diff --git a/test/litest.c b/test/litest.c
index fc92cdc3..608c7ca5 100644
--- a/test/litest.c
+++ b/test/litest.c
@@ -2129,7 +2129,7 @@ litest_create(enum litest_device_type which,
 }
 
 struct libinput *
-litest_create_context(void)
+litest_create_context_with_plugindir(const char *plugindir)
 {
 	struct libinput *libinput;
 	struct litest_context *ctx;
@@ -2144,11 +2144,22 @@ litest_create_context(void)
 	if (verbose)
 		libinput_log_set_priority(libinput, LIBINPUT_LOG_PRIORITY_DEBUG);
 
-	libinput_plugin_system_load_plugins(libinput, LIBINPUT_PLUGIN_FLAG_NONE);
+	if (plugindir)
+		libinput_plugin_system_append_path(libinput, plugindir);
 
 	return libinput;
 }
 
+struct libinput *
+litest_create_context(void)
+{
+	struct libinput *li = litest_create_context_with_plugindir(NULL);
+
+	libinput_plugin_system_load_plugins(li, LIBINPUT_PLUGIN_FLAG_NONE);
+
+	return li;
+}
+
 void
 litest_destroy_context(struct libinput *li)
 {
diff --git a/test/litest.h b/test/litest.h
index f70226d6..68512f65 100644
--- a/test/litest.h
+++ b/test/litest.h
@@ -656,6 +656,12 @@ litest_axis_set_value(struct axis_replacement *axes, int code, double value)
 
 struct libinput *
 litest_create_context(void);
+
+/* Adds the given plugin dir to the context but does *not* initialize
+ * the plugins */
+struct libinput *
+litest_create_context_with_plugindir(const char *plugindir);
+
 void
 litest_destroy_context(struct libinput *li);
 DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC(struct libinput *, litest_destroy_context);