diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4b47be5..54dad8d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ LDLIBS ?= -lm
 HOSTCFLAGS ?= -O2
 
 STATIC_LIB := $(OUTDIR)/libfec.a
+TEST_EXEEXT := $(if $(filter windows,$(BUILD)),.exe)
 
 SOURCES := \
 	cpu_mode_generic.c fec.c sim.c \
@@ -105,19 +106,40 @@ SOURCES := \
 GENERATED_SOURCES := $(GENDIR)/ccsds_tab.c $(GENDIR)/ccsds_tal.c
 OBJECTS := $(addprefix $(OBJDIR)/,$(SOURCES:.c=.o)) \
 	$(OBJDIR)/ccsds_tab.o $(OBJDIR)/ccsds_tal.o
-DEPS := $(OBJECTS:.o=.d)
+TESTS := vtest27 vtest29 vtest615 rstest dtest sumsq_test peaktest
+TEST_PROGRAMS := $(addprefix $(OUTDIR)/,$(addsuffix $(TEST_EXEEXT),$(TESTS)))
+TEST_OBJECTS := $(addprefix $(OBJDIR)/,$(addsuffix .o,$(TESTS)))
+DEPS := $(OBJECTS:.o=.d) $(TEST_OBJECTS:.o=.d)
 
 GEN_CCSDS := $(TOOLDIR)/gen_ccsds$(if $(filter windows,$(HOST_OS)),.exe)
 GEN_TAL   := $(TOOLDIR)/gen_ccsds_tal$(if $(filter windows,$(HOST_OS)),.exe)
 HOST_GEN_OBJECTS := $(TOOLDIR)/gen_ccsds.o $(TOOLDIR)/init_rs_char.o
 
 .DEFAULT_GOAL := all
-.PHONY: all build linux macos windows static shared check-tools clean
+.SECONDARY: $(TEST_OBJECTS)
+.PHONY: all build linux macos windows static shared test check-tools clean
 
 all: build
 build: check-tools static shared
 static: $(STATIC_LIB)
 shared: $(SHARED_LIB)
+ifeq ($(BUILD),$(HOST_OS))
+test: $(TEST_PROGRAMS)
+	$(OUTDIR)/vtest27$(TEST_EXEEXT) -e 3.0 -n 1000 -v
+	$(OUTDIR)/vtest27$(TEST_EXEEXT)
+	$(OUTDIR)/vtest29$(TEST_EXEEXT) -e 2.5 -n 1000 -v
+	$(OUTDIR)/vtest29$(TEST_EXEEXT)
+	$(OUTDIR)/vtest615$(TEST_EXEEXT) -e 1.0 -n 100 -v
+	$(OUTDIR)/vtest615$(TEST_EXEEXT)
+	$(OUTDIR)/rstest$(TEST_EXEEXT)
+	$(OUTDIR)/dtest$(TEST_EXEEXT)
+	$(OUTDIR)/sumsq_test$(TEST_EXEEXT)
+	$(OUTDIR)/peaktest$(TEST_EXEEXT)
+else
+test:
+	@echo "Error: tests can only run for the host platform ($(HOST_OS)); requested BUILD=$(BUILD)."
+	@exit 1
+endif
 
 # Explicit platform aliases are recursive so their toolchains and paths are
 # resolved with the requested BUILD value from the start.
@@ -148,6 +170,9 @@ $(STATIC_LIB): $(OBJECTS) | $(OUTDIR)
 $(SHARED_LIB): $(OBJECTS) | $(OUTDIR)
 	$(CC) $(SHARED_FLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $^ $(LDLIBS)
 
+$(OUTDIR)/%$(TEST_EXEEXT): $(OBJDIR)/%.o $(STATIC_LIB) | $(OUTDIR)
+	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $^ $(LDLIBS)
+
 $(OBJDIR)/%.o: %.c | $(OBJDIR)
 	$(CC) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(PIC_CFLAGS) -MMD -MP -I. -c -o $@ $<
 
diff --git a/README b/README
index edcec20..f20cec2 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ The resulting files are in lib/linux/, lib/macos/ or lib/windows/. Use
 `make static` or `make shared` to build only one library type, and `make clean`
 to remove all generated files.
 
+To build and run the native test programs:
+
+    make test
+
 Revision history:
 Version 1.0 released 29 May 2001