diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 69365fe..e773648 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -301,6 +301,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
 		 test/api_test/Makefile
 		 test/performance/Makefile
 		 test/validation/Makefile
+		 test/validation/common/Makefile
 		 test/miscellaneous/Makefile
 		 ])
 
diff --git a/test/Makefile.inc b/test/Makefile.inc
index e20a848..1eb6ed5 100644
--- a/test/Makefile.inc
+++ b/test/Makefile.inc
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 include $(top_srcdir)/Makefile.inc
 include $(top_srcdir)/platform/@with_platform@/Makefile.inc
 LIB   = $(top_builddir)/lib
-LDADD = $(LIB)/libodp.la
+
+#in the following line, the libs using the symbols should come before
+#the libs containing them! The includer is given a chance to add things
+#before libodp by setting PRE_LDADD before the inclusion.
+LDADD = $(PRE_LDADD) $(LIB)/libodp.la
+
 INCFLAGS = -I$(srcdir) \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/test \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/platform/@with_platform@/include \
diff --git a/test/validation/Makefile.am b/test/validation/Makefile.am
index 577063b..e1474aa 100644
--- a/test/validation/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/validation/Makefile.am
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+PRE_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/test/validation/common/libcunit_common_as_main.a
 include $(top_srcdir)/test/Makefile.inc
 
 AM_CFLAGS += -I$(srcdir)/common
@@ -39,30 +40,31 @@ bin_PROGRAMS = $(EXECUTABLES) $(COMPILE_ONLY)
 ODP_CU_COMMON=common/odp_cunit_common.c
 
 odp_buffer_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS) -I$(srcdir)/buffer
-dist_odp_buffer_SOURCES = odp_buffer.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
+dist_odp_buffer_SOURCES = odp_buffer.c
 odp_classification_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS) -I$(srcdir)/classification
 dist_odp_classification_SOURCES = classification/odp_classification_tests.c \
 				classification/odp_classification_basic.c \
-				odp_classification.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
+				odp_classification.c
 odp_crypto_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS) -I$(srcdir)/crypto
 dist_odp_crypto_SOURCES = crypto/odp_crypto_test_inp.c \
-			  odp_crypto.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_init_SOURCES	= init/odp_init.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_init_abort_SOURCES = init/odp_init_abort.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_init_log_SOURCES = init/odp_init_log.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_queue_SOURCES	= odp_queue.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_random_SOURCES = odp_random.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_scheduler_SOURCES = odp_scheduler.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_shared_memory_SOURCES	= odp_shared_memory.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_synchronizers_SOURCES = odp_synchronizers.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_time_SOURCES   = odp_time.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_timer_SOURCES  = odp_timer.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_pktio_SOURCES	= odp_pktio.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_packet_SOURCES = odp_packet.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_pool_SOURCES = odp_pool.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_cpumask_SOURCES = odp_cpumask.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
-dist_odp_thread_SOURCES = odp_thread.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
+			  odp_crypto.c
+dist_odp_init_SOURCES	= init/odp_init.c
+dist_odp_init_abort_SOURCES = init/odp_init_abort.c
+dist_odp_init_log_SOURCES = init/odp_init_log.c
+dist_odp_queue_SOURCES	= odp_queue.c
+dist_odp_random_SOURCES = odp_random.c
+dist_odp_scheduler_SOURCES = odp_scheduler.c
+dist_odp_shared_memory_SOURCES	= odp_shared_memory.c
+dist_odp_synchronizers_SOURCES = odp_synchronizers.c
+dist_odp_time_SOURCES   = odp_time.c
+dist_odp_timer_SOURCES  = odp_timer.c
+dist_odp_pktio_SOURCES	= odp_pktio.c
+dist_odp_packet_SOURCES = odp_packet.c
+dist_odp_pool_SOURCES = odp_pool.c
+dist_odp_cpumask_SOURCES = odp_cpumask.c
+dist_odp_thread_SOURCES = odp_thread.c
 odp_ver_abt_log_dbg_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS) -I$(srcdir)/ver_abt_log_dbg
 dist_odp_ver_abt_log_dbg_SOURCES  = ver_abt_log_dbg/odp_system.c \
 				    ver_abt_log_dbg/odp_errno.c \
-                                    ver_abt_log_dbg/odp_ver_abt_log_dbg.c $(ODP_CU_COMMON)
+                                    ver_abt_log_dbg/odp_ver_abt_log_dbg.c
+SUBDIRS = common
diff --git a/test/validation/common/.gitignore b/test/validation/common/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8aa876
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/validation/common/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+libcunit_common.a
+libcunit_common_as_main.a
diff --git a/test/validation/common/Makefile.am b/test/validation/common/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd2f214
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/validation/common/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign
+include $(top_srcdir)/test/Makefile.inc
+
+#libcunit_common_as_main.a is meant to be removed when all tests define
+#their own main
+noinst_LIBRARIES = libcunit_common.a libcunit_common_as_main.a
+libcunit_common_a_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS) -DMODULE_HAS_OWN_MAIN
+libcunit_common_a_SOURCES = odp_cunit_common.c
+libcunit_common_as_main_a_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS)
+libcunit_common_as_main_a_SOURCES = odp_cunit_common.c
diff --git a/test/validation/common/odp_cunit_common.c b/test/validation/common/odp_cunit_common.c
index eac2d81..2b83ae6 100644
--- a/test/validation/common/odp_cunit_common.c
+++ b/test/validation/common/odp_cunit_common.c
@@ -4,12 +4,6 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier:     BSD-3-Clause
  */
 
-/**
- * @file
- *
- * ODP test application common
- */
-
 #include <string.h>
 #include <odp.h>
 #include <odp_cunit_common.h>
@@ -68,7 +62,7 @@ ODP_WEAK_SYMBOL int tests_global_term(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int main(void)
+int odp_cunit_run(CU_SuiteInfo testsuites[])
 {
 	int ret;
 
@@ -81,7 +75,7 @@ int main(void)
 	CU_set_error_action(CUEA_ABORT);
 
 	CU_initialize_registry();
-	CU_register_suites(odp_testsuites);
+	CU_register_suites(testsuites);
 	CU_basic_set_mode(CU_BRM_VERBOSE);
 	CU_basic_run_tests();
 
@@ -94,3 +88,11 @@ int main(void)
 
 	return (ret) ? -1 : 0;
 }
+
+/* this is left for old style main declartion. will be removed soon */
+#ifndef MODULE_HAS_OWN_MAIN
+int main(void)
+{
+	return odp_cunit_run(odp_testsuites);
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/test/validation/common/odp_cunit_common.h b/test/validation/common/odp_cunit_common.h
index 127020d..3b4d9fb 100644
--- a/test/validation/common/odp_cunit_common.h
+++ b/test/validation/common/odp_cunit_common.h
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
  */
 extern CU_SuiteInfo odp_testsuites[];
 
+/* the function, called by module main(), to run the testsuites: */
+int odp_cunit_run(CU_SuiteInfo testsuites[]);
+
 typedef struct {
 	uint32_t foo;
 	uint32_t bar;
