diff --git a/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/README.md b/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/README.md
index f2fd9fc666..5d303ffac4 100644
--- a/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/README.md
+++ b/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/README.md
@@ -52,11 +52,10 @@ use /path/to/standard_library/std.nu
 
 ## :pencil2: contribute to the standard library
 ### :wrench: add new commands
-- add new standard commands to [`std.nu`](std.nu)
-- add associated tests to [`tests.nu`](tests.nu)
-    - define a new `test_<feature>` before the `main`
+- add new standard commands to [`std.nu`](std.nu), or preferably create a new submodule.
+- add associated tests to [`test_std.nu`](tests_std.nu) or preferably to `test_<submodule>.nu`.
+    - define a new exported (!) `test_<feature>` command
     - import the `assert` functions you need at the top of the functions, e.g. `use std.nu "assert eq"`
-    - add a call to `test_<feature>` at the bottom of the `main`
 
 ### :test_tube: run the tests
 the following call should return no errors
diff --git a/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/test_dirs.nu b/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/test_dirs.nu
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bb1f568a83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/test_dirs.nu
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+use std.nu
+
+def "myassert" [
+    predicate: bool
+    msg?:string = "..."
+    --verbose = false (-v)  # enable to see successful tests
+] {
+    if not $predicate {
+        let span = (metadata $predicate).span
+        error make {msg: $"Assertion failed checking ($msg)",
+                    label: {text: "Condition not true" start: $span.start end: $span.end}}
+    } else {
+        if $verbose {
+            echo $"check succeeded: ($msg)"
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+export def test_dirs_command [] {
+    # need some directories to play with
+    let base_path = (($nu.temp-path) | path join $"test_dirs_(random uuid)" | path expand )
+    let path_a = ($base_path | path join "a")
+    let path_b = ($base_path | path join "b")
+
+    try {
+        mkdir $base_path $path_a $path_b
+        cd $base_path
+        use dirs.nu
+
+        myassert (1 == ($env.DIRS_LIST | length)) "list is just pwd after initialization"
+        myassert ($base_path == $env.DIRS_LIST.0) "list is just pwd after initialization"
+
+        dirs next
+        myassert ($base_path == $env.DIRS_LIST.0) "next wraps at end of list"
+
+        dirs prev
+        myassert ($base_path == $env.DIRS_LIST.0) "prev wraps at top of list"
+
+        dirs add $path_b $path_a
+        myassert ($path_b == $env.PWD) "add changes PWD to first added dir"
+        myassert (3 == ($env.DIRS_LIST | length)) "add in fact adds to list"
+        myassert ($path_a == $env.DIRS_LIST.2) "add in fact adds to list"
+
+        dirs next 2
+        myassert ($base_path == $env.PWD) "next wraps at end of list"
+
+        dirs prev 1
+        myassert ($path_a == $env.PWD) "prev wraps at start of list"
+
+        dirs drop
+        myassert (2 == ($env.DIRS_LIST | length)) "drop removes from list"
+        myassert ($base_path == $env.PWD) "drop changes PWD to next in list (after dropped element)"
+
+        myassert ((dirs show) == [[active path]; [true $base_path] [false $path_b]]) "show table contains expected information"
+    } catch { |error|
+        $error | debug
+        true
+    }
+
+    cd $base_path
+    cd ..
+    rm -r $base_path
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/test_std.nu b/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/test_std.nu
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..802728f751
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/test_std.nu
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+use std.nu
+
+export def test_assert [] {
+    def test_failing [code: closure] {
+        let code_did_run = (try { do $code; true } catch { false })
+
+        if $code_did_run {
+            error make {msg: (view source $code)}
+        }
+    }
+
+    std assert true
+    std assert (1 + 2 == 3)
+    test_failing { std assert false }
+    test_failing { std assert (1 + 2 == 4) }
+
+    std assert eq (1 + 2) 3
+    test_failing { std assert eq 1 "foo" }
+    test_failing { std assert eq (1 + 2) 4) }
+
+    std assert ne (1 + 2) 4
+    test_failing { std assert ne 1 "foo" }
+    test_failing { std assert ne (1 + 2) 3) }
+}
+
+export def test_match [] {
+    use std.nu assert
+
+    let branches = {
+        1: { -1 }
+        2: { -2 }
+    }
+
+    assert ((std match 1 $branches) == -1)
+    assert ((std match 2 $branches) == -2)
+    assert ((std match 3 $branches) == $nothing)
+
+    assert ((std match 1 $branches { 0 }) == -1)
+    assert ((std match 2 $branches { 0 }) == -2)
+    assert ((std match 3 $branches { 0 }) == 0)
+}
+
+export def test_path_add [] {
+    use std.nu "assert eq"
+
+    with-env [PATH []] {
+        assert eq $env.PATH []
+
+        std path add "/foo/"
+        assert eq $env.PATH ["/foo/"]
+
+        std path add "/bar/" "/baz/"
