diff --git a/test/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/global_command_test.go b/test/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/global_command_test.go
index 0de82e503a..15fef752be 100644
--- a/test/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/global_command_test.go
+++ b/test/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/global_command_test.go
@@ -5,29 +5,30 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"os"
 	"os/exec"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/Microsoft/hcsshim/test/pkg/require"
 )
 
+const shimExe = "containerd-shim-runhcs-v1.exe"
+
 func runGlobalCommand(t *testing.T, args []string) (string, string, error) {
 	t.Helper()
-	wd, err := os.Getwd()
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("failed os.Getwd() with: %v", err)
-	}
+
+	shim := require.BinaryInPath(t, shimExe)
 	cmd := exec.Command(
-		filepath.Join(wd, "containerd-shim-runhcs-v1.exe"),
+		shim,
 		args...,
 	)
+	t.Logf("execing global command: %s", cmd.String())
 
 	outb := bytes.Buffer{}
 	errb := bytes.Buffer{}
 	cmd.Stdout = &outb
 	cmd.Stderr = &errb
-	err = cmd.Run()
+	err := cmd.Run()
 	return outb.String(), errb.String(), err
 }
 
diff --git a/test/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/start_test.go b/test/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/start_test.go
index b93d43ee20..be03cf0a2c 100644
--- a/test/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/start_test.go
+++ b/test/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/start_test.go
@@ -16,11 +16,13 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/Microsoft/go-winio"
-	"github.com/Microsoft/hcsshim/pkg/annotations"
 	task "github.com/containerd/containerd/api/runtime/task/v2"
 	"github.com/containerd/ttrpc"
 	specs "github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runtime-tools/generate"
+
+	"github.com/Microsoft/hcsshim/pkg/annotations"
+	"github.com/Microsoft/hcsshim/test/pkg/require"
 )
 
 func createStartCommand(t *testing.T) (*exec.Cmd, *bytes.Buffer, *bytes.Buffer) {
@@ -31,12 +33,10 @@ func createStartCommand(t *testing.T) (*exec.Cmd, *bytes.Buffer, *bytes.Buffer)
 func createStartCommandWithID(t *testing.T, id string) (*exec.Cmd, *bytes.Buffer, *bytes.Buffer) {
 	t.Helper()
 	bundleDir := t.TempDir()
-	wd, err := os.Getwd()
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("failed os.Getwd() with: %v", err)
-	}
+
+	shim := require.BinaryInPath(t, shimExe)
 	cmd := exec.Command(
-		filepath.Join(wd, "containerd-shim-runhcs-v1.exe"),
+		shim,
 		"--namespace", t.Name(),
 		"--address", "need-a-real-one",
 		"--publish-binary", "need-a-real-one",
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ func createStartCommandWithID(t *testing.T, id string) (*exec.Cmd, *bytes.Buffer
 		"start",
 	)
 	cmd.Dir = bundleDir
+
+	t.Logf("execing start command: %s", cmd.String())
+
 	outb := bytes.Buffer{}
 	errb := bytes.Buffer{}
 	cmd.Stdout = &outb
diff --git a/test/pkg/require/requires.go b/test/pkg/require/requires.go
index 877ddb70e6..4ad499f4d6 100644
--- a/test/pkg/require/requires.go
+++ b/test/pkg/require/requires.go
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 package require
 
 import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -42,14 +45,35 @@ func AnyFeature(tb testing.TB, given *flag.IncludeExcludeStringSet, want ...stri
 	tb.Skipf("skipping test due to missing features: %s", want)
 }
 
+// Binary tries to locate `binary` in the PATH (or the current working directory),
+// or the same the same directory as the currently-executing binary.
+//
+// Returns full binary path if it exists, otherwise, skips the test.
+func BinaryInPath(tb testing.TB, binary string) string {
+	tb.Helper()
+
+	if path, err := exec.LookPath(binary); err == nil || errors.Is(err, exec.ErrDot) {
+		p, found, err := fileExists(path)
+		if found {
+			return p
+		}
+		tb.Logf("did not find binary %q at path %q: %v", binary, path, err)
+	} else {
+		tb.Logf("could not look up binary %q: %v", binary, err)
+	}
+
+	return Binary(tb, binary)
+}
+
 // Binary checks if `binary` exists in the same directory as the test
 // binary.
 // Returns full binary path if it exists, otherwise, skips the test.
 func Binary(tb testing.TB, binary string) string {
 	tb.Helper()
+
 	executable, err := os.Executable()
 	if err != nil {
-		tb.Skipf("error locating executable: %s", err)
+		tb.Skipf("error locating executable: %v", err)
 		return ""
 	}
 
@@ -61,22 +85,33 @@ func Binary(tb testing.TB, binary string) string {
 // if it exists. Otherwise, it skips the test.
 func File(tb testing.TB, path, file string) string {
 	tb.Helper()
+
+	p, found, err := fileExists(filepath.Join(path, file))
+	if err != nil {
+		tb.Fatal(err)
+	} else if !found {
+		tb.Skipf("file %q not found in %q", file, path)
+	}
+	return p
+}
+
+// fileExists checks if path points to a valid file.
+func fileExists(path string) (string, bool, error) {
 	path, err := filepath.Abs(path)
 	if err != nil {
-		tb.Fatalf("could not resolve path %q: %v", path, err)
+		return "", false, fmt.Errorf("could not resolve path %q: %w", path, err)
 	}
 
-	p := filepath.Join(path, file)
-	fi, err := os.Stat(p)
+	fi, err := os.Stat(path)
 	switch {
 	case os.IsNotExist(err):
-		tb.Skipf("file %q not found", p)
+		return path, false, nil
 	case err != nil:
-		tb.Fatalf("could not stat file %q: %v", p, err)
+		return "", false, fmt.Errorf("could not stat file %q: %w", path, err)
 	case fi.IsDir():
-		tb.Fatalf("path %q is a directory", p)
+		return "", false, fmt.Errorf("path %q is a directory", path)
 	default:
 	}
 
-	return p
+	return path, true, nil
 }