diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 0a78fb7..9bf748a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -71,20 +71,21 @@ uninstall-hook:
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1/`echo "bzcmp" | sed 's,^.*/,,;$(transform)'`.1
 
 check-local: bzip2
-	@cat $(srcdir)/words1
-	./bzip2 -1  <$(srcdir)/sample1.ref >sample1.rb2
-	./bzip2 -2  <$(srcdir)/sample2.ref >sample2.rb2
-	./bzip2 -3  <$(srcdir)/sample3.ref >sample3.rb2
-	./bzip2 -d  <$(srcdir)/sample1.bz2 >sample1.tst
-	./bzip2 -d  <$(srcdir)/sample2.bz2 >sample2.tst
-	./bzip2 -ds <$(srcdir)/sample3.bz2 >sample3.tst
-	cmp $(srcdir)/sample1.bz2 sample1.rb2
-	cmp $(srcdir)/sample2.bz2 sample2.rb2
-	cmp $(srcdir)/sample3.bz2 sample3.rb2
-	cmp sample1.tst $(srcdir)/sample1.ref
-	cmp sample2.tst $(srcdir)/sample2.ref
-	cmp sample3.tst $(srcdir)/sample3.ref
-	@cat $(srcdir)/words3
+	@cat $(top_srcdir)/tests/words1
+	@mkdir $(top_builddir)/tests/
+	./bzip2 -1  <$(top_srcdir)/tests/sample1.ref >$(top_builddir)/tests/sample1.rb2
+	./bzip2 -2  <$(top_srcdir)/tests/sample2.ref >$(top_builddir)/tests/sample2.rb2
+	./bzip2 -3  <$(top_srcdir)/tests/sample3.ref >$(top_builddir)/tests/sample3.rb2
+	./bzip2 -d  <$(top_srcdir)/tests/sample1.bz2 >$(top_builddir)/tests/sample1.tst
+	./bzip2 -d  <$(top_srcdir)/tests/sample2.bz2 >$(top_builddir)/tests/sample2.tst
+	./bzip2 -ds <$(top_srcdir)/tests/sample3.bz2 >$(top_builddir)/tests/sample3.tst
+	cmp $(top_srcdir)/tests/sample1.bz2 $(top_builddir)/tests/sample1.rb2
+	cmp $(top_srcdir)/tests/sample2.bz2 $(top_builddir)/tests/sample2.rb2
+	cmp $(top_srcdir)/tests/sample3.bz2 $(top_builddir)/tests/sample3.rb2
+	cmp $(top_builddir)/tests/sample1.tst $(top_srcdir)/tests/sample1.ref
+	cmp $(top_builddir)/tests/sample2.tst $(top_srcdir)/tests/sample2.ref
+	cmp $(top_builddir)/tests/sample3.tst $(top_srcdir)/tests/sample3.ref
+	@cat $(top_srcdir)/tests/words3
 
 manual: $(srcdir)/manual.html $(srcdir)/manual.ps $(srcdir)/manual.pdf
 
@@ -100,8 +101,8 @@ manual.html: $(MANUAL_SRCS)
 EXTRA_DIST = \
 	$(bin_SCRIPTS) \
 	$(man_MANS) \
-	README.autotools \
 	README.XML.STUFF \
+	README.autotools \
 	bz-common.xsl \
 	bz-fo.xsl \
 	bz-html.xsl \
@@ -123,16 +124,17 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	meson.build \
 	meson_options.txt \
 	mk251.c \
-	sample1.bz2 \
-	sample1.ref \
-	sample2.bz2 \
-	sample2.ref \
-	sample3.bz2 \
-	sample3.ref \
 	spewG.c \
+	tests/meson.build
+	tests/sample1.bz2 \
+	tests/sample1.ref \
+	tests/sample2.bz2 \
+	tests/sample2.ref \
+	tests/sample3.bz2 \
+	tests/sample3.ref \
+	tests/words0 \
+	tests/words1 \
+	tests/words2 \
+	tests/words3 \
 	unzcrash.c \
-	words0 \
-	words1 \
-	words2 \
-	words3 \
 	xmlproc.sh
diff --git a/makefile.msc b/makefile.msc
index 799a18a..e58b016 100644
--- a/makefile.msc
+++ b/makefile.msc
@@ -25,24 +25,24 @@ lib: $(OBJS)
 
