diff --git a/doc/gpgme.texi b/doc/gpgme.texi
index 8dcc86e6..3b461ba9 100644
--- a/doc/gpgme.texi
+++ b/doc/gpgme.texi
@@ -683,9 +683,10 @@ uses, this function provides a run-time check if the necessary
 features are provided by the installed version of the library.
 
 If a selftest fails, the function may still succeed.  Selftest errors
-are returned later when invoking @code{gpgme_new}, so that a detailed
-error code can be returned (historically, @code{gpgme_check_version}
-does not return a detailed error code).
+are returned later when invoking @code{gpgme_new} or
+@code{gpgme-data_new}, so that a detailed error code can be returned
+(historically, @code{gpgme_check_version} does not return a detailed
+error code).
 @end deftypefun
 
 
diff --git a/src/data.c b/src/data.c
index e4e9ee3f..7ae5b327 100644
--- a/src/data.c
+++ b/src/data.c
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ _gpgme_data_new (gpgme_data_t *r_dh, struct _gpgme_data_cbs *cbs)
     return gpg_error (GPG_ERR_INV_VALUE);
 
   *r_dh = NULL;
+
+  if (_gpgme_selftest)
+    return _gpgme_selftest;
+
   dh = calloc (1, sizeof (*dh));
   if (!dh)
     return gpg_error_from_syserror ();
diff --git a/tests/run-identify.c b/tests/run-identify.c
index 01e9671f..9361fa2d 100644
--- a/tests/run-identify.c
+++ b/tests/run-identify.c
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 
     }
 
-  init_gpgme (GPGME_PROTOCOL_OpenPGP);
+  init_gpgme_basic ();
 
   for (; argc; argc--, argv++)
     {
diff --git a/tests/run-support.h b/tests/run-support.h
index 841b2232..6a2170b0 100644
--- a/tests/run-support.h
+++ b/tests/run-support.h
@@ -107,7 +107,11 @@ make_filename (const char *fname)
     srcdir = ".";
   buf = malloc (strlen(srcdir) + strlen(fname) + 2);
   if (!buf)
-    exit (8);
+    {
+      fprintf (stderr, "%s:%d: could not allocate string: %s\n",
+	       __FILE__, __LINE__, strerror (errno));
+      exit (8);
+    }
   strcpy (buf, srcdir);
   strcat (buf, "/");
   strcat (buf, fname);
@@ -116,17 +120,23 @@ make_filename (const char *fname)
 
 
 void
-init_gpgme (gpgme_protocol_t proto)
+init_gpgme_basic (void)
 {
-  gpgme_error_t err;
-
   gpgme_check_version (NULL);
   setlocale (LC_ALL, "");
   gpgme_set_locale (NULL, LC_CTYPE, setlocale (LC_CTYPE, NULL));
 #ifndef HAVE_W32_SYSTEM
   gpgme_set_locale (NULL, LC_MESSAGES, setlocale (LC_MESSAGES, NULL));
 #endif
+}
 
+
+void
+init_gpgme (gpgme_protocol_t proto)
+{
+  gpg_error_t err;
+
+  init_gpgme_basic ();
   err = gpgme_engine_check_version (proto);
   fail_if_err (err);
 }
diff --git a/tests/t-data.c b/tests/t-data.c
index fe2d59ed..c214de7b 100644
--- a/tests/t-data.c
+++ b/tests/t-data.c
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 
-#include <gpgme.h>
+#define PGM "t-data"
+#include "run-support.h"
 
+#undef fail_if_err
 #define fail_if_err(a) do { if(a) {                                          \
                                fprintf (stderr, "%s:%d: (%i) gpgme_error_t " \
                                 "%s\n", __FILE__, __LINE__, round,           \
@@ -39,27 +41,6 @@
                                 exit (1); }                                  \
                              } while(0)
 
-static char *
-make_filename (const char *fname)
-{
-  const char *srcdir = getenv ("srcdir");
-  char *buf;
-
-  if (!srcdir)
-    srcdir = ".";
-  buf = malloc (strlen(srcdir) + strlen(fname) + 2 );
-  if (!buf)
-    {
-      fprintf (stderr, "%s:%d: could not allocate string: %s\n",
-	       __FILE__, __LINE__, strerror (errno));
-      exit (1);
-    }
-  strcpy (buf, srcdir);
-  strcat (buf, "/");
-  strcat (buf, fname);
-  return buf;
-}
-
 typedef enum
   {
     TEST_INITIALIZER,
@@ -203,6 +184,8 @@ main (void)
   gpgme_error_t err = 0;
   gpgme_data_t data;
 
+  init_gpgme_basic ();
+
   while (++round)
     {
       switch (round)