diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5887c538..f085b44e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ here](https://github.com/vlang/vab/blob/3091ade4c9792c6a37596ccfa9299fb269d3160e
 In either case the following dependencies is required before `vab` will work
 as intented.
 
-Dependencies:
+## Runtime dependencies
  * V
  * Java (JDK) >= 8 (>= 9 on Windows)
  * Android SDK
@@ -127,7 +127,8 @@ EMULATOR                 # Absolute path to the emulator to use
 ```
 
 ```bash
-VAB_FLAGS                # Use to pass flags to vab. Command-line flags overwrites any flags/values set via VAB_FLAGS.
+VAB_EXE                  # Absolute path to a vab executable (Used in tests and sub-cmd execution)
+VAB_FLAGS                # Used to pass flags to vab. Command-line flags overwrites any flags/values set via VAB_FLAGS.
 VAB_KILL_ADB             # Set to let vab kill adb after use. This is useful on some hosts.
 ```
 
@@ -203,6 +204,12 @@ The accompaning script used in the video can be found here:
 See [*"Where is the `examples` folder?"*](docs/FAQ.md#where-is-the-examples-folder)
 in the [FAQ](docs/FAQ.md).
 
+# Tests
+
+`vab`, like many other V modules, can be tested with `v test .`.
+Note that `vab` has *runtime* tests that requires all [runtime dependencies](#runtime-dependencies)
+to be installed in order for the tests to run correctly.
+
 # Notes
 
 `vab` targets as low an API level as possible by default for maximum
diff --git a/cli/cli.v b/cli/cli.v
index 93217a19..0792ba42 100644
--- a/cli/cli.v
+++ b/cli/cli.v
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ pub const vab_env_vars = [
 	'AAPT2',
 	'JAVA_HOME',
 	'VEXE',
+	'VAB_EXE',
 	'VMODULES',
 ]
 
diff --git a/tests/at-runtime/vab_build_apk_test.v b/tests/at-runtime/vab_build_apk_test.v
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a01afbaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/at-runtime/vab_build_apk_test.v
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+import os
+import vab.vabxt
+import vab.vxt
+import vab.android.util
+
+const test_dir_base = os.join_path(os.vtmp_dir(), 'vab', 'tests', 'runtime')
+const apk_arch_dirs = ['arm64-v8a', 'armeabi-v7a', 'x86', 'x86_64', 'armeabi']
+
+fn setup_apk_build(id string) (string, string) {
+	test_dir := os.join_path(test_dir_base, id)
+	os.rm(test_dir) or {}
+	os.mkdir_all(test_dir) or { panic('mkdir_all failed making "${test_dir}": ${err}') }
+
+	// vab (per design) implicitly deploys to any devices sat via `--device-id`.
+	// Make sure no deployment is done after build if CI/other sets `ANDROID_SERIAL`
+	os.unsetenv('ANDROID_SERIAL')
+	vab := vabxt.vabexe()
+	assert vab != '', 'vab needs to be installed to run this test'
+	return vab, test_dir
+}
+
+fn v_example(path string) string {
+	v_root := vxt.home()
+	examples_root := os.join_path(v_root, 'examples')
+	example := os.join_path(examples_root, ...path.split('/'))
+	assert os.is_file(example) || os.is_dir(example) == true, 'example not found. Ensure a full V source install (with examples) is present'
+	return example
+}
+
+fn run(cmd string) {
+	eprintln('running: ${cmd}')
+	res := os.execute(cmd)
+	if res.exit_code != 0 {
+		dump(res.output)
+	}
+	assert res.exit_code == 0
+}
+
+fn extract_and_check_apk(libname string, path string) {
+	expected_lib_name := libname
+	expected_apk := os.join_path(path, '${expected_lib_name}.apk')
+	assert os.is_file(expected_apk)
+
+	extract_dir := os.join_path(path, 'extracted')
+	extracted_apk_path := os.join_path(extract_dir, expected_lib_name)
+	util.unzip(expected_apk, extracted_apk_path) or {
+		panic('unzip failed extracting "${expected_apk}": ${err}')
+	}
+
+	dump(os.ls(extracted_apk_path) or { panic('ls failed on "${extracted_apk_path}": ${err}') })
+	// test that expected libs are actually present in the apk
+	for arch in apk_arch_dirs {
+		lib_dir := os.join_path(extracted_apk_path, 'lib', arch)
+		dump(os.ls(lib_dir) or { panic('ls failed on "${lib_dir}": ${err}') })
+		assert os.is_file(os.join_path(lib_dir, 'lib${expected_lib_name}.so'))
+	}
+}
+
+fn test_build_apk_way_1() {
+	vab, test_dir := setup_apk_build(@FN)
+
+	vab_cmd := [vab, '-o', test_dir, v_example('gg/worker_thread.v')].join(' ')
+	run(vab_cmd)
+
+	extract_and_check_apk('v_test_app', test_dir)
+}
+
+fn test_build_apk_way_2() {
+	vab, test_dir := setup_apk_build(@FN)
+
+	vab_cmd := [vab, v_example('sokol/particles'), '-o', test_dir].join(' ')
+	run(vab_cmd)
+
+	extract_and_check_apk('v_test_app', test_dir)
+}
+
+fn test_build_apk_way_3() {
+	vab, test_dir := setup_apk_build(@FN)
+
+	vab_cmd := [vab, '-f "-d trace_moves_spool_to_sbin"', v_example('sokol/particles'),
+		'-o', test_dir].join(' ')
+	run(vab_cmd)
+
+	extract_and_check_apk('v_test_app', test_dir)
+}
diff --git a/vabxt/vabxt.v b/vabxt/vabxt.v
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..06463952
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vabxt/vabxt.v
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+// Copyright(C) 2019-2022 Lars Pontoppidan. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by an MIT license file distributed with this software package
+module vabxt
+
+import os
+import regex
+
+// vabexe returns the path to the `vab` executable if found
+// on the host platform, otherwise a blank `string`.
