test_sources += [
-		'thread_darwinunix.c',
-		'timer_darwinunix.c'
-	]
-endif
+libui_test_deps = []
 
-libui_test_deps = [
-	dependency('threads',
-		required: true),
-]
-if libui_OS == 'windows'
-	libui_test_manifest = 'test.manifest'
-	if libui_mode == 'static'
-		libui_test_manifest = 'test.static.manifest'
-	endif
-	libui_test_sources += [
-		windows.compile_resources('resources.rc',
-			args: libui_manifest_args,
-			depend_files: [libui_test_manifest]),
-	]
-	if libui_mode != 'static'
-		libui_test_deps += [
-			meson.get_compiler('c').find_library('kernel32',
-				required: true),
-			meson.get_compiler('c').find_library('user32',
-				required: true),
-		]
-	endif
-elif libui_OS == 'darwin'
-	# do nothing
-else
-	libui_test_deps += [
-		# satisfy old versions of glibc
-		# TODO is this really needed?
-		meson.get_compiler('c').find_library('rt',
-			required: false),
-	]
-endif
+subdir('lib')
 
 # TODO once we upgrade to 0.49.0, add pie: true
 # TODO once we upgrade to 0.50.0, add protocol: 'exitcode'
diff --git a/test/test.h b/test/test.h
index 460146f2..ff476012 100644
--- a/test/test.h
+++ b/test/test.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // 28 april 2019
 #include "../ui.h"
-#include "testing.h"
-#include "timer.h"
+#include "lib/testing.h"
+#include "lib/timer.h"
 
 // main.c
 extern void timeoutMain(void *data);