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diff --git a/tests/gpg/7A030357C0F253A5BBCD282FFC4E521B37558F5C b/tests/gpg/7A030357C0F253A5BBCD282FFC4E521B37558F5C
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diff --git a/tests/gpg/A0747D5F9425E6664F4FFBEED20FBCA79FDED2BD b/tests/gpg/A0747D5F9425E6664F4FFBEED20FBCA79FDED2BD
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diff --git a/tests/gpg/Makefile.am b/tests/gpg/Makefile.am
index dd28d5e0..c9000c93 100644
--- a/tests/gpg/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/gpg/Makefile.am
@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
 # Copyright (C) 2000 Werner Koch (dd9jn)
 # Copyright (C) 2001, 2004, 2005, 2009 g10 Code GmbH
-# 
+#
 # This file is part of GPGME.
-# 
+#
 # GPGME is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
 # under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as
 # published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the
 # License, or (at your option) any later version.
-# 
+#
 # GPGME is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
 # ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
 # or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General
 # Public License for more details.
-# 
+#
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
 # License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
 # Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@
 ## Process this file with automake to produce Makefile.in
 
 GPG = @GPG@
+GPG_AGENT = @GPG_AGENT@
 
-TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = GNUPGHOME=$(abs_builddir) GPG_AGENT_INFO=
+TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = GNUPGHOME=$(abs_builddir) LC_ALL=C GPG_AGENT_INFO=
 
 # The keylist tests must come after the import and the edit test.
 noinst_HEADERS = t-support.h
@@ -32,17 +33,29 @@ else
 tests_unix = t-eventloop t-thread1
 endif
 
-TESTS = t-encrypt t-encrypt-sym t-encrypt-sign t-sign t-signers		\
+c_tests = \
+        t-encrypt t-encrypt-sym t-encrypt-sign t-sign t-signers		\
 	t-decrypt t-verify t-decrypt-verify t-sig-notation t-export	\
 	t-import t-trustlist t-edit t-keylist t-keylist-sig t-wait	\
 	t-encrypt-large t-file-name t-gpgconf $(tests_unix)
 
+TESTS = initial.test $(c_tests) final.test
+
 CLEANFILES = secring.gpg pubring.gpg pubring.kbx trustdb.gpg dirmngr.conf \
 	gpg-agent.conf pubring.kbx~ S.gpg-agent gpg.conf pubring.gpg~ \
-	random_seed
+	random_seed S.gpg-agent
 
-EXTRA_DIST = pubdemo.asc secdemo.asc cipher-1.asc cipher-2.asc \
-	geheim.txt pubkey-1.asc seckey-1.asc pinentry
+private_keys = \
+        13CD0F3BDF24BE53FE192D62F18737256FF6E4FD \
+        76F7E2B35832976B50A27A282D9B87E44577EB66 \
+        A0747D5F9425E6664F4FFBEED20FBCA79FDED2BD \
+        13CBE3758AFE42B5E5E2AE4CED27AFA455E3F87F \
+        7A030357C0F253A5BBCD282FFC4E521B37558F5C
+
+
+EXTRA_DIST = start-stop-agent initial.test final.test \
+        pubdemo.asc secdemo.asc cipher-1.asc cipher-2.asc \
+	geheim.txt pubkey-1.asc seckey-1.asc pinentry $(private_keys)
 
 INCLUDES = -I$(top_builddir)/src
 
@@ -51,17 +64,25 @@ LDADD = ../../src/libgpgme.la
 t_thread1_LDADD = ../../src/libgpgme-pthread.la -lpthread
 
 # We don't run t-genkey in the test suite, because it takes too long
-noinst_PROGRAMS = $(TESTS) t-genkey
+noinst_PROGRAMS = $(c_tests) t-genkey
 
 clean-local:
-	-gpg-connect-agent KILLAGENT /bye
+	-$(srcdir)/start-stop-agent --stop
 	-rm -fR private-keys-v1.d
 
-all-local: ./gpg.conf ./gpg-agent.conf ./pubring.gpg 
+all-local: ./gpg.conf ./gpg-agent.conf ./pubring.gpg \
+           ./private-keys-v1.d/gpg-sample.stamp
 
 export GNUPGHOME := $(abs_builddir)
 
-export GPG_AGENT_INFO := 
+export GPG_AGENT_INFO :=
+
+./private-keys-v1.d/gpg-sample.stamp: $(srcdir)/$(private_keys)
+	test -d ./private-keys-v1.d || mkdir ./private-keys-v1.d
+	for k in $(private_keys); do \
+          cp $(srcdir)/$$k private-keys-v1.d/$$k.key; \
+        done
+	echo x > ./private-keys-v1.d/gpg-sample.stamp
 
 ./pubring.gpg: $(srcdir)/pubdemo.asc
 	-$(GPG) --no-permission-warning \
diff --git a/tests/gpg/final.test b/tests/gpg/final.test
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..5148a34b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/gpg/final.test
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+${srcdir}/start-stop-agent --stop
+exit 0
diff --git a/tests/gpg/initial.test b/tests/gpg/initial.test
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..1981c99d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/gpg/initial.test
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+${srcdir}/start-stop-agent --start
+exit 0
diff --git a/tests/gpg/start-stop-agent b/tests/gpg/start-stop-agent
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..ab47d8d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/gpg/start-stop-agent
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Copyright (C) 2013 g10 Code GmbH
+#
+# This file is free software; as a special exception the author gives
+# unlimited permission to copy and/or distribute it, with or without
+# modifications, as long as this notice is preserved.  This file is
+# distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+# WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law; without even the implied
+# warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
+
+if [ -z "$(command -v gpg-connect-agent)" ]; then
+   echo "gpg-agent not installed and thus not started" >&2
+   exit 0;
+fi
+
+GPG_AGENT_INFO=
+export GPG_AGENT_INFO
+
+token=$(echo "gpgme-$(pwd)" | tr ' ' '_')
+
+if [ "$1" = "--stop" ]; then
+  if [ "$(gpg-connect-agent getval\ $token /bye 2>/dev/null | head -1)" \
+        != "D set" ]; then
+    echo "gpg-agent not running" >&2
+    exit 0
+  fi
+  echo "stopping gpg-agent " >&2
+  gpg-connect-agent KILLAGENT /bye >/dev/null 2>&1
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+if [ "$(gpg-connect-agent getval\ $token /bye 2>/dev/null | head -1)" \
+      = "D set" ]; then
+  echo "gpg-agent already running" >&2
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+echo "starting gpg-agent " >&2
+gpg-connect-agent putval\ $token\ set /bye >/dev/null 2>&1
+if [ "$(gpg-connect-agent getval\ $token /bye 2>/dev/null | head -1)" \
+      != "D set" ]; then
+  echo "error starting gpg-agent" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+exit 0