diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 38667be..27d1f8d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
 		 helper/test/Makefile
 		 pkgconfig/libodp.pc
 		 platform/linux-generic/Makefile
+		 platform/linux-generic/test/pktio/Makefile
 		 test/Makefile
 		 test/api_test/Makefile
 		 test/performance/Makefile
diff --git a/platform/linux-generic/test/.gitignore b/platform/linux-generic/test/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e563b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/linux-generic/test/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+*.log
+*.trs
diff --git a/platform/linux-generic/test/Makefile.am b/platform/linux-generic/test/Makefile.am
index 91e361c..8c5a386 100644
--- a/platform/linux-generic/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/platform/linux-generic/test/Makefile.am
@@ -1 +1,7 @@
-dist_bin_SCRIPTS = $(srcdir)/pktio_env
+
+if test_vald
+TESTS = pktio/pktio_run
+endif
+
+ODP_MODULES = pktio
+SUBDIRS = $(ODP_MODULES)
diff --git a/platform/linux-generic/test/pktio/.gitignore b/platform/linux-generic/test/pktio/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e563b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/linux-generic/test/pktio/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+*.log
+*.trs
diff --git a/platform/linux-generic/test/pktio/Makefile.am b/platform/linux-generic/test/pktio/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93281dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/linux-generic/test/pktio/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+dist_bin_SCRIPTS = pktio_env \
+		   pktio_run
diff --git a/platform/linux-generic/test/pktio_env b/platform/linux-generic/test/pktio/pktio_env
similarity index 100%
rename from platform/linux-generic/test/pktio_env
rename to platform/linux-generic/test/pktio/pktio_env
diff --git a/test/validation/pktio/pktio_run b/platform/linux-generic/test/pktio/pktio_run
similarity index 54%
rename from test/validation/pktio/pktio_run
rename to platform/linux-generic/test/pktio/pktio_run
index aed0cd2..a29a03e 100755
--- a/test/validation/pktio/pktio_run
+++ b/platform/linux-generic/test/pktio/pktio_run
@@ -6,22 +6,11 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier:	BSD-3-Clause
 #
 
-# TEST_DIR is set by Makefile to point to the directory where binaries have been
-# built (Makefile variable builddir)
-# If TEST_DIR is not set it means we are not running with make, and in this case
-# there are two situations:
-# 1. user build ODP in the same dir as the source (most likely)
-#    here the user can simply call pktio_run
-# 2. user may have built ODP in a separate build dir (like bitbake usually does)
-#    here the user has to do something like $ODP/test/validation/pktio_run
-#
-# In both situations the script assumes that the user is in the directory where
-# pktio_main exists. If that's not true, then the user has to specify the path
-# to it and run:
-# TEST_DIR=$builddir $ODP/test/validation/pktio_run
+# directories where platform agnostic test binary can be found:
+PATH=$PATH:.	#when script and pktio_main are in same dir, e.g. after make install
+PATH=$PATH:../../../test/validation/pktio	#when running make check
+PATH=$PATH:../../../../test/validation/pktio	#when running localy
 
-# directory where test binaries have been built
-TEST_DIR="${TEST_DIR:-$PWD}"
 # directory where test sources are, including scripts
 TEST_SRC_DIR=$(dirname $0)
 
@@ -33,12 +22,8 @@ TEST_SKIPPED=77
 # Use installed pktio env or for make check take it from platform directory
 if [ -f "./pktio_env" ]; then
 	. ./pktio_env
-elif  [ "$ODP_PLATFORM" = "" ]; then
-	echo "$0: error: ODP_PLATFORM must be defined"
-	# not skipped as this should never happen via "make check"
-	exit 1
-elif [ -f ${TEST_SRC_DIR}/../../../platform/$ODP_PLATFORM/test/pktio_env ]; then
-	. ${TEST_SRC_DIR}/../../../platform/$ODP_PLATFORM/test/pktio_env
+elif [ -f ${TEST_SRC_DIR}/pktio_env ]; then
+	. ${TEST_SRC_DIR}/pktio_env
 else
 	echo "BUG: unable to find pktio_env!"
 	echo "pktio_env has to be in current directory or in platform/\$ODP_PLATFORM/test."
@@ -61,7 +46,7 @@ run_test()
 		if [ "$disabletype" != "SKIP" ]; then
 			export ODP_PKTIO_DISABLE_SOCKET_${distype}=y
 		fi
-		${TEST_DIR}/pktio/pktio_main
+		pktio_main
 		if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
 			ret=1
 		fi
@@ -76,9 +61,10 @@ run_test()
 
 run()
 {
-	if [ "$ODP_PLATFORM" != "linux-generic" -o "$(id -u)" != "0" ]; then
+	#need to be root to set the interface: if not, run with default loopback.
+	if [ "$(id -u)" != "0" ]; then
 		echo "pktio: using 'loop' device"
-		${TEST_DIR}/pktio/pktio_main
+		pktio_main
 		exit $?
 	fi
 
diff --git a/test/performance/odp_l2fwd_run b/test/performance/odp_l2fwd_run
index bbf0c0c..120da21 100755
--- a/test/performance/odp_l2fwd_run
+++ b/test/performance/odp_l2fwd_run
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ elif  [ "$ODP_PLATFORM" = "" ]; then
 	echo "$0: error: ODP_PLATFORM must be defined"
 	# not skipped as this should never happen via "make check"
 	exit 1
-elif [ -f ${TEST_SRC_DIR}/../../platform/$ODP_PLATFORM/test/pktio_env ]; then
-	. ${TEST_SRC_DIR}/../../platform/$ODP_PLATFORM/test/pktio_env
+elif [ -f ${TEST_SRC_DIR}/../../platform/$ODP_PLATFORM/test/pktio/pktio_env ]; then
+	. ${TEST_SRC_DIR}/../../platform/$ODP_PLATFORM/test/pktio/pktio_env
 else
 	echo "BUG: unable to find pktio_env!"
 	echo "pktio_env has to be in current directory or in platform/\$ODP_PLATFORM/test."
diff --git a/test/validation/Makefile.am b/test/validation/Makefile.am
index 74304f5..0c69636 100644
--- a/test/validation/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/validation/Makefile.am
@@ -25,10 +25,8 @@ EXECUTABLES = odp_buffer \
 	      odp_thread \
 	      odp_ver_abt_log_dbg
 
-TESTSCRIPTS = pktio/pktio_run
-
 if test_vald
-TESTS = $(EXECUTABLES) $(TESTSCRIPTS)
+TESTS = $(EXECUTABLES)
 endif
 
 bin_PROGRAMS = $(EXECUTABLES) $(COMPILE_ONLY)
diff --git a/test/validation/pktio/Makefile.am b/test/validation/pktio/Makefile.am
index c2ecc23..1d1a0d9 100644
--- a/test/validation/pktio/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/validation/pktio/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 include ../Makefile.inc
 
-dist_bin_SCRIPTS = pktio_run
-
 noinst_LIBRARIES = libpktio.a
 libpktio_a_SOURCES = pktio.c
 
