diff --git a/make/bin.mk b/make/bin.mk
index 863cb660..98dd572d 100644
--- a/make/bin.mk
+++ b/make/bin.mk
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 
 include $(JWBDIR)/make/defs.mk
 
+all:
 all install:
 clean distclean:
 	$(RM) -rf $(filter-out $(LOCAL_MKFILES) CVS debug release,$(wildcard *))
-test:
+test: all
diff --git a/make/cleandirs.mk b/make/cleandirs.mk
index d455e3be..3db66e30 100644
--- a/make/cleandirs.mk
+++ b/make/cleandirs.mk
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ all: do.all
 install: do.install
 clean: do.clean
 distclean: do.distclean
+test:
 
 include $(JWBDIR)/make/defs.mk
 include $(JWBDIR)/make/defs-dirs.mk
diff --git a/make/conf.mk b/make/conf.mk
index e5158821..651ceb76 100644
--- a/make/conf.mk
+++ b/make/conf.mk
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ all:
 clean: clean.conf
 install: install_CFG install_files_SYSCFG install_files_LOGROT install_files_CRONTAB install_files_RSYSLOG \
 	install_files_APACHE_CONF install_files_SYSTEMD install_files_INIT install_files_TMPFILES $(CONF_D)
-test:
+test: all
 
 clean.conf:
 	$(RM) -rf *~ .*.swp *.done
diff --git a/make/dummy-topdir.mk b/make/dummy-topdir.mk
index ad6b6c0e..8d9c1f41 100644
--- a/make/dummy-topdir.mk
+++ b/make/dummy-topdir.mk
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ install:
 clean:
 distclean:
 check:
-test:
+test: all
 get-%:
 pkg-%:
diff --git a/make/exe.mk b/make/exe.mk
index 1062b086..94d4e1be 100644
--- a/make/exe.mk
+++ b/make/exe.mk
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ include $(JWBDIR)/make/dev-utils.mk
 
 all: $(EXE) $(BUILD_EXE_BIN) $(STRIP_DONE)
 install: $(INSTALLED_EXE) $(INSTALLED_EXE_BIN)
-run test: all.dirs $(EXE) $(EXE_BIN)
+run test: all all.dirs $(EXE) $(EXE_BIN)
 strace: $(EXE) $(EXE_BIN)
 
 clean: execlean localclean profclean
diff --git a/make/gettext.mk b/make/gettext.mk
index dac41d44..d33bd81f 100644
--- a/make/gettext.mk
+++ b/make/gettext.mk
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ clean: clean-mo
 	$(RM) -rf *~ .*.swp
 install: install_MO
 distclean: clean
-test:
+test: all
 
 extract: $(GETTEXT_POT)
 clean-mo:
diff --git a/make/htdocs.mk b/make/htdocs.mk
index caa47093..e6616497 100644
--- a/make/htdocs.mk
+++ b/make/htdocs.mk
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ include $(JWBDIR)/make/dev-utils.mk
 all: $(LESS_GENERATED_CSS) lint
 install: install_HTML
 clean: textclean localclean doneclean clean.lesscpy
-test:
+test: all
 
 %.css: %.less
 	$(LESS_CPY) $< > $@.tmp
diff --git a/make/make.mk b/make/make.mk
index d71e0a23..f350d46b 100644
--- a/make/make.mk
+++ b/make/make.mk
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ all: build_PKG_CONFIG
 endif
 install: $(DEVEL_TARGETS)
 clean: textclean localclean doneclean clean.pkg-config
-test:
+test: all
 
 $(INSTALL_PCKG_DEPS_DIR)/$(PROJECT).mk: pckg-deps.mk
 	mkdir -p $(dir $@)
diff --git a/make/profile.mk b/make/profile.mk
index 70e22a01..e21681f5 100644
--- a/make/profile.mk
+++ b/make/profile.mk
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ include $(JWBDIR)/make/rules.mk
 all: $(PROFILE)
 install: install_files_PROFILE
 clean: allclean localclean doneclean textclean clean.profile
-test:
+test: all
 
 path-%.sh:
 	@echo "export PATH=\$$PATH:$(INSTALL_EXEDIR)" > $@.tmp
diff --git a/make/py-run.mk b/make/py-run.mk
index 5c7bfe1f..43c210ed 100644
--- a/make/py-run.mk
+++ b/make/py-run.mk
@@ -5,15 +5,16 @@ include $(JWBDIR)/make/py-defs.mk
 
 EXE                         ?= $(firstword $(wildcard main.py runme.py test.py *.py))
 EXE_ARGS                    ?=
+PYTHON_RUNNER               ?= $(PYTHON)
 
 all:
 install:
 clean:
 distclean:
-test:
+test: all
 
 run:
-	$(PYTHON) $(EXE) $(EXE_ARGS)
+	$(PYTHON_RUNNER) $(EXE) $(EXE_ARGS)
 
 run.sh:
 	echo -e "#!/bin/bash\n\nexport PYTHONPATH=$(PYTHONPATH)\nset -x\nexec $(PYTHON) $(EXE)" '"$$@"' > $@.tmp
diff --git a/make/py-test.mk b/make/py-test.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..69634d8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/make/py-test.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+PY_CONFTEST                 ?= conftest.py
+PY_UPDATE_PY_CONFTEST       ?= true
+ifeq ($(PY_UPDATE_PY_CONFTEST),true)
+  PY_GENERATED              += $(PY_CONFTEST)
+endif
+
+PY_CONFTEST_CMD             ?= /bin/bash $(JWB_SCRIPT_DIR)/python-tools.sh create-conftest-py
+PY_TEST_ARGS                ?= -v
+PYTHON_RUNNER               := pytest $(PY_TEST_ARGS)
+
+include $(JWBDIR)/make/py-run.mk
+
+all:
+test: run
+run: $(PY_GENERATED)
+
+$(PY_CONFTEST):
+	$(PY_CONFTEST_CMD) > $@.tmp
+	mv $@.tmp $@
+
+clean: clean.generated
+clean.generated:
+	rm -f $(PY_GENERATED)
diff --git a/make/run.mk b/make/run.mk
index 5efffd73..95fd8b91 100644
--- a/make/run.mk
+++ b/make/run.mk
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ all:
 install:
 clean: runclean localclean
 distclean:
+test: all
 
