diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index cd5903aa1cc..74e6dae6b75 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ DISTCLEAN_TARGETS  = include/ap_config_auto.h include/ap_config_layout.h \
 	build/pkg/pkginfo build/config_vars.sh bsd_converted
 EXTRACLEAN_TARGETS = configure include/ap_config_auto.h.in generated_lists \
 	httpd.spec
-PHONY_TARGETS := check check-conf check-dirs check-include check-pytest check-all-pytest unittest-objdir
+PHONY_TARGETS := check check-conf check-dirs check-include check-pytest check-all-pytest unittest-objdir test-apps
 
 TESTS =
 TEST_CONFIG =
@@ -527,6 +527,10 @@ check-all-pytest: check-tree check/bin/apachectl check/config.ini check/modules/
 # Runs all configured/available test targets.
 check: $(CHECK_TARGETS)
 
+# Build test binaries/modules (enabled by --enable-test-apps)
+test-apps:
+	cd test && $(MAKE) $(MFLAGS) test-apps
+
 #
 # Unit Test Suite
 #
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 58e996c4537..d06ce3e98b5 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -793,6 +793,14 @@ if test -d "./test"; then
 fi
 APACHE_SUBST(PYTEST3)
 
+dnl Enable building test binaries/modules at make time
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(test-apps,
+APACHE_HELP_STRING(--enable-test-apps,Build test binaries and modules at make time),[
+  enable_test_apps=$enableval
+],[
+  enable_test_apps=no
+])
+
 prefix="$orig_prefix"
 APACHE_ENABLE_MODULES
 
@@ -808,6 +816,30 @@ APACHE_SUBST(OS_SPECIFIC_VARS)
 APACHE_SUBST(HTTPD_LIBS)
 APACHE_SUBST(CHECK_TARGETS)
 
+dnl Resolve --enable-test-apps after module config stubs have run
+dnl (nghttp2 detection for h2ws happens in modules/http2/config2.m4)
+if test "$enable_test_apps" = "yes" -a -d "./test"; then
+
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING([for nghttp2 to build h2ws test client])
+  if test "x$ac_cv_nghttp2" != "xyes"; then
+    AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([--enable-test-apps requires nghttp2 for h2ws client (use --with-nghttp2=PATH)])
+  fi
+  AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING([for DSO support to build test modules])
+  if test "$enable_so" != "yes" -a "$enable_so" != "static"; then
+    AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([--enable-test-apps requires DSO support (--enable-so)])
+  fi
+  AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
+
+  TEST_APPS_SUMMARY="yes (mod_aptest, mod_h1test, mod_h2test, h2ws)"
+  other_targets="$other_targets test-apps"
+else
+  TEST_APPS_SUMMARY="no"
+fi
+
 PRE_SHARED_CMDS='echo ""'
 POST_SHARED_CMDS='echo ""'
 
@@ -1132,4 +1164,5 @@ AC_MSG_NOTICE([summary of build options:
     LDFLAGS:        ${APACHE_CONF_SEL_LDFLAGS}
     LIBS:           ${APACHE_CONF_SEL_LIBS}
     C preprocessor: ${APACHE_CONF_SEL_CPP}
+    Test apps:      ${TEST_APPS_SUMMARY}
 ])
diff --git a/test/Makefile.in b/test/Makefile.in
index ae5bf2b8c98..c224250a5d3 100644
--- a/test/Makefile.in
+++ b/test/Makefile.in
@@ -19,8 +19,58 @@ test: $(bin_PROGRAMS)
 # dbu: $(dbu_OBJECTS)
 #	$(LINK) $(dbu_OBJECTS) $(PROGRAM_LDADD)
 