+        assert eq $env.PATH ["/bar/", "/baz/", "/foo/"]
+
+        let-env PATH = []
+
+        std path add "foo"
+        std path add "bar" "baz" --append
+        assert eq $env.PATH ["foo", "bar", "baz"]
+
+        assert eq (std path add "fooooo" --ret) ["fooooo", "foo", "bar", "baz"]
+        assert eq $env.PATH ["fooooo", "foo", "bar", "baz"]
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/tests.nu b/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/tests.nu
index 6437a14c2f..e023471978 100644
--- a/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/tests.nu
+++ b/crates/nu-utils/standard_library/tests.nu
@@ -1,135 +1,19 @@
-use std.nu
-
-def test_assert [] {
-    def test_failing [code: closure] {
-        let code_did_run = (try { do $code; true } catch { false })
-
-        if $code_did_run {
-            error make {msg: (view source $code)}
-        }
-    }
-
-    std assert true
-    std assert (1 + 2 == 3)
-    test_failing { std assert false }
-    test_failing { std assert (1 + 2 == 4) }
-
-    std assert eq (1 + 2) 3
-    test_failing { std assert eq 1 "foo" }
-    test_failing { std assert eq (1 + 2) 4) }
-
-    std assert ne (1 + 2) 4
-    test_failing { std assert ne 1 "foo" }
-    test_failing { std assert ne (1 + 2) 3) }
-}
-
-def tests [] {
-    use std.nu assert
-
-    let branches = {
-        1: { -1 }
-        2: { -2 }
-    }
-
-    assert ((std match 1 $branches) == -1)
-    assert ((std match 2 $branches) == -2)
-    assert ((std match 3 $branches) == $nothing)
-
-    assert ((std match 1 $branches { 0 }) == -1)
-    assert ((std match 2 $branches { 0 }) == -2)
-    assert ((std match 3 $branches { 0 }) == 0)
-}
-
-def test_path_add [] {
-    use std.nu "assert eq"
-
-    with-env [PATH []] {
-        assert eq $env.PATH []
-
-        std path add "/foo/"
-        assert eq $env.PATH ["/foo/"]
-
-        std path add "/bar/" "/baz/"
-        assert eq $env.PATH ["/bar/", "/baz/", "/foo/"]
-
-        let-env PATH = []
-
-        std path add "foo"
-        std path add "bar" "baz" --append
-        assert eq $env.PATH ["foo", "bar", "baz"]
-
-        assert eq (std path add "fooooo" --ret) ["fooooo", "foo", "bar", "baz"]
-        assert eq $env.PATH ["fooooo", "foo", "bar", "baz"]
-    }
-}
-
-
-def test_dirs [] {
-
-    def "myassert" [
-        predicate: bool
-        msg?:string = "..."
-        --verbose = false (-v)  # enable to see successful tests
-    ] {
-        if not $predicate {
-            let span = (metadata $predicate).span
-            error make {msg: $"Assertion failed checking ($msg)",
-                        label: {text: "Condition not true" start: $span.start end: $span.end}}
-        } else {
-            if $verbose {
-                echo $"check succeeded: ($msg)"
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    # need some directories to play with
-    let base_path = (($nu.temp-path) | path join $"test_dirs_(random uuid)" | path expand )
-    let path_a = ($base_path | path join "a")
-    let path_b = ($base_path | path join "b")
-
-    try {
-        mkdir $base_path $path_a $path_b
-        cd $base_path
-        use dirs.nu
-
-        myassert (1 == ($env.DIRS_LIST | length)) "list is just pwd after initialization"
-        myassert ($base_path == $env.DIRS_LIST.0) "list is just pwd after initialization"
-
-        dirs next
-        myassert ($base_path == $env.DIRS_LIST.0) "next wraps at end of list"
-
-        dirs prev
-        myassert ($base_path == $env.DIRS_LIST.0) "prev wraps at top of list"
-
-        dirs add $path_b $path_a
-        myassert ($path_b == $env.PWD) "add changes PWD to first added dir"
-        myassert (3 == ($env.DIRS_LIST | length)) "add in fact adds to list"
-        myassert ($path_a == $env.DIRS_LIST.2) "add in fact adds to list"
-
-        dirs next 2
-        myassert ($base_path == $env.PWD) "next wraps at end of list"
-
-        dirs prev 1
-        myassert ($path_a == $env.PWD) "prev wraps at start of list"
-
-        dirs drop
-        myassert (2 == ($env.DIRS_LIST | length)) "drop removes from list"
-        myassert ($base_path == $env.PWD) "drop changes PWD to next in list (after dropped element)"
-
-        myassert ((dirs show) == [[active path]; [true $base_path] [false $path_b]]) "show table contains expected information"
-    } catch { |error|
-        $error | debug
-        true
-    }
-
-    cd $base_path
-    cd ..
-    rm -r $base_path
-}
-
 def main [] {
-    test_assert
-    tests
-    test_path_add
-    test_dirs
+    for test_file in (ls ($env.FILE_PWD | path join "test_*.nu") -f | get name) {
+        let $module_name = ($test_file | path parse).stem
+
+        echo $"(ansi default)INFO  Run tests in ($module_name)(ansi reset)"
+        let tests = (
+            nu -c $'use ($test_file) *; $nu.scope.commands | to nuon'
+            | from nuon
+            | where module_name == $module_name
+            | where ($it.name | str starts-with "test_")
+            | get name
+        )
+
+        for test_case in $tests {
+            echo $"(ansi default_dimmed)DEBUG Run test ($module_name)/($test_case)(ansi reset)"
+            nu -c $'use ($test_file) ($test_case); ($test_case)'
+        }
+    }
 }