diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index e861c042..0b691773 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -136,14 +136,24 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           make -C build/extra/gcc-m32/debug test
           make -C build/extra/gcc-m32/release test
+      - name: 'Mimic ctest tests'
+        run: |
+          env -C build/extra/gcc/debug     bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/mimic_ctest.sh
+          env -C build/extra/gcc/release   bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/mimic_ctest.sh
+          env -C build/extra/clang/debug   bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/mimic_ctest.sh
+          env -C build/extra/clang/release bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/mimic_ctest.sh
+      - name: 'Mimic ctest tests 32-bit'
+        if: ${{ matrix.use_m32 }}
+        run: |
+          env -C build/extra/gcc-m32/debug   bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/mimic_ctest.sh
+          env -C build/extra/gcc-m32/release bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/mimic_ctest.sh
       - name: 'Run file system test suite'
         run: |
           env -C build/extra/gcc/release bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/test_symlinks.sh
       - name: 'Run test suite build/extra/gcc/release'
         run: |
           export upx_testsuite_SRCDIR="$(readlink -en ../deps/upx-testsuite)"
-          testsuite_1="$(readlink -en ./misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh)"
-          env -C build/extra/gcc/release upx_exe=./upx bash "$testsuite_1"
+          env -C build/extra/gcc/release bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh
 
   job-macos-cmake: # uses cmake + make
     if: true
@@ -218,12 +228,15 @@ jobs:
           make -C build/extra/clang/debug test
           #make -C build/extra/clang/release test
           for f in ./build/extra/*/*/upx; do echo "===== $f"; $f --sysinfo -v; done
+      - name: 'Mimic ctest tests'
+        if: ${{ !contains(matrix.os, 'macos-13') }} # FIXME: UPX on macos-13 is broken => disable self-test for now
+        run: |
+          export PATH="/usr/local/opt/coreutils/libexec/gnubin:$PATH"
+          env -C build/extra/clang/debug   bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/mimic_ctest.sh
+          #env -C build/extra/clang/release bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/mimic_ctest.sh
       - name: 'Run file system test suite'
         if: ${{ matrix.testsuite }} # for coreutils readlink
         run: |
-          ## macos-11 does not have "readlink -f"
-          ##   testsuite="$(readlink -fn ./misc/testsuite/test_symlinks.sh)"
-          ##   (cd build/extra/clang/release && upx_exe=./upx bash "$testsuite")
           export PATH="/usr/local/opt/coreutils/libexec/gnubin:$PATH"
           env -C build/extra/clang/release bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/test_symlinks.sh
       - name: 'Run test suite build/extra/clang/release'
@@ -231,8 +244,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           export PATH="/usr/local/opt/coreutils/libexec/gnubin:$PATH"
           export upx_testsuite_SRCDIR="$(readlink -en ../deps/upx-testsuite)"
-          testsuite_1="$(readlink -en ./misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh)"
-          env -C build/extra/clang/release upx_exe=./upx bash "$testsuite_1"
+          env -C build/extra/clang/release bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh
 
   job-windows-cmake: # uses cmake + msbuild
     if: true
@@ -286,8 +298,7 @@ jobs:
         shell: bash
         run: |
           export upx_testsuite_SRCDIR="$(readlink -en ../deps/upx-testsuite)"
-          testsuite_1="$(readlink -en ./misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh)"
-          env -C build/release/Release upx_exe=./upx bash "$testsuite_1"
+          env -C build/release/Release bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh
 
   job-windows-toolchains: # build "by hand" using cmd.exe
     if: github.repository_owner == 'upx'
@@ -397,8 +408,7 @@ jobs:
         shell: bash
         run: |
           export upx_testsuite_SRCDIR="$(readlink -en ../deps/upx-testsuite)"
-          testsuite_1="$(readlink -en ./misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh)"
-          env -C build/$C/$B/upx upx_exe=./upx.exe bash "$testsuite_1"
+          env -C build/$C/$B/upx upx_exe=./upx.exe bash "$PWD"/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh
 
