diff --git a/Makefile.config.in b/Makefile.config.in
index 19992fa20..1482db81f 100644
--- a/Makefile.config.in
+++ b/Makefile.config.in
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ SODIUM_LIBS = @SODIUM_LIBS@
 SQLITE3_LIBS = @SQLITE3_LIBS@
 bash = @bash@
 bindir = @bindir@
+checkbindir = @checkbindir@
+checklibdir = @checklibdir@
 datadir = @datadir@
 datarootdir = @datarootdir@
 doc_generate = @doc_generate@
@@ -48,4 +50,5 @@ sysconfdir = @sysconfdir@
 system = @system@
 ENABLE_BUILD = @ENABLE_BUILD@
 ENABLE_TESTS = @ENABLE_TESTS@
+INSTALL_UNIT_TESTS = @INSTALL_UNIT_TESTS@
 internal_api_docs = @internal_api_docs@
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 75ce7d01d..281ba2c32 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -167,6 +167,18 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(tests, AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-tests],[Do not build the tests]),
   ENABLE_TESTS=$enableval, ENABLE_TESTS=yes)
 AC_SUBST(ENABLE_TESTS)
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(install-unit-tests, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-install-unit-tests],[Install the unit tests for running later (default no)]),
+  INSTALL_UNIT_TESTS=$enableval, INSTALL_UNIT_TESTS=no)
+AC_SUBST(INSTALL_UNIT_TESTS)
+
+AC_ARG_WITH(check-bin-dir, AS_HELP_STRING([--with-check-bin-dir=PATH],[path to install unit tests for running later (defaults to $libexecdir/nix)]),
+  checkbindir=$withval, checkbindir=$libexecdir/nix)
+AC_SUBST(checkbindir)
+
+AC_ARG_WITH(check-lib-dir, AS_HELP_STRING([--with-check-lib-dir=PATH],[path to install unit tests for running later (defaults to $libdir)]),
+  checklibdir=$withval, checklibdir=$libdir)
+AC_SUBST(checklibdir)
+
 # Building without API docs is the default as Nix' C++ interfaces are internal and unstable.
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(internal_api_docs, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-internal-api-docs],[Build API docs for Nix's internal unstable C++ interfaces]),
   internal_api_docs=$enableval, internal_api_docs=no)
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 51d818423..05ab7b06d 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -164,6 +164,10 @@
 
         testConfigureFlags = [
           "RAPIDCHECK_HEADERS=${lib.getDev rapidcheck}/extras/gtest/include"
+        ] ++ lib.optionals (stdenv.hostPlatform != stdenv.buildPlatform) [
+          "--enable-install-unit-tests"
+          "--with-check-bin-dir=${builtins.placeholder "check"}/bin"
+          "--with-check-lib-dir=${builtins.placeholder "check"}/lib"
         ];
 
         internalApiDocsConfigureFlags = [
@@ -404,7 +408,8 @@
             src = nixSrc;
             VERSION_SUFFIX = versionSuffix;
 
-            outputs = [ "out" "dev" "doc" ];
+            outputs = [ "out" "dev" "doc" ]
+              ++ lib.optional (currentStdenv.hostPlatform != currentStdenv.buildPlatform) "check";
 
             nativeBuildInputs = nativeBuildDeps;
             buildInputs = buildDeps
@@ -710,7 +715,8 @@
           stdenv.mkDerivation {
             name = "nix";
 
-            outputs = [ "out" "dev" "doc" ];
+            outputs = [ "out" "dev" "doc" ]
+              ++ lib.optional (stdenv.hostPlatform != stdenv.buildPlatform) "check";
 
             nativeBuildInputs = nativeBuildDeps
               ++ lib.optional stdenv.cc.isClang pkgs.buildPackages.bear
diff --git a/src/libexpr/tests/local.mk b/src/libexpr/tests/local.mk
index 331a5ead6..6d2a04aaf 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/tests/local.mk
+++ b/src/libexpr/tests/local.mk
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@ libexpr-tests_NAME := libnixexpr-tests
 
 libexpr-tests_DIR := $(d)
 
-libexpr-tests_INSTALL_DIR :=
+ifeq ($(INSTALL_UNIT_TESTS), yes)
+  libexpr-tests_INSTALL_DIR := $(checkbindir)
+else
+  libexpr-tests_INSTALL_DIR :=
+endif
 
 libexpr-tests_SOURCES := \
     $(wildcard $(d)/*.cc) \
diff --git a/src/libstore/tests/local.mk b/src/libstore/tests/local.mk
index 03becc7d1..e9b8b4f99 100644
--- a/src/libstore/tests/local.mk
+++ b/src/libstore/tests/local.mk
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@ libstore-tests-exe_NAME = libnixstore-tests
 
 libstore-tests-exe_DIR := $(d)
 
-libstore-tests-exe_INSTALL_DIR :=
+ifeq ($(INSTALL_UNIT_TESTS), yes)
+  libstore-tests-exe_INSTALL_DIR := $(checkbindir)
+else
+  libstore-tests-exe_INSTALL_DIR :=
+endif
 
 libstore-tests-exe_LIBS = libstore-tests
 
@@ -18,7 +22,11 @@ libstore-tests_NAME = libnixstore-tests
 
 libstore-tests_DIR := $(d)
 
-libstore-tests_INSTALL_DIR :=
+ifeq ($(INSTALL_UNIT_TESTS), yes)
+  libstore-tests_INSTALL_DIR := $(checklibdir)
+else
+  libstore-tests_INSTALL_DIR :=
+endif
 
 libstore-tests_SOURCES := $(wildcard $(d)/*.cc)
 
diff --git a/src/libutil/tests/local.mk b/src/libutil/tests/local.mk
index c8b8557cb..e6fc4e364 100644
--- a/src/libutil/tests/local.mk
+++ b/src/libutil/tests/local.mk
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@ libutil-tests-exe_NAME = libnixutil-tests
 
 libutil-tests-exe_DIR := $(d)
 
-libutil-tests-exe_INSTALL_DIR :=
+ifeq ($(INSTALL_UNIT_TESTS), yes)
+  libutil-tests-exe_INSTALL_DIR := $(checkbindir)
+else
+  libutil-tests-exe_INSTALL_DIR :=
+endif
 
 libutil-tests-exe_LIBS = libutil-tests
 
@@ -18,7 +22,11 @@ libutil-tests_NAME = libnixutil-tests
 
 libutil-tests_DIR := $(d)
 
-libutil-tests_INSTALL_DIR :=
+ifeq ($(INSTALL_UNIT_TESTS), yes)
+  libutil-tests_INSTALL_DIR := $(checklibdir)
+else
+  libutil-tests_INSTALL_DIR :=
+endif
 
 libutil-tests_SOURCES := $(wildcard $(d)/*.cc)