diff --git a/testing/prepare_test.sh b/testing/prepare_test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2f4bc34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/prepare_test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# this script runs in the rpm_test environment
+
+# Install SCL on CentOS
+if [ -f /etc/centos-release ] || grep -q 'ID="centos"' /etc/os-release; then
+  sudo yum install -y centos-release-scl
+  sudo yum install -y httpd
+
+  if [ -f /etc/system-release-cpe ] && grep -qF centos:linux:6:GA /etc/system-release-cpe; then
+    sudo yum install -y mod_proxy_fcgi
+  fi
+fi
+
+if [ -f /etc/os-release ]; then
+  source /etc/os-release
+fi
+
+icinga-build-rpm-install icingaweb2
+
+# set timezone for PHP
+if [ -d /etc/opt/rh/rh-php73/php.d ]; then
+  php_d=/etc/opt/rh/rh-php73/php.d
+  fpm="scl enable rh-php73 -- php-fpm"
+elif [ -d /etc/opt/rh/rh-php70/php.d ]; then
+  php_d=/etc/opt/rh/rh-php70/php.d
+  fpm="scl enable rh-php70 -- php-fpm"
+elif [ -d /etc/php.d ]; then
+  php_d=/etc/php.d
+  if [ "$ID" = fedora ] && [ "$VERSION_ID" -ge 27 ] ||
+     [[ "$ID_LIKE" = *rhel* ]] && [ "$VERSION_ID" -ge 8 ]
+  then
+    fpm="php-fpm"
+
+    if [ -d /run ]; then
+      sudo mkdir -p /run/php-fpm
+    fi
+  fi
+elif [ -d /etc/php5/conf.d ]; then
+  php_d=/etc/php5/conf.d
+  mod_php=php5
+elif [ -d /etc/php7/conf.d ]; then
+  php_d=/etc/php7/conf.d
+  mod_php=php7
+else
+  echo "Can not set PHP timezone!" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+sudo sh -c "echo 'date.timezone = UTC' >${php_d}/timezone.ini"
+
+# Start apache in background
+if [ -e /usr/sbin/start_apache2 ]; then
+  # newer SUSE
+  sudo a2enmod rewrite
+  sudo a2enmod "$mod_php"
+
+  sudo /usr/sbin/start_apache2 -t
+  sudo /usr/sbin/start_apache2 -k start
+elif [ -x /usr/share/apache2/get_module_list ]; then
+  # older SUSE
+  sudo a2enmod rewrite
+  sudo a2enmod "$mod_php"
+
+  # update apache config
+  sudo /usr/share/apache2/get_includes
+  sudo /usr/share/apache2/get_module_list
+
+  sudo /usr/sbin/apache2ctl -k start
+elif [ -x /usr/sbin/httpd ]; then
+  # Disable mod_lua - it sometimes crashes on Fedora 25 with:
+  # mod_lua: Failed to create shared memory segment on file /tmp/httpd_lua_shm.187
+  sudo sh -ex <<<"test -e /etc/httpd/conf.modules.d/00-lua.conf && mv /etc/httpd/conf.modules.d/00-lua.conf{,.off} || true"
+
+  if [ -n "$fpm" ]; then
+    echo "Starting FPM daemon in background"
+    sudo $fpm -t
+    sudo $fpm -D
+  fi
+
+  sudo httpd -t
+  sudo httpd -k start
+else
+  echo "Can not detect how to start Apache!" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# vi: ts=2 sw=2 expandtab :
diff --git a/testing/start_test.sh b/testing/start_test.sh
index 9c67326..443721c 100755
--- a/testing/start_test.sh
+++ b/testing/start_test.sh
@@ -1,85 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # this script runs in the rpm_test environment
 
-# Install SCL on CentOS
-if [ -f /etc/centos-release ] || grep -q 'ID="centos"' /etc/os-release; then
-  sudo yum install -y centos-release-scl
-  sudo yum install -y httpd
+SCRIPT_HOME="$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$0")")"
 
-  if [ -f /etc/system-release-cpe ] && grep -qF centos:linux:6:GA /etc/system-release-cpe; then
-    sudo yum install -y mod_proxy_fcgi
-  fi
-fi
-
-if [ -f /etc/os-release ]; then
-  source /etc/os-release
-fi
-
-install_package icingaweb2
-
-# set timezone for PHP
-if [ -d /etc/opt/rh/rh-php71/php.d ]; then
-  php_d=/etc/opt/rh/rh-php71/php.d
-  fpm="scl enable rh-php71 -- php-fpm"
-elif [ -d /etc/opt/rh/rh-php70/php.d ]; then
-  php_d=/etc/opt/rh/rh-php70/php.d
-  fpm="scl enable rh-php70 -- php-fpm"
-elif [ -d /etc/php.d ]; then
-  php_d=/etc/php.d
-  if [ "$ID" = fedora ] && [ "$VERSION_ID" -ge 27 ] ||
-     [[ "$ID_LIKE" = *rhel* ]] && [ "$VERSION_ID" -ge 8 ]
-  then
-    fpm="php-fpm"
-
-    if [ -d /run ]; then
-      sudo mkdir -p /run/php-fpm
-    fi
-  fi
-elif [ -d /etc/php5/conf.d ]; then
-  php_d=/etc/php5/conf.d
-  mod_php=php5
-elif [ -d /etc/php7/conf.d ]; then
-  php_d=/etc/php7/conf.d
-  mod_php=php7
-else
-  echo "Can not set PHP timezone!" >&2
-  exit 1
-fi
-sudo sh -c "echo 'date.timezone = UTC' >${php_d}/timezone.ini"
-
-# Start apache in background
-if [ -e /usr/sbin/start_apache2 ]; then
-  # newer SUSE
-  sudo a2enmod rewrite
-  sudo a2enmod "$mod_php"
-
-  sudo /usr/sbin/start_apache2 -t
-  sudo /usr/sbin/start_apache2 -k start
-elif [ -x /usr/share/apache2/get_module_list ]; then
-  # older SUSE
-  sudo a2enmod rewrite
-  sudo a2enmod "$mod_php"
-
-  # update apache config
-  sudo /usr/share/apache2/get_includes
-  sudo /usr/share/apache2/get_module_list
-
-  sudo /usr/sbin/apache2ctl -k start
-elif [ -x /usr/sbin/httpd ]; then
-  # Disable mod_lua - it sometimes crashes on Fedora 25 with:
-  # mod_lua: Failed to create shared memory segment on file /tmp/httpd_lua_shm.187
-  sudo sh -ex <<<"test -e /etc/httpd/conf.modules.d/00-lua.conf && mv /etc/httpd/conf.modules.d/00-lua.conf{,.off} || true"
-
-  if [ -n "$fpm" ]; then
-    echo "Starting FPM daemon in background"
-    sudo $fpm -t
-    sudo $fpm -D
-  fi
-
-  sudo httpd -t
-  sudo httpd -k start
-else
-  echo "Can not detect how to start Apache!" >&2
+if ! $SCRIPT_HOME/prepare_test.sh; then
   exit 1
 fi