 run-deps: all
 	$(RM) -f core core.* vgcore vgcore.*
diff --git a/make/scripts-targets.mk b/make/scripts-targets.mk
index 243aca2e..4b0a35d8 100644
--- a/make/scripts-targets.mk
+++ b/make/scripts-targets.mk
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 all: build_EXE build_CGI
 install: install_files_INIT install_EXE install_files_CGI install_files_SYSCFG
 clean:allclean localclean doneclean textclean clean.init
-test:
+test: all
 
 ifeq ($(INSTALL_HOME_BIN_WRAPPERS),true)
 install: install-home-bin
diff --git a/make/std-targets.mk b/make/std-targets.mk
index 95511e96..9523e0e4 100644
--- a/make/std-targets.mk
+++ b/make/std-targets.mk
@@ -8,4 +8,4 @@ clean: clean.std-targets
 clean.std-targets:
 	$(RM) -rf *~ .*.swp *.done
 distclean: clean
-test:
+test: all
diff --git a/make/subdirs.mk b/make/subdirs.mk
index a30c2654..bde0bf6d 100644
--- a/make/subdirs.mk
+++ b/make/subdirs.mk
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ include $(JWBDIR)/make/defs-dirs.mk
 all:
 clean: clean.var
 distclean: clean.var distclean.var
+test:
 
 all install clean distclean test:
 ifneq ($(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE),)
diff --git a/make/test-exe.mk b/make/test-exe.mk
index 2c9a6e3e..d5dc7294 100644
--- a/make/test-exe.mk
+++ b/make/test-exe.mk
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ clean: execlean localclean profclean testclean
 distclean:
 run test: all.dirs $(EXE) $(EXE_BIN)
 strace: $(EXE) $(EXE_BIN)
-test: test.done
+test: all test.done
 
 test.done:
 	if ! 2>&1 make run > test.out 2>&1; then \
diff --git a/make/text.mk b/make/text.mk
index e4f6d9c1..2a14bfb7 100644
--- a/make/text.mk
+++ b/make/text.mk
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@ all:
 install:
 distclean: textclean localclean
 clean: textclean localclean
-test:
+test: all
diff --git a/make/tmpl.mk b/make/tmpl.mk
index 425e3da8..137aeb5c 100644
--- a/make/tmpl.mk
+++ b/make/tmpl.mk
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ include $(JWBDIR)/make/rules.mk
 all:
 install: install_TMPL
 clean: textclean localclean doneclean
-test:
+test: all
diff --git a/make/topdir.mk b/make/topdir.mk
index a4a4dd7f..238b5837 100644
--- a/make/topdir.mk
+++ b/make/topdir.mk
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 	FORCE \
 	all \
 	format \
+	canonicalize-remotes \
 	check-syntax \
 	check-format \
 	check \
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@
 	pkg-install-release-deps \
 	pkg-install-testbuild-deps \
 	recache-vars \
-	canonicalize-remotes
+	test
 
 ifeq ($(ORDERED_SUBDIRS),)
   SUBDIRS                   ?= $(dir $(wildcard $(addsuffix /Makefile,\
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ ifneq ($(SUBDIRS_TO_ITERATE),)
 endif
 
 all: topdir config
+test: all
 
 include $(JWBDIR)/make/dirs.mk
 include $(JWBDIR)/make/pkg-dist.mk
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ TD_COPY_FILES               ?= $(filter-out Makefile,$(notdir $(wildcard $(TD_CO
 TD_COPY_SRC_PATH             = $(subst :,$(space),$(JW_PKG_TOPDIR_COPY_PATH))
 TD_GENERATE_FILES           += $(TD_COPY_FILES)
 
-all:
+test: all
 format: topdir
 check-syntax: topdir
 check-format: topdir
diff --git a/scripts/python-tools.sh b/scripts/python-tools.sh
index 56950a0f..0b189d7b 100644
--- a/scripts/python-tools.sh
+++ b/scripts/python-tools.sh
@@ -32,6 +32,39 @@ module_path()
 	fi
 }
 
+cmd_create_conftest_py()
+{
+	cat <<-'EOT'
+	import os
+	import sys
+	import shutil
+
+	def pytest_configure(config):
+	    import _pytest.terminal
+	    import _pytest.timing as timing
+
+	    # orig = _pytest.terminal.TerminalReporter.pytest_sessionstart
+
+	    def patched(self, session):
+	        width = shutil.get_terminal_size().columns
+	        d = os.path.basename(os.getcwd())
+	        text = f"Running pytest for {d}"
+	        # Center text within terminal width, matching pytest footer style
+	        padding = width - len(text) - 2
+	        if padding > 0:
+	            left = padding // 2
+	            right = padding - left
+	            banner = "=" * left + f" {text} " + "=" * right
+	        else:
+	            banner = text
+	        print(banner, file = sys.stderr)
+	        self._session = session
+	        self._session_start = timing.Instant()
+
+	    _pytest.terminal.TerminalReporter.pytest_sessionstart = patched
+EOT
+}
+
 cmd_create_init()
 {
 	__add_seen() {