+pub fn vabexe() string {
+	mut exe := os.getenv('VAB_EXE')
+	$if !windows {
+		if os.is_executable(exe) {
+			return os.real_path(exe)
+		}
+		possible_symlink := os.find_abs_path_of_executable('vab') or { '' }
+		if os.is_executable(possible_symlink) {
+			return os.real_path(possible_symlink)
+		}
+		vmodules_path := vmodules() or { '' }
+		if os.is_file(os.join_path(vmodules_path, 'vab', 'vab')) {
+			return os.join_path(vmodules_path, 'vab', 'vab')
+		}
+	} $else {
+		if os.exists(exe) {
+			return exe
+		}
+		system_path := os.find_abs_path_of_executable('vab') or { '' }
+		if os.exists(system_path) {
+			exe = system_path
+		}
+		if !os.exists(exe) {
+			res := os.execute('where.exe vab')
+			if res.exit_code != 0 {
+				exe = ''
+			} else {
+				return res.output.trim('\n\r')
+			}
+		}
+		vmodules_path := vmodules() or { '' }
+		if os.is_file(os.join_path(vmodules_path, 'vab', 'vab.exe')) {
+			return os.join_path(vmodules_path, 'vab', 'vab.exe')
+		}
+	}
+
+	return exe
+}
+
+// vmodules returns the path to the `.vmodules` folder if found
+pub fn vmodules() !string {
+	mut vmodules_path := os.getenv('VMODULES')
+	if !os.is_dir(vmodules_path) {
+		vmodules_path = os.join_path(os.home_dir(), '.vmodules')
+	}
+	if !os.is_dir(vmodules_path) {
+		return error(@MOD + '.' + @FN + ': no valid v modules path found at "${vmodules_path}"')
+	}
+	return vmodules_path
+}
+
+pub fn found() bool {
+	return home() != ''
+}
+
+pub fn home() string {
+	// credits to @spytheman:
+	// https://discord.com/channels/592103645835821068/592294828432424960/746040606358503484
+	mut exe := vabexe()
+	$if !windows {
+		if os.is_executable(exe) {
+			return os.dir(exe)
+		}
+	} $else {
+		if os.exists(exe) {
+			exe = exe.replace('/', os.path_separator)
+			// Skip the `.bin\` dir
+			if os.dir(exe).ends_with('.bin') {
+				exe = os.dir(exe)
+			}
+			return os.dir(exe)
+		}
+	}
+	return ''
+}
+
+pub fn version() string {
+	mut version := ''
+	vab := vabexe()
+	if vab != '' {
+		vab_version := os.execute(vab + ' --version')
+		if vab_version.exit_code != 0 {
+			return version
+		}
+		output := vab_version.output
+		mut re := regex.regex_opt(r'.*(\d+\.?\d*\.?\d*)') or { panic(err) }
+		start, _ := re.match_string(output)
+		if start >= 0 && re.groups.len > 0 {
+			version = output[re.groups[0]..re.groups[1]]
+		}
+		return version
+	}
+	return '0.0.0'
+}
+
+pub fn version_commit_hash() string {
+	mut hash := ''
+	vab := vabexe()
+	if vab != '' {
+		vab_version := os.execute(vab + ' --version')
+		if vab_version.exit_code != 0 {
+			return ''
+		}
+		output := vab_version.output
+		mut re := regex.regex_opt(r'.*\d+\.?\d*\.?\d* ([a-fA-F0-9]{7,})') or { panic(err) }
+		start, _ := re.match_string(output)
+		if start >= 0 && re.groups.len > 0 {
+			hash = output[re.groups[0]..re.groups[1]]
+		}
+		return hash
+	}
+	return 'deadbeef'
+}