 test: bzip2
 	type words1
-	.\\bzip2 -1  < sample1.ref > sample1.rb2
-	.\\bzip2 -2  < sample2.ref > sample2.rb2
-	.\\bzip2 -3  < sample3.ref > sample3.rb2
-	.\\bzip2 -d  < sample1.bz2 > sample1.tst
-	.\\bzip2 -d  < sample2.bz2 > sample2.tst
-	.\\bzip2 -ds < sample3.bz2 > sample3.tst
+	.\\bzip2 -1  < tests\sample1.ref > sample1.rb2
+	.\\bzip2 -2  < tests\sample2.ref > sample2.rb2
+	.\\bzip2 -3  < tests\sample3.ref > sample3.rb2
+	.\\bzip2 -d  < tests\sample1.bz2 > sample1.tst
+	.\\bzip2 -d  < tests\sample2.bz2 > sample2.tst
+	.\\bzip2 -ds < tests\sample3.bz2 > sample3.tst
 	@echo All six of the fc's should find no differences.
 	@echo If fc finds an error on sample3.bz2, this could be
 	@echo because WinZip's 'TAR file smart CR/LF conversion'
 	@echo is too clever for its own good.  Disable this option.
 	@echo The correct size for sample3.ref is 120,244.  If it
 	@echo is 150,251, WinZip has messed it up.
-	fc sample1.bz2 sample1.rb2 
-	fc sample2.bz2 sample2.rb2
-	fc sample3.bz2 sample3.rb2
-	fc sample1.tst sample1.ref
-	fc sample2.tst sample2.ref
-	fc sample3.tst sample3.ref
+	fc tests\sample1.bz2 sample1.rb2 
+	fc tests\sample2.bz2 sample2.rb2
+	fc tests\sample3.bz2 sample3.rb2
+	fc tests\sample1.tst sample1.ref
+	fc tests\sample2.tst sample2.ref
+	fc tests\sample3.tst sample3.ref
 
 
 
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ clean:
 	del libbz2.lib 
 	del bzip2.exe
 	del bzip2recover.exe
-	del sample1.rb2 
-	del sample2.rb2 
-	del sample3.rb2
-	del sample1.tst 
-	del sample2.tst
-	del sample3.tst
+	del tests\sample1.rb2 
+	del tests\sample2.rb2 
+	del tests\sample3.rb2
+	del tests\sample1.tst 
+	del tests\sample2.tst
+	del tests\sample3.tst
 
 .c.obj: 
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $*.c -o $*.obj
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 8adc1d8..4ef543a 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -104,26 +104,4 @@ if docs and prog_sh.found()
   endforeach
 endif
 
-# Unit tests
-prog_python = import('python').find_installation('python3')
-# Tuple in the form (args, input, expected)
-foreach t : [['-1', 'sample1.ref', 'sample1.bz2'],
-             ['-2', 'sample2.ref', 'sample2.bz2'],
-             ['-3', 'sample3.ref', 'sample3.bz2']]
-  test(
-    t[1],
-    prog_python,
-    args : [files('runtest.py'), '--mode', 'compress', bzip2, t[0], files(t[1]), files(t[2])],
-  )
-endforeach
-
-# Tuple in the form (args, input)
-foreach t : [['-1', 'sample1.ref'],
-             ['-2', 'sample2.ref'],
-             ['-3', 'sample3.ref']]
-  test(
-    t[1],
-    prog_python,
-    args : [files('runtest.py'), '--mode', 'decompress', bzip2, t[0], files(t[1])],
-  )
-endforeach
\ No newline at end of file
+subdir('tests')
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2cb8941
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+prog_python = import('python').find_installation('python3')
+
+# Tuple in the form (args, input, expected)
+foreach t : [['-1', 'sample1.ref', 'sample1.bz2'],
+             ['-2', 'sample2.ref', 'sample2.bz2'],
+             ['-3', 'sample3.ref', 'sample3.bz2']]
+  test(
+    t[1],
+    prog_python,
+    args : [files('runtest.py'), '--mode', 'compress', bzip2, t[0], files(t[1]), files(t[2])],
+  )
+endforeach
+
+# Tuple in the form (args, input)
+foreach t : [['-1', 'sample1.ref'],
+             ['-2', 'sample2.ref'],
+             ['-3', 'sample3.ref']]
+  test(
+    t[1],
+    prog_python,
+    args : [files('runtest.py'), '--mode', 'decompress', bzip2, t[0], files(t[1])],
+  )
+endforeach
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/runtest.py b/tests/runtest.py
similarity index 100%
rename from runtest.py
rename to tests/runtest.py
diff --git a/sample1.bz2 b/tests/sample1.bz2
similarity index 100%
rename from sample1.bz2
rename to tests/sample1.bz2
diff --git a/sample1.ref b/tests/sample1.ref
similarity index 100%
rename from sample1.ref
rename to tests/sample1.ref
diff --git a/sample2.bz2 b/tests/sample2.bz2
similarity index 100%
rename from sample2.bz2
rename to tests/sample2.bz2
diff --git a/sample2.ref b/tests/sample2.ref
similarity index 100%
rename from sample2.ref
rename to tests/sample2.ref
diff --git a/sample3.bz2 b/tests/sample3.bz2
similarity index 100%
rename from sample3.bz2
rename to tests/sample3.bz2
diff --git a/sample3.ref b/tests/sample3.ref
similarity index 100%
rename from sample3.ref
rename to tests/sample3.ref
diff --git a/words0 b/tests/words0
similarity index 100%
rename from words0
rename to tests/words0
diff --git a/words1 b/tests/words1
similarity index 100%
rename from words1
rename to tests/words1
diff --git a/words2 b/tests/words2
similarity index 100%
rename from words2
rename to tests/words2
diff --git a/words3 b/tests/words3
similarity index 100%
rename from words3
rename to tests/words3