diff --git a/arch/lkl/Makefile b/arch/lkl/Makefile
index 3d8105ba00581a..cd4ae2afc4af6d 100644
--- a/arch/lkl/Makefile
+++ b/arch/lkl/Makefile
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ arch/lkl/include/generated/uapi/asm/syscall_defs.h: vmlinux
 
 install: lkl.o __headers arch/lkl/include/generated/uapi/asm/syscall_defs.h
 	@echo "  INSTALL	$(INSTALL_PATH)/lib/lkl.o"
+	@mkdir -p $(INSTALL_PATH)/lib/
 	@cp lkl.o $(INSTALL_PATH)/lib/
 	@arch/lkl/scripts/headers_install.py \
 		$(subst -j,-j$(NPROC),$(findstring -j,$(MAKEFLAGS))) \
diff --git a/tools/lkl/Makefile b/tools/lkl/Makefile
index dc97fabf8efa20..ee43ac1996460e 100644
--- a/tools/lkl/Makefile
+++ b/tools/lkl/Makefile
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ endif
 
 OUTPUT_FORMAT=$(shell $(LD) -r -print-output-format)
 
+TEST_TARGETS=test valgrind gdb
+
 lib_source = $(filter-out %-host.c,$(wildcard lib/*.c))
 source = $(wildcard tests/*.c)
 lib = lib/liblkl.a
@@ -83,8 +85,5 @@ endif
 cpfromfs: cptofs
 	if ! [ -e $@ ]; then ln -s $< $@; fi
 
-test:
-	$(MAKE) -C tests
-
-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) -C tests valgrind
+$(TEST_TARGETS): all
+	$(MAKE) -C tests $@
diff --git a/tools/lkl/tests/Makefile b/tools/lkl/tests/Makefile
index a89ecae410f9ce..7b669925ce8198 100644
--- a/tools/lkl/tests/Makefile
+++ b/tools/lkl/tests/Makefile
@@ -1,23 +1,52 @@
 define valgrind_test
-	VALGRIND_CMD="valgrind --suppressions=valgrind.supp --leak-check=full --show-leak-kinds=all --xml=yes --xml-file=valgrind-$1.xml" \
+	TEST_CMD="valgrind --suppressions=valgrind.supp --leak-check=full --show-leak-kinds=all --xml=yes --xml-file=valgrind-$1.xml" \
 	./boot.sh -t $1 ;					     \
 	./valgrind2xunit.py valgrind-$1.xml
 endef
 
 define valgrind_test_text
-	VALGRIND_CMD="valgrind --suppressions=valgrind.supp --leak-check=full --show-leak-kinds=all" \
+	TEST_CMD="valgrind --suppressions=valgrind.supp --leak-check=full --show-leak-kinds=all" \
 	./boot.sh -t $1
 endef
 
+define gdb_test
+	TEST_CMD="gdb --args" ./boot.sh -t $1
+endef
+
+define for_fs
+	for fs in $(FS_TYPES); do $(call $1,$$fs); done
+endef
+
+define run
+	for fs in $(FS_TYPES); do ./boot.sh -t $$fs; done
+endef
+
+QUICK?=0
+VALGRIND_TEXT?=0
+FS_TYPES?=ext4 btrfs vfat xfs
+
+# The hijack tests are very time consuming, so run with `QUICK=1 make
+# test` if you want to stick to the unit tests
+ifeq ($(QUICK),1)
+	HIJACK_TEST=
+else
+	HIJACK_TEST="./hijack-test.sh"
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(VALGRIND_TEXT),1)
+	VALGRIND_CMD=valgrind_test_text
+else
+	VALGRIND_CMD=valgrind_test
+endif
+
 all:
-	./boot.sh -t ext4
-	./boot.sh -t btrfs
-	./boot.sh -t vfat
-	./boot.sh -t xfs
-	./hijack-test.sh
+	$(call run,)
+	$(HIJACK_TEST)
+
+test: all
 
 valgrind:
-	$(call valgrind_test,ext4)
-	$(call valgrind_test,btrfs)
-	$(call valgrind_test,vfat)
-	$(call valgrind_test,xfs)
+	$(call for_fs,$(VALGRIND_CMD))
+
+gdb:
+	$(call for_fs,gdb_test)
diff --git a/tools/lkl/tests/boot.sh b/tools/lkl/tests/boot.sh
index 6dedbc6c4d210d..62f3ecd311aab4 100755
--- a/tools/lkl/tests/boot.sh
+++ b/tools/lkl/tests/boot.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-#!/bin/bash -e
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
 
 if [ "$1" = "-t" ]; then
     shift
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ if file ./boot | grep PE32; then
     WINE=wine
 fi
 
-${VALGRIND_CMD} $WINE ./boot -d $file -t $fstype $tap_args $LKL_TEST_DEBUG $@ || err=$?
+${TEST_CMD} $WINE ./boot -d $file -t $fstype $tap_args $LKL_TEST_DEBUG $@ || err=$?
 
 if [ -c /dev/net/tun ]; then
     sudo ip tuntap del dev lkl_boot mode tap || true
diff --git a/tools/lkl/tests/hijack-test.sh b/tools/lkl/tests/hijack-test.sh
index cf0875696b088c..6a17b7b8813a30 100755
--- a/tools/lkl/tests/hijack-test.sh
+++ b/tools/lkl/tests/hijack-test.sh
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ rm ping6
 
 echo "== TAP tests =="
 if [ -c /dev/net/tun ]; then
-    sudo ip link set dev lkl_ptt0 down || true
     sudo ip tuntap del dev lkl_ptt0 mode tap || true
     sudo ip tuntap add dev lkl_ptt0 mode tap user $USER
     sudo ip link set dev lkl_ptt0 up