diff --git a/tests/common.mk b/tests/common.mk
index 1d70c20a9..ef6982514 100644
--- a/tests/common.mk
+++ b/tests/common.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ROOT_DIR := $(abspath $(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST))))
 BUILD_DIR ?= $(ROOT_DIR)/..
 
+SBY   ?= sby
 YOSYS ?= $(BUILD_DIR)/yosys
 ABC   ?= $(BUILD_DIR)/yosys-abc
 YOSYS_FILTERLIB ?= $(BUILD_DIR)/yosys-filterlib
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ export YOSYS
 export YOSYS_CONFIG
 export YOSYS_SMTBMC
 export ABC
+export SBY
 export YOSYS_MAX_THREADS
 
 all:
diff --git a/tests/sva/runtest.sh b/tests/sva/runtest.sh
index db6c37011..6a855188f 100644
--- a/tests/sva/runtest.sh
+++ b/tests/sva/runtest.sh
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@ elif [ -f $prefix.sv ]; then
 	generate_sby fail > ${prefix}_fail.sby
 
 	# Check that SBY is up to date enough for this yosys version
-	if sby --help | grep -q -e '--status'; then
+	if ${SBY} --help | grep -q -e '--status'; then
 		set -x
-		sby --yosys ${YOSYS} -f ${prefix}_pass.sby
-		sby --yosys ${YOSYS} -f ${prefix}_fail.sby
+		${SBY} --yosys ${YOSYS} -f ${prefix}_pass.sby
+		${SBY} --yosys ${YOSYS} -f ${prefix}_fail.sby
 	else
 		echo "sva test '${prefix}' requires an up to date SBY, skipping"
 	fi
@@ -76,9 +76,9 @@ else
 	generate_sby pass > ${prefix}.sby
 
 	# Check that SBY is up to date enough for this yosys version
-	if sby --help | grep -q -e '--status'; then
+	if ${SBY} --help | grep -q -e '--status'; then
 		set -x
-		sby --yosys ${YOSYS} -f ${prefix}.sby
+		${SBY} --yosys ${YOSYS} -f ${prefix}.sby
 	else
 		echo "sva test '${prefix}' requires an up to date SBY, skipping"
 	fi