diff --git a/test/export-dirs.sh b/test/export-dirs.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0578b1e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/export-dirs.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# Source this script to set and export NOTMUCH_SRCDIR and
+# NOTMUCH_BUILDDIR.
+#
+# For this to work, always have current directory somewhere within the
+# build directory hierarchy, and run the script sourcing this script
+# using a path (relative or absolute) to the source directory.
+
+if [[ -z "${NOTMUCH_SRCDIR}" ]]; then
+	export NOTMUCH_SRCDIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")"/.. && pwd)"
+fi
+
+find_builddir()
+{
+	local dir="$1"
+
+	while [[ -n "$dir" ]] && [[ "$dir" != "/" ]]; do
+		if [[ -x "$dir/notmuch" ]] && [[ ! -d "$dir/notmuch" ]]; then
+			echo "$dir"
+			break
+		fi
+		dir="$(dirname "$dir")"
+	done
+}
+
+if [[ -z "${NOTMUCH_BUILDDIR}" ]]; then
+	export NOTMUCH_BUILDDIR="$(find_builddir "$(pwd)")"
+
+	if [[ -z "${NOTMUCH_BUILDDIR}" ]]; then
+		echo "Run tests in a subdir of built notmuch tree." >&2
+		exit 1
+	fi
+fi