   job-linux-zigcc: # uses cmake + make
     if: github.repository_owner == 'upx'
@@ -420,7 +430,7 @@ jobs:
           - { zig_target: aarch64-windows-gnu }
           - { zig_target: arm-linux-musleabihf }
           # { zig_target: arm-linux-musleabihf, zig_pic: -fPIE }
-          # { zig_target: i386-linux-musl }
+          - { zig_target: i386-linux-musl }
           # { zig_target: i386-linux-musl, zig_pic: -fPIE }
           - { zig_target: i386-windows-gnu }
           # { zig_target: mips-linux-musl }
diff --git a/misc/testsuite/mimic_ctest.sh b/misc/testsuite/mimic_ctest.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..38663694
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/testsuite/mimic_ctest.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env bash
+## vim:set ts=4 sw=4 et:
+set -e; set -o pipefail
+argv0=$0; argv0abs=$(readlink -fn "$argv0"); argv0dir=$(dirname "$argv0abs")
+
+#
+# Copyright (C) Markus Franz Xaver Johannes Oberhumer
+#
+# mimic running "ctest", i.e. the "test" section of CMakeLists.txt; does not redirect stdout
+#
+# requires:
+#   $upx_exe                (required, but with convenience fallback "./upx")
+# optional settings:
+#   $upx_exe_runner         (e.g. "qemu-x86_64 -cpu Nehalem" or "valgrind")
+#
+
+#***********************************************************************
+# init & checks
+#***********************************************************************
+
+# upx_exe
+[[ -z $upx_exe && -f ./upx && -x ./upx ]] && upx_exe=./upx # convenience fallback
+if [[ -z $upx_exe ]]; then echo "UPX-ERROR: please set \$upx_exe"; exit 1; fi
+if [[ ! -f $upx_exe ]]; then echo "UPX-ERROR: file '$upx_exe' does not exist"; exit 1; fi
+upx_exe=$(readlink -fn "$upx_exe") # make absolute
+[[ -f $upx_exe ]] || exit 1
+upx_run=()
+if [[ -n $upx_exe_runner ]]; then
+    # usage examples:
+    #   export upx_exe_runner="qemu-x86_64 -cpu Nehalem"
+    #   export upx_exe_runner="valgrind --leak-check=no --error-exitcode=1 --quiet"
+    #   export upx_exe_runner="wine"
+    IFS=' ' read -r -a upx_run <<< "$upx_exe_runner" # split at spaces into array
+elif [[ -n $CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING_EMULATOR ]]; then
+    IFS=';' read -r -a upx_run <<< "$CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING_EMULATOR" # split at semicolons into array
+fi
+upx_runner=( "${upx_run[@]}" )
+upx_run+=( "$upx_exe" )
+echo "upx_run='${upx_run[*]}'"
+
+# upx_run sanity check
+if ! "${upx_run[@]}" --version-short >/dev/null; then echo "UPX-ERROR: FATAL: upx --version-short FAILED"; exit 1; fi
+if ! "${upx_run[@]}" -L >/dev/null 2>&1; then echo "UPX-ERROR: FATAL: upx -L FAILED"; exit 1; fi
+if ! "${upx_run[@]}" --help >/dev/null;  then echo "UPX-ERROR: FATAL: upx --help FAILED"; exit 1; fi
+
+#***********************************************************************
+# see CMakeLists.txt
+#***********************************************************************
+
+export UPX="--no-color --no-progress"
+
+"${upx_run[@]}" --version
+"${upx_run[@]}" --help
+"${upx_run[@]}" --sysinfo -v
+
+exe=".out"
+upx_self_exe=$upx_exe
+fo="--force-overwrite"
+
+"${upx_run[@]}" -3         "${upx_self_exe}" ${fo} -o upx-packed${exe}
+"${upx_run[@]}" -3 --nrv2b "${upx_self_exe}" ${fo} -o upx-packed-n2b${exe}
+"${upx_run[@]}" -3 --nrv2d "${upx_self_exe}" ${fo} -o upx-packed-n2d${exe}
+"${upx_run[@]}" -3 --nrv2e "${upx_self_exe}" ${fo} -o upx-packed-n2e${exe}
+"${upx_run[@]}" -1 --lzma  "${upx_self_exe}" ${fo} -o upx-packed-lzma${exe}
+
+"${upx_run[@]}" -l         upx-packed${exe} upx-packed-n2b${exe} upx-packed-n2d${exe} upx-packed-n2e${exe} upx-packed-lzma${exe}
+"${upx_run[@]}" --fileinfo upx-packed${exe} upx-packed-n2b${exe} upx-packed-n2d${exe} upx-packed-n2e${exe} upx-packed-lzma${exe}
+"${upx_run[@]}" -t         upx-packed${exe} upx-packed-n2b${exe} upx-packed-n2d${exe} upx-packed-n2e${exe} upx-packed-lzma${exe}
+"${upx_run[@]}" -d upx-packed${exe} ${fo} -o upx-unpacked${exe}
+
+set -x
+"${upx_runner[@]}" ./upx-unpacked${exe} --version-short
+"${upx_runner[@]}" ./upx-packed${exe} --version-short
+
+echo "All done."
diff --git a/misc/testsuite/test_symlinks.sh b/misc/testsuite/test_symlinks.sh
index 841b768c..617ad95e 100755
--- a/misc/testsuite/test_symlinks.sh
+++ b/misc/testsuite/test_symlinks.sh
@@ -46,11 +46,13 @@ if [[ -n $upx_exe_runner ]]; then
     #   export upx_exe_runner="valgrind --leak-check=no --error-exitcode=1 --quiet"
     #   export upx_exe_runner="wine"
     IFS=' ' read -r -a upx_run <<< "$upx_exe_runner" # split at spaces into array
+elif [[ -n $CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING_EMULATOR ]]; then
+    IFS=';' read -r -a upx_run <<< "$CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING_EMULATOR" # split at semicolons into array
 fi
 upx_run+=( "$upx_exe" )
 echo "upx_run='${upx_run[*]}'"
 
