diff --git a/test/boot/bootstd_common.c b/test/boot/bootstd_common.c
index 05347d8710..59d46bef0c 100644
--- a/test/boot/bootstd_common.c
+++ b/test/boot/bootstd_common.c
@@ -9,10 +9,46 @@
 #include <common.h>
 #include <bootstd.h>
 #include <dm.h>
+#include <memalign.h>
+#include <mmc.h>
+#include <linux/log2.h>
 #include <test/suites.h>
 #include <test/ut.h>
+#include <u-boot/crc.h>
 #include "bootstd_common.h"
 
+bool vbe_setup_done;
+
+/* set up MMC for VBE tests */
+int bootstd_setup_for_tests(void)
+{
+	ALLOC_CACHE_ALIGN_BUFFER(u8, buf, MMC_MAX_BLOCK_LEN);
+	struct udevice *mmc;
+	struct blk_desc *desc;
+	int ret;
+
+	/* Set up the version string */
+	ret = uclass_get_device(UCLASS_MMC, 1, &mmc);
+	if (ret)
+		return log_msg_ret("mmc", -EIO);
+	desc = blk_get_by_device(mmc);
+
+	memset(buf, '\0', MMC_MAX_BLOCK_LEN);
+	strcpy(buf, TEST_VERSION);
+	if (blk_dwrite(desc, VERSION_START_BLK, 1, buf) != 1)
+		return log_msg_ret("wr1", -EIO);
+
+	/* Set up the nvdata */
+	memset(buf, '\0', MMC_MAX_BLOCK_LEN);
+	buf[1] = ilog2(0x40) << 4 | 1;
+	*(u32 *)(buf + 4) = TEST_VERNUM;
+	buf[0] = crc8(0, buf + 1, 0x3f);
+	if (blk_dwrite(desc, NVDATA_START_BLK, 1, buf) != 1)
+		return log_msg_ret("wr2", -EIO);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int bootstd_test_drop_bootdev_order(struct unit_test_state *uts)
 {
 	struct bootstd_priv *priv;
@@ -30,6 +66,18 @@ int do_ut_bootstd(struct cmd_tbl *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *const argv[])
 	struct unit_test *tests = UNIT_TEST_SUITE_START(bootstd_test);
 	const int n_ents = UNIT_TEST_SUITE_COUNT(bootstd_test);
 
+	if (!vbe_setup_done) {
+		int ret;
+
+		ret = bootstd_setup_for_tests();
+		if (ret) {
+			printf("Failed to set up for bootstd tests (err=%d)\n",
+			       ret);
+			return CMD_RET_FAILURE;
+		}
+		vbe_setup_done = true;
+	}
+
 	return cmd_ut_category("bootstd", "bootstd_test_",
 			       tests, n_ents, argc, argv);
 }
diff --git a/test/boot/bootstd_common.h b/test/boot/bootstd_common.h
index 676ef0a57f..c5e0fd1cea 100644
--- a/test/boot/bootstd_common.h
+++ b/test/boot/bootstd_common.h
@@ -9,10 +9,17 @@
 #ifndef __bootstd_common_h
 #define __bootstd_common_h
 
+#include <version_string.h>
+
 /* Declare a new bootdev test */
 #define BOOTSTD_TEST(_name, _flags) \
 		UNIT_TEST(_name, _flags, bootstd_test)
 
+#define NVDATA_START_BLK	((0x400 + 0x400) / MMC_MAX_BLOCK_LEN)
+#define VERSION_START_BLK	((0x400 + 0x800) / MMC_MAX_BLOCK_LEN)
+#define TEST_VERSION		"U-Boot v2022.04-local2"
+#define TEST_VERNUM		0x00010002
+
 struct unit_test_state;
 
 /**
@@ -24,4 +31,13 @@ struct unit_test_state;
  */
 int bootstd_test_drop_bootdev_order(struct unit_test_state *uts);
 
+/**
+ * bootstd_setup_for_tests() - Set up MMC data for VBE tests
+ *
+ * Some data is needed for VBE tests to work. This function sets that up.
+ *
+ * @return 0 if OK, -ve on error
+ */
+int bootstd_setup_for_tests(void);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/test/boot/vbe_simple.c b/test/boot/vbe_simple.c
index 8acd777f4c..faba9e8f90 100644
--- a/test/boot/vbe_simple.c
+++ b/test/boot/vbe_simple.c
@@ -10,54 +10,27 @@
 #include <bootmeth.h>
 #include <dm.h>
 #include <image.h>
-#include <memalign.h>
-#include <mmc.h>
 #include <of_live.h>
 #include <vbe.h>
-#include <version_string.h>
-#include <linux/log2.h>
 #include <test/suites.h>
 #include <test/ut.h>
-#include <u-boot/crc.h>
 #include "bootstd_common.h"
 
-#define NVDATA_START_BLK	((0x400 + 0x400) / MMC_MAX_BLOCK_LEN)
-#define VERSION_START_BLK	((0x400 + 0x800) / MMC_MAX_BLOCK_LEN)
-#define TEST_VERSION		"U-Boot v2022.04-local2"
-#define TEST_VERNUM		0x00010002
-
 /* Basic test of reading nvdata and updating a fwupd node in the device tree */
 static int vbe_simple_test_base(struct unit_test_state *uts)
 {
-	ALLOC_CACHE_ALIGN_BUFFER(u8, buf, MMC_MAX_BLOCK_LEN);
 	const char *version, *bl_version;
 	struct event_ft_fixup fixup;
-	struct udevice *dev, *mmc;
+	struct udevice *dev;
 	struct device_node *np;
-	struct blk_desc *desc;
 	char fdt_buf[0x400];
 	char info[100];
 	int node_ofs;
 	ofnode node;
 	u32 vernum;
 
-	/* Set up the version string */
-	ut_assertok(uclass_get_device(UCLASS_MMC, 1, &mmc));
-	desc = blk_get_by_device(mmc);
-	ut_assertnonnull(desc);
-
-	memset(buf, '\0', MMC_MAX_BLOCK_LEN);
-	strcpy(buf, TEST_VERSION);
-	if (blk_dwrite(desc, VERSION_START_BLK, 1, buf) != 1)
-		return log_msg_ret("write", -EIO);
-
-	/* Set up the nvdata */
-	memset(buf, '\0', MMC_MAX_BLOCK_LEN);
-	buf[1] = ilog2(0x40) << 4 | 1;
-	*(u32 *)(buf + 4) = TEST_VERNUM;
-	buf[0] = crc8(0, buf + 1, 0x3f);
-	if (blk_dwrite(desc, NVDATA_START_BLK, 1, buf) != 1)
-		return log_msg_ret("write", -EIO);
+	/* Set up the VBE info */
+	ut_assertok(bootstd_setup_for_tests());
 
 	/* Read the version back */
 	ut_assertok(vbe_find_by_any("firmware0", &dev));
@@ -90,6 +63,7 @@ static int vbe_simple_test_base(struct unit_test_state *uts)
 	 *
 	 * Two fix this we need image_setup_libfdt() is updated to use ofnode
 	 */
+	fixup.images = NULL;
 	ut_assertok(event_notify(EVT_FT_FIXUP, &fixup, sizeof(fixup)));
 
 	node = oftree_path(fixup.tree, "/chosen/fwupd/firmware0");