diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 61bbe4e74..f21fe3132 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -67,9 +67,13 @@ find_package(Boost REQUIRED COMPONENTS system thread filesystem)
 
 set(LIBDIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../xs/src/)
 set(GUI_LIBDIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/GUI/)
+
 set(TESTDIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test)
 set(GUI_TESTDIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/GUI/)
 
+# directory that contains the dependent non-source files, like models and configurations
+set(TESTFILE_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/inputs/)
+
 include_directories(${LIBDIR})
 include_directories(${LIBDIR}/libslic3r)
 include_directories(${LIBDIR}/slic3r/GUI/)
@@ -376,11 +380,14 @@ if (SLIC3R_BUILD_TESTS)
         target_include_directories(Catch INTERFACE ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/external/Catch/include)
         target_compile_definitions(Catch INTERFACE $<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:MSVC>:_SILENCE_CXX17_UNCAUGHT_EXCEPTION_DEPRECATION_WARNING>)
     endif()
+    include_directories(${LIBDIR}/test)
+    configure_file("${LIBDIR}/test/test_options.hpp.in" "${LIBDIR}/test/test_options.hpp")
     add_executable(slic3r_test ${SLIC3R_TEST_SOURCES}) 
     add_test(NAME TestSlic3r COMMAND slic3r_test)
+
     target_link_libraries(slic3r_test PUBLIC libslic3r Catch ${LIBSLIC3R_DEPENDS})
 endif()
 
 if (BUILD_EXTRUDE_TIN)
     target_link_libraries (extrude-tin libslic3r ${LIBSLIC3R_DEPENDS})
-endif()
+endif(
diff --git a/src/test/inputs/README.md b/src/test/inputs/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4faa8a7dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/inputs/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Directory containing test-specific input files that are not source code.
+
+===
+
+Rules
+===
+* Each folder shall be named for the test that it supports. 
+   * `test_config` directory supports `test_config.cpp`, etc.
+* If a specific test file is reused across multiple tests, it should go in the `common` directory.
+* Each extra input file should be named in such a way that it is relevant to the specific feature of it. 
+* No files should have special characters in the name (unless those special characters are part of the test). 
+* No spaces should be in the file paths (again, unless testing the presence of spaces is part of the test).
diff --git a/src/test/inputs/test_config/new_from_ini.ini b/src/test/inputs/test_config/new_from_ini.ini
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/src/test/libslic3r/test_config.cpp b/src/test/libslic3r/test_config.cpp
index e49fcf9be..0aeb8f0f0 100644
--- a/src/test/libslic3r/test_config.cpp
+++ b/src/test/libslic3r/test_config.cpp
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 #include <catch.hpp>
 
 #include "Config.hpp"
+#include <test_paths.hpp>
+
+#include <string>
 
 using namespace Slic3r;
+using namespace std::string_literals;
 
 SCENARIO("Generic config validation performs as expected.", "[!mayfail]") {
     GIVEN("A config generated from default options") {
@@ -96,5 +100,10 @@ SCENARIO("Config accessor functions perform as expected.", "[!mayfail]") {
 }
 
 SCENARIO("Config ini load/save interface", "[!mayfail]") {
+    WHEN("new_from_ini is called") {
+        auto config {Slic3r::Config::new_from_config(std::string(testfile_dir) + "test_config/new_from_ini.ini"s) };
+        THEN("Config object contains ini file options.") {
+        }
+    }
     REQUIRE(false);
 }
diff --git a/src/test/test_options.hpp.in b/src/test/test_options.hpp.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8e75ecda6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/test_options.hpp.in
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#ifndef TEST_OPTIONS_HPP
+
+/// Directory path, passed in from the outside, for the path to the test inputs dir.
+constexpr auto* testfile_dir {U"@TESTFILE_DIR@"};
+
+#endif // TEST_OPTIONS_HPP