-# upx_run check
+# upx_run sanity check
 if ! "${upx_run[@]}" --version-short >/dev/null; then echo "UPX-ERROR: FATAL: upx --version-short FAILED"; exit 1; fi
 if ! "${upx_run[@]}" -L >/dev/null 2>&1; then echo "UPX-ERROR: FATAL: upx -L FAILED"; exit 1; fi
 if ! "${upx_run[@]}" --help >/dev/null;  then echo "UPX-ERROR: FATAL: upx --help FAILED"; exit 1; fi
diff --git a/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh b/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh
index e92218db..0d5ed7a7 100755
--- a/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh
+++ b/misc/testsuite/upx_testsuite_1.sh
@@ -36,11 +36,13 @@ if [[ -n $upx_exe_runner ]]; then
     #   export upx_exe_runner="valgrind --leak-check=no --error-exitcode=1 --quiet"
     #   export upx_exe_runner="wine"
     IFS=' ' read -r -a upx_run <<< "$upx_exe_runner" # split at spaces into array
+elif [[ -n $CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING_EMULATOR ]]; then
+    IFS=';' read -r -a upx_run <<< "$CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING_EMULATOR" # split at semicolons into array
 fi
 upx_run+=( "$upx_exe" )
 echo "upx_run='${upx_run[*]}'"
 
-# upx_run check, part1
+# upx_run sanity check, part1
 if ! "${upx_run[@]}" --version-short >/dev/null; then echo "UPX-ERROR: FATAL: upx --version-short FAILED"; exit 1; fi
 if ! "${upx_run[@]}" -L >/dev/null 2>&1; then echo "UPX-ERROR: FATAL: upx -L FAILED"; exit 1; fi
 if ! "${upx_run[@]}" --help >/dev/null;  then echo "UPX-ERROR: FATAL: upx --help FAILED"; exit 1; fi
@@ -76,7 +78,7 @@ upx_testsuite_BUILDDIR=$(readlink -fn "$upx_testsuite_BUILDDIR") # make absolute
 cd / && cd "$upx_testsuite_BUILDDIR" || exit 1
 : > ./.mfxnobackup
 
-# upx_run check, part2
+# upx_run sanity check, part2
 if ! "${upx_run[@]}" --version-short >/dev/null; then
     echo "UPX-ERROR: FATAL: upx --version-short FAILED"
     echo "please make sure that \$upx_exe contains ABSOLUTE file paths and can be run from any directory"