diff --git a/app/tests/Makefile.am b/app/tests/Makefile.am
index cd5a5017a0..307e368bbf 100644
--- a/app/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/app/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+SUBDIRS = \
+	files		\
+	gimpdir		\
+	gimpdir-empty
+
 # Don't mess with user's gimpdir. Pass in the abs top srcdir to the
 # tests through an environment variable so they can set the gimpdir
 # they want to use
diff --git a/app/tests/files/Makefile.am b/app/tests/files/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7ab51e14c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/tests/files/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+EXTRA_DIST = \
+	gimp-2-6-file.xcf
diff --git a/app/tests/gimpdir-empty/Makefile.am b/app/tests/gimpdir-empty/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f3f9ed620c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/tests/gimpdir-empty/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+SUBDIRS = \
+	brushes		\
+	gradients	\
+	patterns
+
+EXTRA_DIST = \
+	tags.xml
diff --git a/app/tests/gimpdir-empty/brushes/Makefile.am b/app/tests/gimpdir-empty/brushes/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8fbc147480
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/tests/gimpdir-empty/brushes/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# We only need the dir itself
diff --git a/app/tests/gimpdir-empty/gradients/Makefile.am b/app/tests/gimpdir-empty/gradients/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8fbc147480
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/tests/gimpdir-empty/gradients/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# We only need the dir itself
diff --git a/app/tests/gimpdir-empty/patterns/Makefile.am b/app/tests/gimpdir-empty/patterns/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8fbc147480
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/tests/gimpdir-empty/patterns/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# We only need the dir itself
diff --git a/app/tests/gimpdir/Makefile.am b/app/tests/gimpdir/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3a64a28948
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/tests/gimpdir/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+SUBDIRS = \
+	brushes		\
+	gradients	\
+	patterns
+
+EXTRA_DIST = \
+	dockrc		\
+	sessionrc	\
+	tags.xml
diff --git a/app/tests/gimpdir/brushes/Makefile.am b/app/tests/gimpdir/brushes/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8fbc147480
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/tests/gimpdir/brushes/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# We only need the dir itself
diff --git a/app/tests/gimpdir/gradients/Makefile.am b/app/tests/gimpdir/gradients/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8fbc147480
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/tests/gimpdir/gradients/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# We only need the dir itself
diff --git a/app/tests/gimpdir/patterns/Makefile.am b/app/tests/gimpdir/patterns/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8fbc147480
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/tests/gimpdir/patterns/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# We only need the dir itself
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6edf057dd4..8802b28223 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1985,6 +1985,15 @@ app/vectors/Makefile
 app/widgets/Makefile
 app/xcf/Makefile
 app/tests/Makefile
+app/tests/files/Makefile
+app/tests/gimpdir-empty/Makefile
+app/tests/gimpdir-empty/brushes/Makefile
+app/tests/gimpdir-empty/gradients/Makefile
+app/tests/gimpdir-empty/patterns/Makefile
+app/tests/gimpdir/Makefile
+app/tests/gimpdir/brushes/Makefile
+app/tests/gimpdir/gradients/Makefile
+app/tests/gimpdir/patterns/Makefile
 plug-ins/Makefile
 plug-ins/color-rotate/Makefile
 plug-ins/color-rotate/images/Makefile