diff --git a/test/README b/test/README
index 17dffa0e7f..9094d9a38d 100644
--- a/test/README
+++ b/test/README
@@ -151,3 +151,7 @@ works fine and can be used in place of:
 
 The former produces a more meaningful message on failure than the latter.
 
+Note that the test infrastructure automatically sets up all required environment
+variables (such as OPENSSL_MODULES, OPENSSL_CONF etc) for the tests. Individual
+tests may choose to override the default settings as required.
+
diff --git a/test/recipes/03-test_fipsinstall.t b/test/recipes/03-test_fipsinstall.t
index b35ddfc7b0..16ae955663 100644
--- a/test/recipes/03-test_fipsinstall.t
+++ b/test/recipes/03-test_fipsinstall.t
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ plan skip_all => "Test only supported in a fips build" if disabled("fips");
 plan tests => 12;
 
 my $infile = bldtop_file('providers', platform->dso('fips'));
-$ENV{OPENSSL_MODULES} = bldtop_dir("providers");
 
 # fail if no module name
 ok(!run(app(['openssl', 'fipsinstall', '-out', 'fips.cnf', '-module',
diff --git a/test/recipes/30-test_afalg.t b/test/recipes/30-test_afalg.t
index 363f4d4c0b..98ffc9908c 100644
--- a/test/recipes/30-test_afalg.t
+++ b/test/recipes/30-test_afalg.t
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html
 
 use strict;
-use OpenSSL::Test qw/:DEFAULT bldtop_dir/;
+use OpenSSL::Test qw/:DEFAULT/;
 use OpenSSL::Test::Utils;
 
 my $test_name = "test_afalg";
@@ -18,6 +18,4 @@ plan skip_all => "$test_name not supported for this build"
 
 plan tests => 1;
 
-$ENV{OPENSSL_ENGINES} = bldtop_dir("engines");
-
 ok(run(test(["afalgtest"])), "running afalgtest");
diff --git a/test/recipes/30-test_evp.t b/test/recipes/30-test_evp.t
index 88eb41e1c1..5f7585cc79 100644
--- a/test/recipes/30-test_evp.t
+++ b/test/recipes/30-test_evp.t
@@ -80,8 +80,6 @@ plan tests =>
 
 unless ($no_fips) {
     my $infile = bldtop_file('providers', platform->dso('fips'));
-    $ENV{OPENSSL_MODULES} = bldtop_dir("providers");
-    $ENV{OPENSSL_CONF_INCLUDE} = bldtop_dir("providers");
 
     ok(run(app(['openssl', 'fipsinstall',
                 '-out', bldtop_file('providers', 'fipsmodule.cnf'),
diff --git a/test/recipes/30-test_evp_fetch_prov.t b/test/recipes/30-test_evp_fetch_prov.t
index be06716b44..a49a66fee6 100644
--- a/test/recipes/30-test_evp_fetch_prov.t
+++ b/test/recipes/30-test_evp_fetch_prov.t
@@ -24,9 +24,6 @@ my $no_fips = disabled('fips') || ($ENV{NO_FIPS} // 0);
 
 my @types = ( "digest", "cipher" );
 
-$ENV{OPENSSL_MODULES} = bldtop_dir("providers");
-$ENV{OPENSSL_CONF_INCLUDE} = bldtop_dir("providers");
-
 my @setups = ();
 my @testdata = (
     { config    => srctop_file("test", "default.cnf"),
diff --git a/test/recipes/70-test_comp.t b/test/recipes/70-test_comp.t
index 4a00652c93..2ac168c252 100644
--- a/test/recipes/70-test_comp.t
+++ b/test/recipes/70-test_comp.t
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ plan skip_all => "$test_name needs TLSv1.3 or TLSv1.2 enabled"
     if disabled("tls1_3") && disabled("tls1_2");
 
 $ENV{OPENSSL_ia32cap} = '~0x200000200000000';
-$ENV{CTLOG_FILE} = srctop_file("test", "ct", "log_list.cnf");
 
 use constant {
     MULTIPLE_COMPRESSIONS => 0,
diff --git a/test/recipes/70-test_sslmessages.t b/test/recipes/70-test_sslmessages.t
index b90eae57d4..3f57af62d5 100644
--- a/test/recipes/70-test_sslmessages.t
+++ b/test/recipes/70-test_sslmessages.t
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ plan skip_all => "$test_name needs TLS enabled"
        || (!disabled("tls1_3") && disabled("tls1_2"));
 
