diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6571ed1246..5e69c16507 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -725,6 +725,7 @@ TEST_BUILTINS_OBJS += test-read-cache.o
 TEST_BUILTINS_OBJS += test-read-graph.o
 TEST_BUILTINS_OBJS += test-read-midx.o
 TEST_BUILTINS_OBJS += test-ref-store.o
+TEST_BUILTINS_OBJS += test-reftable.o
 TEST_BUILTINS_OBJS += test-regex.o
 TEST_BUILTINS_OBJS += test-repository.o
 TEST_BUILTINS_OBJS += test-revision-walking.o
@@ -808,6 +809,7 @@ LIB_FILE = libgit.a
 XDIFF_LIB = xdiff/lib.a
 VCSSVN_LIB = vcs-svn/lib.a
 REFTABLE_LIB = reftable/libreftable.a
+REFTABLE_TEST_LIB = reftable/libreftable_test.a
 
 GENERATED_H += config-list.h
 GENERATED_H += command-list.h
@@ -2371,6 +2373,15 @@ REFTABLE_OBJS += reftable/tree.o
 REFTABLE_OBJS += reftable/writer.o
 REFTABLE_OBJS += reftable/zlib-compat.o
 
+REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/block_test.o
+REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/merged_test.o
+REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/record_test.o
+REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/refname_test.o
+REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/reftable_test.o
+REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/strbuf_test.o
+REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/stack_test.o
+REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/tree_test.o
+REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/test_framework.o
 
 TEST_OBJS := $(patsubst %$X,%.o,$(TEST_PROGRAMS)) $(patsubst %,t/helper/%,$(TEST_BUILTINS_OBJS))
 OBJECTS := $(LIB_OBJS) $(BUILTIN_OBJS) $(PROGRAM_OBJS) $(TEST_OBJS) \
@@ -2378,6 +2389,7 @@ OBJECTS := $(LIB_OBJS) $(BUILTIN_OBJS) $(PROGRAM_OBJS) $(TEST_OBJS) \
 	$(VCSSVN_OBJS) \
 	$(FUZZ_OBJS) \
 	$(REFTABLE_OBJS) \
+	$(REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS) \
 	common-main.o \
 	git.o
 ifndef NO_CURL
@@ -2521,6 +2533,9 @@ $(VCSSVN_LIB): $(VCSSVN_OBJS)
 $(REFTABLE_LIB): $(REFTABLE_OBJS)
 	$(QUIET_AR)$(RM) $@ && $(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $@ $^
 
+$(REFTABLE_TEST_LIB): $(REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS)
+	$(QUIET_AR)$(RM) $@ && $(AR) $(ARFLAGS) $@ $^
+
 export DEFAULT_EDITOR DEFAULT_PAGER
 
 Documentation/GIT-EXCLUDED-PROGRAMS: FORCE
@@ -2803,7 +2818,7 @@ t/helper/test-svn-fe$X: $(VCSSVN_LIB)
 
 t/helper/test-tool$X: $(patsubst %,t/helper/%,$(TEST_BUILTINS_OBJS))
 
-t/helper/test-%$X: t/helper/test-%.o GIT-LDFLAGS $(GITLIBS)
+t/helper/test-%$X: t/helper/test-%.o GIT-LDFLAGS $(GITLIBS) $(REFTABLE_TEST_LIB)
 	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) $(filter %.a,$^) $(LIBS)
 
 check-sha1:: t/helper/test-tool$X
@@ -3136,7 +3151,7 @@ cocciclean:
 clean: profile-clean coverage-clean cocciclean
 	$(RM) *.res
 	$(RM) $(OBJECTS)
-	$(RM) $(LIB_FILE) $(XDIFF_LIB) $(VCSSVN_LIB) $(REFTABLE_LIB)
+	$(RM) $(LIB_FILE) $(XDIFF_LIB) $(VCSSVN_LIB) $(REFTABLE_LIB) $(REFTABLE_TEST_LIB)
 	$(RM) $(ALL_PROGRAMS) $(SCRIPT_LIB) $(BUILT_INS) git$X
 	$(RM) $(TEST_PROGRAMS)
 	$(RM) $(FUZZ_PROGRAMS)
diff --git a/t/helper/test-reftable.c b/t/helper/test-reftable.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..def8883439
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/helper/test-reftable.c
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#include "reftable/reftable-tests.h"
+#include "test-tool.h"
+
+int cmd__reftable(int argc, const char **argv)
+{
+	block_test_main(argc, argv);
+	merged_test_main(argc, argv);
+	record_test_main(argc, argv);
+	refname_test_main(argc, argv);
+	reftable_test_main(argc, argv);
+	strbuf_test_main(argc, argv);
+	stack_test_main(argc, argv);
+	tree_test_main(argc, argv);
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/t/helper/test-tool.c b/t/helper/test-tool.c
index 590b2efca7..10366b7b76 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-tool.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-tool.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ static struct test_cmd cmds[] = {
 	{ "read-graph", cmd__read_graph },
 	{ "read-midx", cmd__read_midx },
 	{ "ref-store", cmd__ref_store },
+	{ "reftable", cmd__reftable },
 	{ "regex", cmd__regex },
 	{ "repository", cmd__repository },
 	{ "revision-walking", cmd__revision_walking },
diff --git a/t/helper/test-tool.h b/t/helper/test-tool.h
index ddc8e990e9..d52ba2f5e5 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-tool.h
+++ b/t/helper/test-tool.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ int cmd__read_cache(int argc, const char **argv);
 int cmd__read_graph(int argc, const char **argv);
 int cmd__read_midx(int argc, const char **argv);
 int cmd__ref_store(int argc, const char **argv);
+int cmd__reftable(int argc, const char **argv);
 int cmd__regex(int argc, const char **argv);
 int cmd__repository(int argc, const char **argv);
 int cmd__revision_walking(int argc, const char **argv);
diff --git a/t/t0031-reftable.sh b/t/t0031-reftable.sh
index 9f90c10030..34cc787a61 100755
--- a/t/t0031-reftable.sh
+++ b/t/t0031-reftable.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ initialize ()  {
 	mv .git/hooks .git/hooks-disabled
 }
 
+test_expect_success 'unittests' '
+	test-tool reftable
+'
+
+
 test_expect_success 'delete ref' '
 	initialize &&
 	test_commit file &&
