diff --git a/t/test-lib.sh b/t/test-lib.sh
index 8665b0a9b6..8bb892b1af 100644
--- a/t/test-lib.sh
+++ b/t/test-lib.sh
@@ -1227,7 +1227,7 @@ elif test -n "$GIT_TEST_INSTALLED"
 then
 	GIT_EXEC_PATH=$($GIT_TEST_INSTALLED/git --exec-path)  ||
 	error "Cannot run git from $GIT_TEST_INSTALLED."
-	PATH=$GIT_TEST_INSTALLED:$GIT_BUILD_DIR/t/helper:$PATH
+	PATH=$GIT_TEST_INSTALLED:$GIT_BUILD_DIR/t/helper:$GIT_BUILD_DIR:$PATH
 	GIT_EXEC_PATH=${GIT_TEST_EXEC_PATH:-$GIT_EXEC_PATH}
 else # normal case, use ../bin-wrappers only unless $with_dashes:
 	if test -n "$no_bin_wrappers"