 $ENV{OPENSSL_ia32cap} = '~0x200000200000000';
-$ENV{CTLOG_FILE} = srctop_file("test", "ct", "log_list.cnf");
 
 my $proxy = TLSProxy::Proxy->new(
     undef,
diff --git a/test/recipes/70-test_tls13kexmodes.t b/test/recipes/70-test_tls13kexmodes.t
index 2751a3f174..6648376c0c 100644
--- a/test/recipes/70-test_tls13kexmodes.t
+++ b/test/recipes/70-test_tls13kexmodes.t
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ plan skip_all => "$test_name needs EC enabled"
     if disabled("ec");
 
 $ENV{OPENSSL_ia32cap} = '~0x200000200000000';
-$ENV{CTLOG_FILE} = srctop_file("test", "ct", "log_list.cnf");
 
 
 @handmessages = (
diff --git a/test/recipes/70-test_tls13messages.t b/test/recipes/70-test_tls13messages.t
index 21fd6f2894..3113294f06 100644
--- a/test/recipes/70-test_tls13messages.t
+++ b/test/recipes/70-test_tls13messages.t
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ plan skip_all => "$test_name needs EC enabled"
     if disabled("ec");
 
 $ENV{OPENSSL_ia32cap} = '~0x200000200000000';
-$ENV{CTLOG_FILE} = srctop_file("test", "ct", "log_list.cnf");
-
 
 @handmessages = (
     [TLSProxy::Message::MT_CLIENT_HELLO,
diff --git a/test/recipes/70-test_tls13psk.t b/test/recipes/70-test_tls13psk.t
index f20150f623..66582b7d8e 100644
--- a/test/recipes/70-test_tls13psk.t
+++ b/test/recipes/70-test_tls13psk.t
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ plan skip_all => "$test_name needs TLSv1.3 enabled"
     if disabled("tls1_3");
 
 $ENV{OPENSSL_ia32cap} = '~0x200000200000000';
-$ENV{CTLOG_FILE} = srctop_file("test", "ct", "log_list.cnf");
 
 my $proxy = TLSProxy::Proxy->new(
     undef,
diff --git a/test/recipes/80-test_ct.t b/test/recipes/80-test_ct.t
index 8350467f7e..33cb71583b 100644
--- a/test/recipes/80-test_ct.t
+++ b/test/recipes/80-test_ct.t
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use OpenSSL::Test qw/:DEFAULT srctop_file srctop_dir/;
 use OpenSSL::Test::Simple;
 
 setup("test_ct");
-$ENV{CTLOG_FILE} = srctop_file("test", "ct", "log_list.cnf");
+
 $ENV{CT_DIR} = srctop_dir("test", "ct");
 $ENV{CERTS_DIR} = srctop_dir("test", "certs");
 simple_test("test_ct", "ct_test", "ct", "ec");
diff --git a/test/recipes/80-test_ssl_new.t b/test/recipes/80-test_ssl_new.t
index 8a26119f86..f105a39ce0 100644
--- a/test/recipes/80-test_ssl_new.t
+++ b/test/recipes/80-test_ssl_new.t
@@ -26,10 +26,7 @@ use platform;
 
 my $no_fips = disabled('fips') || ($ENV{NO_FIPS} // 0);
 
-$ENV{OPENSSL_MODULES} = bldtop_dir("providers");
-$ENV{OPENSSL_CONF_INCLUDE} = bldtop_dir("providers");
 $ENV{TEST_CERTS_DIR} = srctop_dir("test", "certs");
-$ENV{CTLOG_FILE} = srctop_file("test", "ct", "log_list.cnf");
 
 my @conf_srcs =  glob(srctop_file("test", "ssl-tests", "*.cnf.in"));
 map { s/;.*// } @conf_srcs if $^O eq "VMS";
diff --git a/test/recipes/80-test_ssl_old.t b/test/recipes/80-test_ssl_old.t
index 42963c364a..e01137d593 100644
--- a/test/recipes/80-test_ssl_old.t
+++ b/test/recipes/80-test_ssl_old.t
@@ -24,10 +24,6 @@ use lib srctop_dir('Configurations');
 use lib bldtop_dir('.');
 use platform;
 