+# --- Test module builds (used by --enable-test-apps) ---
+# Builds each module into its source directory, matching apxs -c output locations.
+
+mod_aptest_DIR = $(top_srcdir)/test/pyhttpd/mod_aptest
+mod_aptest_SRC = $(mod_aptest_DIR)/mod_aptest.c
+
+$(mod_aptest_DIR)/mod_aptest.slo: $(mod_aptest_SRC)
+	$(LIBTOOL) --mode=compile $(BASE_CC) $(SHLTCFLAGS) \
+	    -c $(mod_aptest_SRC) -o $(mod_aptest_DIR)/mod_aptest.lo && touch $@
+
+$(mod_aptest_DIR)/mod_aptest.la: $(mod_aptest_DIR)/mod_aptest.slo
+	$(SH_LINK) -rpath $(libexecdir) -module -avoid-version \
+	    $(mod_aptest_DIR)/mod_aptest.lo
+
+mod_h1test_DIR = $(top_srcdir)/test/modules/http1/mod_h1test
+mod_h1test_SRC = $(mod_h1test_DIR)/mod_h1test.c
+
+$(mod_h1test_DIR)/mod_h1test.slo: $(mod_h1test_SRC)
+	$(LIBTOOL) --mode=compile $(BASE_CC) $(SHLTCFLAGS) \
+	    -c $(mod_h1test_SRC) -o $(mod_h1test_DIR)/mod_h1test.lo && touch $@
+
+$(mod_h1test_DIR)/mod_h1test.la: $(mod_h1test_DIR)/mod_h1test.slo
+	$(SH_LINK) -rpath $(libexecdir) -module -avoid-version \
+	    $(mod_h1test_DIR)/mod_h1test.lo
+
+mod_h2test_DIR = $(top_srcdir)/test/modules/http2/mod_h2test
+mod_h2test_SRC = $(mod_h2test_DIR)/mod_h2test.c
+
+$(mod_h2test_DIR)/mod_h2test.slo: $(mod_h2test_SRC)
+	$(LIBTOOL) --mode=compile $(BASE_CC) $(SHLTCFLAGS) \
+	    -I$(mod_h2test_DIR) \
+	    -c $(mod_h2test_SRC) -o $(mod_h2test_DIR)/mod_h2test.lo && touch $@
+
+$(mod_h2test_DIR)/mod_h2test.la: $(mod_h2test_DIR)/mod_h2test.slo
+	$(SH_LINK) -rpath $(libexecdir) -module -avoid-version \
+	    $(mod_h2test_DIR)/mod_h2test.lo
+
+test-modules: $(mod_aptest_DIR)/mod_aptest.la $(mod_h1test_DIR)/mod_h1test.la $(mod_h2test_DIR)/mod_h2test.la
+
+h2ws-client:
+	cd clients && $(MAKE) $(MFLAGS) h2ws
+
+.PHONY: test-apps test-modules h2ws-client
+
+test-apps: test-modules h2ws-client
+
 clean:
-	rm -rf gen
+	rm -rf gen test-modules
+	cd clients && $(MAKE) $(MFLAGS) clean
+	rm -rf pyhttpd/mod_aptest/.libs pyhttpd/mod_aptest/*.o pyhttpd/mod_aptest/*.lo pyhttpd/mod_aptest/*.slo pyhttpd/mod_aptest/*.la
+	rm -rf modules/http1/mod_h1test/.libs modules/http1/mod_h1test/*.o modules/http1/mod_h1test/*.lo modules/http1/mod_h1test/*.slo modules/http1/mod_h1test/*.la
+	rm -rf modules/http2/mod_h2test/.libs modules/http2/mod_h2test/*.o modules/http2/mod_h2test/*.lo modules/http2/mod_h2test/*.slo modules/http2/mod_h2test/*.la
 	find . -name __pycache__ | xargs rm -rf
 
 distclean:
diff --git a/test/modules/http1/env.py b/test/modules/http1/env.py
index 1a88e3b032f..f54fcf690e6 100644
--- a/test/modules/http1/env.py
+++ b/test/modules/http1/env.py
@@ -25,18 +25,18 @@ def make(self):
 
