diff --git a/doc/builders/testers.chapter.md b/doc/builders/testers.chapter.md
index a644262fd9c9..928a57673e77 100644
--- a/doc/builders/testers.chapter.md
+++ b/doc/builders/testers.chapter.md
@@ -164,6 +164,26 @@ tests.fetchgit = testers.invalidateFetcherByDrvHash fetchgit {
 };
 ```
 
+## `runNixOSTest` {#tester-runNixOSTest}
+
+A helper function that behaves exactly like the NixOS `runTest`, except it also assigns this Nixpkgs package set as the `pkgs` of the test and makes the `nixpkgs.*` options read-only.
+
+If your test is part of the Nixpkgs repository, or if you need a more general entrypoint, see ["Calling a test" in the NixOS manual](https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/index.html#sec-calling-nixos-tests).
+
+Example:
+
+```nix
+pkgs.testers.runNixOSTest ({ lib, ... }: {
+  name = "hello";
+  nodes.machine = { pkgs, ... }: {
+    environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.hello ];
+  };
+  testScript = ''
+    machine.succeed("hello")
+  '';
+})
+```
+
 ## `nixosTest` {#tester-nixosTest}
 
 Run a NixOS VM network test using this evaluation of Nixpkgs.
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/testers/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/testers/default.nix
index 542133dd959a..190ce72d0e63 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/testers/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/testers/default.nix
@@ -94,6 +94,20 @@
         else salted;
     in checked;
 
+  # See doc/builders/testers.chapter.md or
+  # https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/unstable/#tester-runNixOSTest
+  runNixOSTest =
+    let nixos = import ../../../nixos/lib {};
+    in testModule:
+        nixos.runTest {
+          _file = "pkgs.runNixOSTest implementation";
+          imports = [
+            (lib.setDefaultModuleLocation "the argument that was passed to pkgs.runNixOSTest" testModule)
+          ];
+          hostPkgs = pkgs;
+          node.pkgs = pkgs;
+        };
+
   # See doc/builders/testers.chapter.md or
   # https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/unstable/#tester-invalidateFetcherByDrvHash
   nixosTest =
diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/testers/test/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/testers/test/default.nix
index 313c556737fb..fc4df4964f39 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/testers/test/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/testers/test/default.nix
@@ -14,6 +14,17 @@ in
 lib.recurseIntoAttrs {
   hasPkgConfigModule = pkgs.callPackage ../hasPkgConfigModule/tests.nix { };
 
+  runNixOSTest-example = pkgs-with-overlay.testers.runNixOSTest ({ lib, ... }: {
+    name = "runNixOSTest-test";
+    nodes.machine = { pkgs, ... }: {
+      system.nixos = dummyVersioning;
+      environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.proof-of-overlay-hello pkgs.figlet ];
+    };
+    testScript = ''
+      machine.succeed("hello | figlet >/dev/console")
+    '';
+  });
+
   # Check that the wiring of nixosTest is correct.
   # Correct operation of the NixOS test driver should be asserted elsewhere.
   nixosTest-example = pkgs-with-overlay.testers.nixosTest ({ lib, pkgs, figlet, ... }: {