-$ENV{CTLOG_FILE} = srctop_file("test", "ct", "log_list.cnf");
-$ENV{OPENSSL_MODULES} = bldtop_dir("providers");
-$ENV{OPENSSL_CONF_INCLUDE} = bldtop_dir("providers");
-
 my $no_fips = disabled('fips') || ($ENV{NO_FIPS} // 0);
 my ($no_rsa, $no_dsa, $no_dh, $no_ec, $no_psk,
     $no_ssl3, $no_tls1, $no_tls1_1, $no_tls1_2, $no_tls1_3,
diff --git a/test/recipes/90-test_includes.t b/test/recipes/90-test_includes.t
index 301f6c1560..add3813a64 100644
--- a/test/recipes/90-test_includes.t
+++ b/test/recipes/90-test_includes.t
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ setup("test_includes");
 plan skip_all => "test_includes doesn't work without posix-io"
     if disabled("posix-io");
 
+delete $ENV{OPENSSL_CONF_INCLUDE};
+
 plan tests =>                   # The number of tests being performed
     5
     + ($^O eq "VMS" ? 2 : 0);
diff --git a/test/recipes/90-test_sslapi.t b/test/recipes/90-test_sslapi.t
index b89b783805..e25ca0ba3e 100644
--- a/test/recipes/90-test_sslapi.t
+++ b/test/recipes/90-test_sslapi.t
@@ -30,9 +30,6 @@ plan tests =>
 
 (undef, my $tmpfilename) = tempfile();
 
-$ENV{OPENSSL_MODULES} = bldtop_dir("providers");
-$ENV{OPENSSL_CONF_INCLUDE} = bldtop_dir("providers");
-
 ok(run(test(["sslapitest", srctop_dir("test", "certs"),
              srctop_file("test", "recipes", "90-test_sslapi_data",
                          "passwd.txt"), $tmpfilename, "default",
diff --git a/test/recipes/90-test_sslprovider.t b/test/recipes/90-test_sslprovider.t
index 793756bc6d..1a2a28557e 100644
--- a/test/recipes/90-test_sslprovider.t
+++ b/test/recipes/90-test_sslprovider.t
@@ -23,9 +23,6 @@ plan skip_all => "No TLS/SSL protocols are supported by this OpenSSL build"
 
 plan tests => 3;
 
-$ENV{OPENSSL_MODULES} = bldtop_dir("providers");
-$ENV{OPENSSL_CONF_INCLUDE} = bldtop_dir("providers");
-
 SKIP: {
     skip "Skipping FIPS installation", 1
         if disabled("fips");
diff --git a/test/run_tests.pl b/test/run_tests.pl
index bb91761563..0ed768ed41 100644
--- a/test/run_tests.pl
+++ b/test/run_tests.pl
@@ -27,7 +27,11 @@ my $bldtop = $ENV{BLDTOP} || $ENV{TOP};
 my $recipesdir = catdir($srctop, "test", "recipes");
 my $libdir = rel2abs(catdir($srctop, "util", "perl"));
 
-$ENV{OPENSSL_CONF} = catdir($srctop, "apps", "openssl.cnf");
+$ENV{OPENSSL_CONF} = rel2abs(catdir($srctop, "apps", "openssl.cnf"));
+$ENV{OPENSSL_CONF_INCLUDE} = rel2abs(catdir($bldtop, "providers"));
+$ENV{OPENSSL_MODULES} = rel2abs(catdir($bldtop, "providers"));
+$ENV{OPENSSL_ENGINES} = rel2abs(catdir($bldtop, "engines"));
+$ENV{CTLOG_FILE} = rel2abs(catdir($srctop, "test", "ct", "log_list.cnf"));
 
 my %tapargs =
     ( verbosity         => $ENV{HARNESS_VERBOSE} ? 1 : 0,