diff --git a/lib/libcrypt/tests/Makefile b/lib/libcrypt/tests/Makefile
index 3190dbe9492e..8c818bdda230 100644
--- a/lib/libcrypt/tests/Makefile
+++ b/lib/libcrypt/tests/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # exercise libcrypt
 
-TESTS_C= crypt_tests
+ATF_TESTS_C= crypt_tests
 
 CFLAGS+= -I${.CURDIR:H}
 LDADD+= -L${.OBJDIR:H} -lcrypt
diff --git a/share/mk/atf.test.mk b/share/mk/atf.test.mk
index da4d12f1263f..85ddfa5a2c9a 100644
--- a/share/mk/atf.test.mk
+++ b/share/mk/atf.test.mk
@@ -1,49 +1,53 @@
-# $NetBSD$
 # $FreeBSD$
 #
+# Logic to build and install ATF test programs; i.e. test programs linked
+# against the ATF libraries.
 
 .include <bsd.init.mk>
 
-ATF_TESTS:=
+# List of C, C++ and shell test programs to build.
+#
+# Programs listed here are built using PROGS, PROGS_CXX and SCRIPTS,
+# respectively, from bsd.prog.mk.  However, the build rules are tweaked to
+# require the ATF libraries.
+#
+# Test programs registered in this manner are set to be installed into TESTSDIR
+# (which should be overriden by the Makefile) and are not required to provide a
+# manpage.
+ATF_TESTS_C?=
+ATF_TESTS_CXX?=
+ATF_TESTS_SH?=
 
-.if make(*test)
-TESTSDIR?= .
-.endif
-
-.if defined(ATF_TESTS_SUBDIRS)
-# Only visit subdirs when building, etc because ATF does this it on its own.
-.if !make(atf-test)
-SUBDIR+= ${ATF_TESTS_SUBDIRS}
-.endif
-ATF_TESTS+= ${ATF_TESTS_SUBDIRS}
-
-.include <bsd.subdir.mk>
-.endif
-
-.if defined(TESTS_C)
-ATF_TESTS+= ${TESTS_C}
-.for _T in ${TESTS_C}
+.if !empty(ATF_TESTS_C)
+PROGS+= ${ATF_TESTS_C}
+.for _T in ${ATF_TESTS_C}
+BINDIR.${_T}= ${TESTSDIR}
+MAN.${_T}?= # empty
 SRCS.${_T}?= ${_T}.c
 DPADD.${_T}+= ${LIBATF_C}
 LDADD.${_T}+= -latf-c
 .endfor
 .endif
 
-.if defined(TESTS_CXX)
-ATF_TESTS+= ${TESTS_CXX}
-.for _T in ${TESTS_CXX}
+.if !empty(ATF_TESTS_CXX)
+PROGS_CXX+= ${ATF_TESTS_CXX}
+PROGS+= ${ATF_TESTS_CXX}
+.for _T in ${ATF_TESTS_CXX}
+BINDIR.${_T}= ${TESTSDIR}
+MAN.${_T}?= # empty
 SRCS.${_T}?= ${_T}${CXX_SUFFIX:U.cc}
 DPADD.${_T}+= ${LIBATF_CXX} ${LIBATF_C}
 LDADD.${_T}+= -latf-c++ -latf-c
 .endfor
 .endif
 
-.if defined(TESTS_SH)
-ATF_TESTS+= ${TESTS_SH}
-.for _T in ${TESTS_SH}
+.if !empty(ATF_TESTS_SH)
+SCRIPTS+= ${ATF_TESTS_SH}
+.for _T in ${ATF_TESTS_SH}
+SCRIPTSDIR_${_T}= ${TESTSDIR}
 CLEANFILES+= ${_T} ${_T}.tmp
-TESTS_SH_SRC_${_T}?= ${_T}.sh
-${_T}: ${TESTS_SH_SRC_${_T}}
+ATF_TESTS_SH_SRC_${_T}?= ${_T}.sh
+${_T}: ${ATF_TESTS_SH_SRC_${_T}}
 	echo '#! /usr/bin/atf-sh' > ${.TARGET}.tmp
 	cat ${.ALLSRC} >> ${.TARGET}.tmp
 	chmod +x ${.TARGET}.tmp
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.test.mk b/share/mk/bsd.test.mk
index a75298f42d65..60993b98f030 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.test.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.test.mk
@@ -1,33 +1,37 @@
-# $NetBSD: bsd.test.mk,v 1.21 2012/08/25 22:21:16 jmmv Exp $
 # $FreeBSD$
+#
+# Generic build infrastructure for test programs.
+#
+# The code in this file is independent of the implementation of the test
+# programs being built; this file just provides generic infrastructure for the
+# build and the definition of various helper variables and targets.
+#
+# Makefiles should never include this file directly.  Instead, they should
+# include one of the various *.test.mk depending on the specific test programs
+# being built.
 
 .include <bsd.init.mk>
 
-.if defined(TESTS_C)
-PROGS+=	${TESTS_C}
-.for _T in ${TESTS_C}
-BINDIR.${_T}= ${TESTSDIR}
-MAN.${_T}?= # empty
-.endfor
-.endif
+# Pointer to the top directory into which tests are installed.  Should not be
+# overriden by Makefiles, but the user may choose to set this in src.conf(5).
+TESTSBASE?= /usr/tests
 
-.if defined(TESTS_CXX)
-PROGS_CXX+= ${TESTS_CXX}
-PROGS+= ${TESTS_CXX}
-.for _T in ${TESTS_CXX}
-BINDIR.${_T}= ${TESTSDIR}
-MAN.${_T}?= # empty
-.endfor
-.endif
+# Directory in which to install tests defined by the current Makefile.
+# Makefiles have to override this to point to a subdirectory of TESTSBASE.
+TESTSDIR?= .
 
-.if defined(TESTS_SH)
-SCRIPTS+= ${TESTS_SH}
-.for _T in ${TESTS_SH}
-SCRIPTSDIR_${_T}= ${TESTSDIR}
-.endfor
-.endif
+# List of subdirectories containing tests into which to recurse.  This has the
+# same semantics as SUBDIR at build-time.  However, the directories listed here
+# get registered into the run-time test suite definitions so that the test
+# engines know to recurse into these directories.
+#
+# In other words: list here any directories that contain test programs but use
+# SUBDIR for directories that may contain helper binaries and/or data files.
+TESTS_SUBDIRS?=
 
-TESTSBASE?= ${DESTDIR}/usr/tests
+.if !empty(TESTS_SUBDIRS)
+SUBDIR+= ${TESTS_SUBDIRS}
+.endif
 
 # it is rare for test cases to have man pages
 .if !defined(MAN)
@@ -39,10 +43,6 @@ WITHOUT_MAN=yes
 PROG_VARS+= BINDIR
 PROGS_TARGETS+= install
 
-.if !empty(PROGS) || !empty(PROGS_CXX) || !empty(SCRIPTS)
-.include <bsd.progs.mk>
-.endif
-
 beforetest: .PHONY
 .if defined(TESTSDIR)
 .if ${TESTSDIR} == ${TESTSBASE}
@@ -76,4 +76,12 @@ test: beforetest realtest
 test: aftertest
 .endif
 
+.if !empty(SUBDIR)
+.include <bsd.subdir.mk>
+.endif
+
+.if !empty(PROGS) || !empty(PROGS_CXX) || !empty(SCRIPTS)
+.include <bsd.progs.mk>
+.endif
+
 .include <bsd.obj.mk>