diff --git a/app/xdg-app-builtins-build.c b/app/xdg-app-builtins-build.c
index ea49b471..91d98275 100644
--- a/app/xdg-app-builtins-build.c
+++ b/app/xdg-app-builtins-build.c
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ xdg_app_builtin_build (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GError
   app_files = g_file_get_child (app_deploy, "files");
 
   argv_array = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func (g_free);
-  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, g_strdup (HELPER));
+  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, g_strdup (xdg_app_get_bwrap ()));
 
   custom_usr = FALSE;
   usr = g_file_get_child (app_deploy, "usr");
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ xdg_app_builtin_build (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GError
 
   g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, NULL);
 
-  if (!execve (HELPER, (char **)argv_array->pdata, envp))
+  if (!execve (xdg_app_get_bwrap (), (char **)argv_array->pdata, envp))
     {
       g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, g_io_error_from_errno (errno), "Unable to start app");
       return FALSE;
diff --git a/common/xdg-app-dir.c b/common/xdg-app-dir.c
index 59d752b9..1cc74b14 100644
--- a/common/xdg-app-dir.c
+++ b/common/xdg-app-dir.c
@@ -1752,10 +1752,15 @@ xdg_app_dir_run_triggers (XdgAppDir *self,
   g_autoptr(GFileInfo) child_info = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GFile) triggersdir = NULL;
   GError *temp_error = NULL;
+  const char *triggerspath;
 
-  g_debug ("running triggers");
+  triggerspath = g_getenv ("XDG_APP_TRIGGERSDIR");
+  if (triggerspath == NULL)
+    triggerspath = XDG_APP_TRIGGERDIR;
 
-  triggersdir = g_file_new_for_path (XDG_APP_TRIGGERDIR);
+  g_debug ("running triggers from %s", triggerspath);
+
+  triggersdir = g_file_new_for_path (triggerspath);
 
   dir_enum = g_file_enumerate_children (triggersdir, "standard::type,standard::name",
                                         0, cancellable, error);
@@ -1784,7 +1789,7 @@ xdg_app_dir_run_triggers (XdgAppDir *self,
 	  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, g_file_get_path (child));
 	  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, g_file_get_path (self->basedir));
 #else
-	  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, g_strdup (HELPER));
+	  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, g_strdup (xdg_app_get_bwrap ()));
 	  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, g_strdup ("--unshare-ipc"));
 	  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, g_strdup ("--unshare-net"));
 	  g_ptr_array_add (argv_array, g_strdup ("--unshare-pid"));
diff --git a/common/xdg-app-run.c b/common/xdg-app-run.c
index f0d7660c..e4d32f71 100644
--- a/common/xdg-app-run.c
+++ b/common/xdg-app-run.c
@@ -2320,6 +2320,7 @@ add_dbus_proxy_args (GPtrArray *argv_array,
                      GError **error)
 {
   char x = 'x';
+  const char *proxy;
 
   if (dbus_proxy_argv->len == 0)
     return TRUE;
@@ -2338,7 +2339,11 @@ add_dbus_proxy_args (GPtrArray *argv_array,
       add_args (argv_array, "--sync-fd", fd_str, NULL);
     }
 
-  g_ptr_array_insert (dbus_proxy_argv, 0, g_strdup (DBUSPROXY));
+  proxy = g_getenv ("XDG_APP_DBUSPROXY");
+  if (proxy == NULL)
+    proxy = DBUSPROXY;
+
+  g_ptr_array_insert (dbus_proxy_argv, 0, g_strdup (proxy));
   g_ptr_array_insert (dbus_proxy_argv, 1, g_strdup_printf ("--fd=%d", sync_fds[1]));
   if (enable_logging)
     g_ptr_array_insert (dbus_proxy_argv, 2, g_strdup ("--log"));
@@ -2951,7 +2956,7 @@ xdg_app_run_app (const char *app_ref,
     }
 
   real_argv_array = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func (g_free);
-  g_ptr_array_add (real_argv_array, g_strdup (HELPER));
+  g_ptr_array_add (real_argv_array, g_strdup (xdg_app_get_bwrap ()));
 
   {
     gsize len;
@@ -2989,7 +2994,7 @@ xdg_app_run_app (const char *app_ref,
     }
   else
     {
-      if (execvpe (HELPER, (char **)real_argv_array->pdata, envp) == -1)
+      if (execvpe (xdg_app_get_bwrap (), (char **)real_argv_array->pdata, envp) == -1)
         {
           g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, g_io_error_from_errno (errno), "Unable to start app");
           return FALSE;
diff --git a/common/xdg-app-utils.c b/common/xdg-app-utils.c
index 46906ce3..cbf50315 100644
--- a/common/xdg-app-utils.c
+++ b/common/xdg-app-utils.c
@@ -216,6 +216,15 @@ xdg_app_get_arch (void)
   return arch;
 }
 
+const char *
+xdg_app_get_bwrap (void)
+{
+  const char *e = g_getenv ("XDG_APP_BWRAP");
+  if (e != NULL)
+    return e;
+  return HELPER;
+}
+
 static gboolean
 is_valid_initial_name_character (gint c)
 {
diff --git a/common/xdg-app-utils.h b/common/xdg-app-utils.h
index 9b5e7c0c..5f0fbccc 100644
--- a/common/xdg-app-utils.h
+++ b/common/xdg-app-utils.h
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ const char * xdg_app_path_match_prefix (const char *pattern,
 
 const char * xdg_app_get_arch (void);
 
+const char * xdg_app_get_bwrap (void);
+
 GBytes * xdg_app_read_stream (GInputStream *in,
                               gboolean null_terminate,
                               GError **error);
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am.inc b/tests/Makefile.am.inc
index 0d7d3c89..a59a87ae 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am.inc
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am.inc
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 TESTS_ENVIRONMENT += OT_TESTS_DEBUG=1 \
+	XDG_APP_TRIGGERSDIR=$$(cd $(top_srcdir) && pwd)/triggers \
+	XDG_APP_BWRAP=$$(cd $(top_builddir) && pwd)/bwrap \
+	XDG_APP_DBUSPROXY=$$(cd $(top_builddir) && pwd)/xdg-dbus-proxy \
 	GI_TYPELIB_PATH=$$(cd $(top_builddir) && pwd) \
 	LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$$(cd $(top_builddir)/.libs && pwd) \
 	PATH=$$(cd $(top_builddir) && pwd):$${PATH} \