diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 66f1968..5626108 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "env_logger",
  "log",
  "object",
+ "rstest",
  "tempfile",
 ]
 
@@ -164,6 +165,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "memchr",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "pest"
+version = "2.1.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "10f4872ae94d7b90ae48754df22fd42ad52ce740b8f370b03da4835417403e53"
+dependencies = [
+ "ucd-trie",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "ppv-lite86"
 version = "0.2.10"
@@ -196,6 +206,24 @@ dependencies = [
  "treeline",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "proc-macro2"
+version = "1.0.27"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f0d8caf72986c1a598726adc988bb5984792ef84f5ee5aa50209145ee8077038"
+dependencies = [
+ "unicode-xid",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "quote"
+version = "1.0.9"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c3d0b9745dc2debf507c8422de05d7226cc1f0644216dfdfead988f9b1ab32a7"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "rand"
 version = "0.8.3"
@@ -277,6 +305,57 @@ dependencies = [
  "winapi",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "rstest"
+version = "0.10.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "041bb0202c14f6a158bbbf086afb03d0c6e975c2dec7d4912f8061ed44f290af"
+dependencies = [
+ "cfg-if",
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "rustc_version",
+ "syn",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "rustc_version"
+version = "0.3.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f0dfe2087c51c460008730de8b57e6a320782fbfb312e1f4d520e6c6fae155ee"
+dependencies = [
+ "semver",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "semver"
+version = "0.11.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f301af10236f6df4160f7c3f04eec6dbc70ace82d23326abad5edee88801c6b6"
+dependencies = [
+ "semver-parser",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "semver-parser"
+version = "0.10.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "00b0bef5b7f9e0df16536d3961cfb6e84331c065b4066afb39768d0e319411f7"
+dependencies = [
+ "pest",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "syn"
+version = "1.0.73"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f71489ff30030d2ae598524f61326b902466f72a0fb1a8564c001cc63425bcc7"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "unicode-xid",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "tempfile"
 version = "3.2.0"
@@ -306,6 +385,18 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "a7f741b240f1a48843f9b8e0444fb55fb2a4ff67293b50a9179dfd5ea67f8d41"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ucd-trie"
+version = "0.1.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "56dee185309b50d1f11bfedef0fe6d036842e3fb77413abef29f8f8d1c5d4c1c"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "unicode-xid"
+version = "0.2.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "8ccb82d61f80a663efe1f787a51b16b5a51e3314d6ac365b08639f52387b33f3"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "wait-timeout"
 version = "0.2.0"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 76bfc30..06d4e0c 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ tempfile = "3.2"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 assert_cmd = "1.0"
+rstest = "0.10"
 
 [workspace]
 members = [".", "xtest"]
diff --git a/test-flip-link-app/.empty.x b/test-flip-link-app/.empty.x
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/test-flip-link-app/.memory.x b/test-flip-link-app/.memory.x
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..475726c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-flip-link-app/.memory.x
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+MEMORY
+{
+  FLASH : ORIGIN = 0x00000000, LENGTH = 256K
+  RAM : ORIGIN = 0x20000000, LENGTH = 64K
+}
+
+INCLUDE empty.x
diff --git a/test-flip-link-app/Cargo.toml b/test-flip-link-app/Cargo.toml
index 268a3bb..fd45ac2 100644
--- a/test-flip-link-app/Cargo.toml
+++ b/test-flip-link-app/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,7 +9,15 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 cortex-m = "0.7"
 cortex-m-rt = "0.6"
 cortex-m-semihosting = "0.3"
-lm3s6965 = "0.1"
 panic-semihosting = { version = "0.5", features = ["exit"] }
 
+# optional
+lm3s6965 = { version = "0.1", optional = true }
+
+[build-dependencies]
+anyhow = "1.0"
+
+[features]
+default = ["lm3s6965"]
+
 [workspace] # needed to exclude package from parent workspace
diff --git a/test-flip-link-app/build.rs b/test-flip-link-app/build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5185077
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-flip-link-app/build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    // include following if hal is excluded (aka. default features are disabled)
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "lm3s6965"))]
+    {
+        use std::{env, fs::File, io::Write, path::PathBuf};
+
+        let out = PathBuf::from(env::var_os("OUT_DIR").expect("`OUT_DIR` is not set"));
+
+        File::create(out.join("memory.x"))?.write_all(include_bytes!(".memory.x"))?;
+        File::create(out.join("empty.x"))?.write_all(include_bytes!(".empty.x"))?;
+
+        println!("cargo:rustc-link-search={}", out.display());
+        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=.memory.x");
+        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=.empty.x");
+        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=build.rs");
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/test-flip-link-app/examples/crash.rs b/test-flip-link-app/examples/crash.rs
index 71976c5..36b84bf 100644
--- a/test-flip-link-app/examples/crash.rs
+++ b/test-flip-link-app/examples/crash.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 use core::ptr;
 