     def _add_h1test(self):
         module_dir = self.env.test_modules_dir
-        if not self.env.isWindows:
+        if not module_dir and not self.env.isWindows:
             local_dir = os.path.dirname(inspect.getfile(H1TestSetup))
-            p = subprocess.run([self.env.apxs, '-c', 'mod_h1test.c'],
-                               capture_output=True,
-                               cwd=os.path.join(local_dir, 'mod_h1test'))
-
-            rv = p.returncode
-            if rv != 0:
-                log.error(f"compiling md_h1test failed: {p.stderr}")
-                raise Exception(f"compiling md_h1test failed: {p.stderr}")
-
             module_dir = f"{local_dir}/mod_h1test/.libs"
+            if not os.path.exists(f"{module_dir}/mod_h1test.so"):
+                p = subprocess.run([self.env.apxs, '-c', 'mod_h1test.c'],
+                                   capture_output=True,
+                                   cwd=os.path.join(local_dir, 'mod_h1test'))
+
+                rv = p.returncode
+                if rv != 0:
+                    log.error(f"compiling md_h1test failed: {p.stderr}")
+                    raise Exception(f"compiling md_h1test failed: {p.stderr}")
 
         modules_conf = os.path.join(self.env.server_dir, 'conf/modules.conf')
         with open(modules_conf, 'a') as fd:
diff --git a/test/modules/http2/env.py b/test/modules/http2/env.py
index fe690bf9811..0e41a2fa135 100644
--- a/test/modules/http2/env.py
+++ b/test/modules/http2/env.py
@@ -26,18 +26,18 @@ def make(self):
 
     def _add_h2test(self):
         module_dir = self.env.test_modules_dir
-        if not self.env.isWindows:
+        if not module_dir and not self.env.isWindows:
             local_dir = os.path.dirname(inspect.getfile(H2TestSetup))
-            p = subprocess.run([self.env.apxs, '-c', 'mod_h2test.c'],
-                            capture_output=True,
-                            cwd=os.path.join(local_dir, 'mod_h2test'))
-
-            rv = p.returncode
-            if rv != 0:
-                log.error(f"compiling md_h2test failed: {p.stderr}")
-                raise Exception(f"compiling md_h2test failed: {p.stderr}")
-
             module_dir = f"{local_dir}/mod_h2test/.libs"
+            if not os.path.exists(f"{module_dir}/mod_h2test.so"):
+                p = subprocess.run([self.env.apxs, '-c', 'mod_h2test.c'],
+                                capture_output=True,
+                                cwd=os.path.join(local_dir, 'mod_h2test'))
+
+                rv = p.returncode
+                if rv != 0:
+                    log.error(f"compiling md_h2test failed: {p.stderr}")
+                    raise Exception(f"compiling md_h2test failed: {p.stderr}")
 
         modules_conf = os.path.join(self.env.server_dir, 'conf/modules.conf')
         with open(modules_conf, 'a') as fd:
diff --git a/test/pyhttpd/env.py b/test/pyhttpd/env.py
index 521c16124d7..ef006a62d88 100644
--- a/test/pyhttpd/env.py
+++ b/test/pyhttpd/env.py
@@ -240,17 +240,17 @@ def _fix_shebang(py_file):
 
     def _add_aptest(self):
         module_dir = self.env.test_modules_dir
-        if not self.env.isWindows:
+        if not module_dir and not self.env.isWindows:
             local_dir = os.path.dirname(inspect.getfile(HttpdTestSetup))
-            p = subprocess.run([self.env.apxs, '-c', 'mod_aptest.c'],
-                            capture_output=True,
-                            cwd=os.path.join(local_dir, 'mod_aptest'))
-            rv = p.returncode
-            if rv != 0:
-                log.error(f"compiling mod_aptest failed: {p.stderr}")
-                raise Exception(f"compiling mod_aptest failed: {p.stderr}")
-
             module_dir = os.path.join(local_dir, "mod_aptest", ".libs")
+            if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(module_dir, "mod_aptest.so")):
+                p = subprocess.run([self.env.apxs, '-c', 'mod_aptest.c'],
+                                capture_output=True,
+                                cwd=os.path.join(local_dir, 'mod_aptest'))
+                rv = p.returncode
+                if rv != 0:
+                    log.error(f"compiling mod_aptest failed: {p.stderr}")
+                    raise Exception(f"compiling mod_aptest failed: {p.stderr}")
 
         modules_conf = os.path.join(self.env.server_dir, 'conf/modules.conf')
         with open(modules_conf, 'a') as fd: