diff --git a/lib/utils/mu-test-utils.cc b/lib/utils/mu-test-utils.cc
index 694ddd0e..c6f728bc 100644
--- a/lib/utils/mu-test-utils.cc
+++ b/lib/utils/mu-test-utils.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-** Copyright (C) 2008-2022 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
+** Copyright (C) 2008-2023 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
 **
 ** This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
 ** under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@
 #include <langinfo.h>
 #include <locale.h>
 
+#include "utils/mu-utils.hh"
 #include "utils/mu-test-utils.hh"
+#include "utils/mu-utils-file.hh"
 #include "utils/mu-error.hh"
 
 
@@ -115,15 +117,29 @@ Mu::allow_warnings()
 
 
 
-Mu::TempDir::TempDir(bool autodelete): autodelete_{autodelete}
+Result<int>
+Mu::run_mu_command(const std::string& args)
 {
-	GError *err{};
-	gchar *tmpdir = g_dir_make_tmp("mu-tmp-XXXXXX", &err);
-	if (!tmpdir)
-		throw Mu::Error(Error::Code::File, &err,
-				"failed to create temporary directory");
+	auto cmdline{mu_format("/bin/sh -c '{} {}'", MU_PROGRAM, args)};
+	if (g_test_verbose())
+		mu_println("command-line: {}", cmdline);
+
+	GError *err{};
+	int wait_status{};
+	if (!g_spawn_command_line_sync(cmdline.c_str(), {}, {}, &wait_status, &err))
+		return Err(Error::Code::File, &err, "failed to execute command '{}", cmdline);
+	else
+		return Ok(WEXITSTATUS(wait_status));
+}
+
+
+Mu::TempDir::TempDir(bool autodelete): autodelete_{autodelete} {
+
+	if (auto res{make_temp_dir()}; !res)
+		throw res.error();
+	else
+		path_ = std::move(*res);
 
-	path_ = to_string_gchar(std::move(tmpdir));
 	mu_debug("created '{}'", path_);
 }
 
@@ -139,8 +155,9 @@ Mu::TempDir::~TempDir()
 
 	/* ugly */
 	GError *err{};
-	const auto cmd{fmt::format("/bin/rm -rf '{}'", path_)};
-	if (!g_spawn_command_line_sync(cmd.c_str(), NULL, NULL, NULL, &err)) {
+	const auto cmd{mu_format("/bin/rm -rf '{}'", path_)};
+	if (!g_spawn_command_line_sync(cmd.c_str(), NULL,
+				       NULL, NULL, &err)) {
 		mu_warning("error: {}", err ? err->message : "?");
 		g_clear_error(&err);
 	} else
diff --git a/lib/utils/mu-test-utils.hh b/lib/utils/mu-test-utils.hh
index 84743bd4..c1368da3 100644
--- a/lib/utils/mu-test-utils.hh
+++ b/lib/utils/mu-test-utils.hh
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <utils/mu-utils.hh>
+#include <utils/mu-result.hh>
 
 namespace Mu {
 
@@ -97,6 +98,18 @@ bool set_en_us_utf8_locale();
 void allow_warnings();
 
 
+
+/**
+ * Execute the in-tree mu executable with the arguments
+ * Asserts if fails.
+ *
+ * @param args arguments;;
+ *
+ * @return either the exit code or an error.
+ */
+Result<int> run_mu_command(const std::string& args);
+
+
 /**
  * For unit-tests, a RAII tempdir.
  *
diff --git a/lib/utils/mu-utils-file.cc b/lib/utils/mu-utils-file.cc
index 4922a789..82399ebb 100644
--- a/lib/utils/mu-utils-file.cc
+++ b/lib/utils/mu-utils-file.cc
@@ -147,6 +147,33 @@ Mu::canonicalize_filename(const std::string& path, const std::string& relative_t
 	return str;
 }
 
+Result<std::string>
+Mu::make_temp_dir()
+{
+	GError *err{};
+	if (auto tmpdir{g_dir_make_tmp("mu-tmp-XXXXXX", &err)}; !tmpdir)
+		return Err(Error::Code::File, &err,
+			   "failed to create temporary directory");
+	else
+		return Ok(to_string_gchar(std::move(tmpdir)));
+}
+
+
+Result<void>
+Mu::remove_directory(const std::string& path)
+{
+	/* ugly */
+	GError *err{};
+	const auto cmd{mu_format("/bin/rm -rf '{}'", path)};
+	if (!g_spawn_command_line_sync(cmd.c_str(), NULL,
+				       NULL, NULL, &err))
+		return Err(Error::Code::File, &err, "failed to remove {}", path);
+	else
+		return Ok();
+}
+
+
+
 
 std::string
 Mu::runtime_path(Mu::RuntimePath path, const std::string& muhome)
diff --git a/lib/utils/mu-utils-file.hh b/lib/utils/mu-utils-file.hh
index df70d892..c922a68c 100644
--- a/lib/utils/mu-utils-file.hh
+++ b/lib/utils/mu-utils-file.hh
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 #include <gio/gio.h>
 #include <utils/mu-option.hh>
+#include <utils/mu-result.hh>
 #include <utils/mu-regex.hh>
 
 namespace Mu {
@@ -136,8 +137,9 @@ enum struct RuntimePath {
  * @return the path name
  */
 std::string runtime_path(RuntimePath path, const std::string& muhome="");
+
 /**
- * Join  path components into a path (with '/')
+ * Join path components into a path (with '/')
  *
  * @param s a string-convertible value
  * @param args 0 or more string-convertible values
@@ -176,6 +178,23 @@ GCancellable* g_cancellable_new_with_timeout(guint timeout);
  */
 Result<std::string> read_from_stdin();
 
+/**
+ * Create a randomly-named temporary directory
+ *
+ * @return name of the temporary directory or an error.
+ */
+Result<std::string> make_temp_dir();
+
+
+/**
+ * Remove a directory, recursively. Does not have to be empty.
+ *
+ * @param path path to directory
+ *
+ * @return Ok() or an error.
+ */
+Result<void> remove_directory(const std::string& path);
+
 
 } // namespace Mu