 use cortex_m_rt::entry;
+#[cfg(feature = "lm3s6965")]
 use lm3s6965 as _;
 use panic_semihosting as _;
 
diff --git a/test-flip-link-app/examples/exception.rs b/test-flip-link-app/examples/exception.rs
index e3c2dc5..fd3f590 100644
--- a/test-flip-link-app/examples/exception.rs
+++ b/test-flip-link-app/examples/exception.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 use cortex_m::{peripheral::syst::SystClkSource, Peripherals};
 use cortex_m_rt::{entry, exception};
 use cortex_m_semihosting::hprint;
+#[cfg(feature = "lm3s6965")]
 use lm3s6965 as _;
 use panic_semihosting as _;
 
diff --git a/test-flip-link-app/examples/hello.rs b/test-flip-link-app/examples/hello.rs
index dc5df4c..0cfef71 100644
--- a/test-flip-link-app/examples/hello.rs
+++ b/test-flip-link-app/examples/hello.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 use cortex_m_rt::entry;
 use cortex_m_semihosting::{debug, hprintln};
+#[cfg(feature = "lm3s6965")]
 use lm3s6965 as _;
 use panic_semihosting as _;
 
diff --git a/test-flip-link-app/examples/panic.rs b/test-flip-link-app/examples/panic.rs
index 1c42392..90699dc 100644
--- a/test-flip-link-app/examples/panic.rs
+++ b/test-flip-link-app/examples/panic.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #![no_std]
 
 use cortex_m_rt::entry;
+#[cfg(feature = "lm3s6965")]
 use lm3s6965 as _;
 use panic_semihosting as _;
 
diff --git a/tests/verify.rs b/tests/verify.rs
index d594422..66d1a82 100644
--- a/tests/verify.rs
+++ b/tests/verify.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 use std::fs;
 
+use rstest::rstest;
+
 /// Path to test app
 const CRATE: &str = "test-flip-link-app";
 /// Example firmware in `$CRATE/examples`
@@ -7,13 +9,15 @@ const FILES: [&str; 4] = ["crash", "exception", "hello", "panic"];
 /// Compilation target firmware is build for
 const TARGET: &str = "thumbv7m-none-eabi";
 
-#[test]
-fn should_link_example_firmware() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+#[rstest]
+#[case::normal(true)]
+#[case::custom_linkerscript(false)]
+fn should_link_example_firmware(#[case] default_features: bool) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     // Arrange
     cargo::check_flip_link();
 
     // Act
-    let cmd = cargo::build_example_firmware(CRATE);
+    let cmd = cargo::build_example_firmware(CRATE, default_features);
 
     // Assert
     cmd.success();
@@ -28,7 +32,7 @@ fn should_verify_memory_layout() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     cargo::check_flip_link();
 
     // Act
-    cargo::build_example_firmware(CRATE).success();
+    cargo::build_example_firmware(CRATE, true).success();
 
     // Assert
     for elf_path in elf::paths() {
@@ -58,13 +62,19 @@ mod cargo {
 
     /// Build all examples in `$REPO/$rel_path`
     #[must_use]
-    pub fn build_example_firmware(rel_path: &str) -> Assert {
+    pub fn build_example_firmware(rel_path: &str, default_features: bool) -> Assert {
         // append `rel_path` to the current working directory
         let mut firmware_dir = std::env::current_dir().unwrap();
         firmware_dir.push(rel_path);
 
+        // disable default features or use `-v` as a no-op
+        let default_features = match default_features {
+            false => "--no-default-features",
+            true => "-v",
+        };
+
         Command::new("cargo")
-            .args(&["build", "--examples"])
+            .args(&["build", "--examples", default_features])
             .current_dir(firmware_dir)
             .unwrap()
             .assert()
diff --git a/xtest/src/main.rs b/xtest/src/main.rs
index 139e12c..30552ed 100644
--- a/xtest/src/main.rs
+++ b/xtest/src/main.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ mod cargo {
     }
 
     pub fn test() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-        let status = Command::new("cargo").arg("test").status()?;
+        let status = Command::new("cargo")
+            // `--test-threads=1` prevents race conditions accessing the elf-file
+            .args(&["test", "--", "--test-threads=1"])
+            .status()?;
         match status.success() {
             false => Err(anyhow!("running `cargo test`")),
             true => Ok(()),