diff --git a/test-suite/CMakeLists.txt b/test-suite/CMakeLists.txt
index b0cbe82aa..0a9daf1bf 100644
--- a/test-suite/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test-suite/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -99,6 +99,11 @@ foreach(test_category IN LISTS qe_test_categories)
                          ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${subfolder_name}/${matdyn_input} SYMBOLIC)
     endforeach()
 
+    # handle additional test customization
+    if(EXISTS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${subfolder_name}/CMakeLists.txt)
+      add_subdirectory(${subfolder_name})
+    endif()
+
     foreach(test_input_file IN LISTS test_input_file_names)
       # skip reference and test run output files which also has filename extension .in
       if (NOT test_input_file MATCHES "^benchmark" AND NOT test_input_file MATCHES "^test")
@@ -191,6 +196,11 @@ foreach(test_category IN LISTS qe_test_categories)
           set_property(TEST ${test_name} APPEND PROPERTY DEPENDS "${base_test_name};${last_test_name}")
         endif()
 
+        # add dependency on test preparation
+        if(${test_name_prefix}--preparation-CREATED)
+          set_property(TEST ${test_name} APPEND PROPERTY DEPENDS ${test_name_prefix}--preparation)
+        endif()
+
         # make correctness check depend on the test run
         set_property(TEST ${test_name_prefix}-correctness APPEND PROPERTY DEPENDS "${test_name}")
       endif()
diff --git a/test-suite/pw_md/CMakeLists.txt b/test-suite/pw_md/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8c54b8d06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-suite/pw_md/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# prepare files before testing.
+set(${test_name_prefix}--preparation-CREATED TRUE PARENT_SCOPE)
+add_test(NAME ${test_name_prefix}--preparation
+COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/md_restart_verlet_original.md ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/md_restart_verlet/md_restart_verlet.md)