diff --git a/compositor/meson.build b/compositor/meson.build
index e1334d6a0..f17415bee 100644
--- a/compositor/meson.build
+++ b/compositor/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 srcs_weston = [
 	git_version_h,
 	'main.c',
+	'testsuite-util.c',
 	'text-backend.c',
 	'weston-screenshooter.c',
 	text_input_unstable_v1_server_protocol_h,
diff --git a/compositor/testsuite-util.c b/compositor/testsuite-util.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..34882d1fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compositor/testsuite-util.c
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2019 Collabora, Ltd.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
+ * a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+ * "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
+ * without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+ * distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to
+ * permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to
+ * the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice (including the
+ * next paragraph) shall be included in all copies or substantial
+ * portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
+ * EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+ * MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
+ * NONINFRINGEMENT.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS
+ * BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN
+ * ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN
+ * CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+ * SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <wayland-util.h>
+#include "weston.h"
+
+static struct wet_testsuite_data *wet_testsuite_data_global;
+
+/** Set global test suite data
+ *
+ * \param data Custom test suite data.
+ *
+ * The type struct wet_testsuite_data is free to be defined by any test suite
+ * in any way they want. This function stores a single pointer to that data
+ * in a global variable.
+ *
+ * The data is expected to be fetched from a test suite specific plugin that
+ * knows how to interpret it.
+ *
+ * \sa wet_testsuite_data_get
+ */
+WL_EXPORT void
+wet_testsuite_data_set(struct wet_testsuite_data *data)
+{
+	wet_testsuite_data_global = data;
+}
+
+/** Get global test suite data
+ *
+ * \return Custom test suite data.
+ *
+ * Returns the value last set with wet_testsuite_data_set().
+ */
+WL_EXPORT struct wet_testsuite_data *
+wet_testsuite_data_get(void)
+{
+	return wet_testsuite_data_global;
+}
diff --git a/compositor/weston.h b/compositor/weston.h
index 24a67370b..e09397f9b 100644
--- a/compositor/weston.h
+++ b/compositor/weston.h
@@ -98,6 +98,18 @@ text_backend_destroy(struct text_backend *text_backend);
 int
 wet_main(int argc, char *argv[]);
 
+
+/* test suite utilities */
+
+/** Opaque type for a test suite to define. */
+struct wet_testsuite_data;
+
+void
+wet_testsuite_data_set(struct wet_testsuite_data *data);
+
+struct wet_testsuite_data *
+wet_testsuite_data_get(void);
+
 #ifdef  __cplusplus
 }
 #endif