diff --git a/tests/functional/ca/nix-shell.sh b/tests/functional/ca/nix-shell.sh
index d1fbe54d1..a9b09069e 100755
--- a/tests/functional/ca/nix-shell.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/ca/nix-shell.sh
@@ -3,5 +3,5 @@
 source common.sh
 
 CONTENT_ADDRESSED=true
-cd ..
-source ./nix-shell.sh
+cd ../nix-shell
+source ./basic.sh
diff --git a/tests/functional/flakes/develop-r8854.sh b/tests/functional/flakes/develop-r8854.sh
index efe129bf4..9cf4e7cf3 100644
--- a/tests/functional/flakes/develop-r8854.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/flakes/develop-r8854.sh
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ EOF
 
 # Create fake nixpkgs flake.
 mkdir -p $TEST_HOME/nixpkgs
-cp ../config.nix ../shell.nix $TEST_HOME/nixpkgs
+cp ../config.nix ../nix-shell/shell.nix $TEST_HOME/nixpkgs
 cat <<EOF >$TEST_HOME/nixpkgs/flake.nix
 {
     outputs = {self}: {
diff --git a/tests/functional/flakes/develop.sh b/tests/functional/flakes/develop.sh
index e1e53d364..71d448a78 100644
--- a/tests/functional/flakes/develop.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/flakes/develop.sh
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ EOF
 
 # Create fake nixpkgs flake.
 mkdir -p $TEST_HOME/nixpkgs
-cp ../config.nix ../shell.nix $TEST_HOME/nixpkgs
+cp ../config.nix ../nix-shell/shell.nix $TEST_HOME/nixpkgs
 cat <<EOF >$TEST_HOME/nixpkgs/flake.nix
 {
     outputs = {self}: {
diff --git a/tests/functional/meson.build b/tests/functional/meson.build
index f56ced48d..3b610bcdc 100644
--- a/tests/functional/meson.build
+++ b/tests/functional/meson.build
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ config_nix_in = configure_file(
 subdir('ca')
 # Just configures `dyn-drv/config.nix.in`. Same as above.
 subdir('dyn-drv')
+# Just configures `nix-shell/config.nix.in`. Same as above.
+subdir('nix-shell')
 
 subdir('plugins')
 subdir('test-libstoreconsumer')
@@ -111,7 +113,8 @@ functional_tests_scripts = [
   'hash.sh',
   'gc-non-blocking.sh',
   'check.sh',
-  'nix-shell.sh',
+  'nix-shell/basic.sh',
+  'nix-shell/structured-attrs.sh',
   'check-refs.sh',
   'build-remote-input-addressed.sh',
   'secure-drv-outputs.sh',
diff --git a/tests/functional/nix-shell.sh b/tests/functional/nix-shell/basic.sh
similarity index 99%
rename from tests/functional/nix-shell.sh
rename to tests/functional/nix-shell/basic.sh
index 04c83138e..5c6e81ec2 100644
--- a/tests/functional/nix-shell.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/nix-shell/basic.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-source common.sh
+source ../common.sh
 
 clearStore
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/ca-shell.nix b/tests/functional/nix-shell/ca-shell.nix
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/functional/ca-shell.nix
rename to tests/functional/nix-shell/ca-shell.nix
diff --git a/tests/functional/nix-shell/config.nix.in b/tests/functional/nix-shell/config.nix.in
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..af24ddb30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/functional/nix-shell/config.nix.in
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../config.nix.in
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/functional/nix-shell/meson.build b/tests/functional/nix-shell/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f3f4a3b2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/functional/nix-shell/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# test_confdata set from tests/functional/meson.build
+configure_file(
+  input : 'config.nix.in',
+  output : 'config.nix',
+  configuration : test_confdata,
+)
diff --git a/tests/functional/shell.nix b/tests/functional/nix-shell/shell.nix
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/functional/shell.nix
rename to tests/functional/nix-shell/shell.nix
diff --git a/tests/functional/shell.shebang.nix b/tests/functional/nix-shell/shell.shebang.nix
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/functional/shell.shebang.nix
rename to tests/functional/nix-shell/shell.shebang.nix
diff --git a/tests/functional/shell.shebang.rb b/tests/functional/nix-shell/shell.shebang.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/functional/shell.shebang.rb
rename to tests/functional/nix-shell/shell.shebang.rb
diff --git a/tests/functional/shell.shebang.sh b/tests/functional/nix-shell/shell.shebang.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/functional/shell.shebang.sh
rename to tests/functional/nix-shell/shell.shebang.sh
diff --git a/tests/functional/structured-attrs-shell.nix b/tests/functional/nix-shell/structured-attrs-shell.nix
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/functional/structured-attrs-shell.nix
rename to tests/functional/nix-shell/structured-attrs-shell.nix
diff --git a/tests/functional/nix-shell/structured-attrs.sh b/tests/functional/nix-shell/structured-attrs.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d2fa8fed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/functional/nix-shell/structured-attrs.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+source ../common.sh
+
+# 27ce722638 required some incompatible changes to the nix file, so skip this
+# tests for the older versions
+requireDaemonNewerThan "2.4pre20210712"
+
+clearStore
+
+export NIX_BUILD_SHELL=$SHELL
+env NIX_PATH=nixpkgs=shell.nix nix-shell structured-attrs-shell.nix \
+    --run 'test "3" = "$(jq ".my.list|length" < $NIX_ATTRS_JSON_FILE)"'
+
+nix develop -f structured-attrs-shell.nix -c bash -c 'test "3" = "$(jq ".my.list|length" < $NIX_ATTRS_JSON_FILE)"'
+
+# `nix develop` is a slightly special way of dealing with environment vars, it parses
+# these from a shell-file exported from a derivation. This is to test especially `outputs`
+# (which is an associative array in thsi case) being fine.
+nix develop -f structured-attrs-shell.nix -c bash -c 'test -n "$out"'
+
+nix print-dev-env -f structured-attrs-shell.nix | grepQuiet 'NIX_ATTRS_JSON_FILE='
+nix print-dev-env -f structured-attrs-shell.nix | grepQuiet 'NIX_ATTRS_SH_FILE='
+nix print-dev-env -f shell.nix shellDrv | grepQuietInverse 'NIX_ATTRS_SH_FILE'
+
+jsonOut="$(nix print-dev-env -f structured-attrs-shell.nix --json)"
+
+test "$(<<<"$jsonOut" jq '.structuredAttrs|keys|.[]' -r)" = "$(printf ".attrs.json\n.attrs.sh")"
+
+test "$(<<<"$jsonOut" jq '.variables.out.value' -r)" = "$(<<<"$jsonOut" jq '.structuredAttrs.".attrs.json"' -r | jq -r '.outputs.out')"
diff --git a/tests/functional/structured-attrs.sh b/tests/functional/structured-attrs.sh
index f11992dcd..86d8b76c3 100644
--- a/tests/functional/structured-attrs.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/structured-attrs.sh
@@ -12,24 +12,3 @@ nix-build structured-attrs.nix -A all -o $TEST_ROOT/result
 
 [[ $(cat $TEST_ROOT/result/foo) = bar ]]
 [[ $(cat $TEST_ROOT/result-dev/foo) = foo ]]
-
-export NIX_BUILD_SHELL=$SHELL
-env NIX_PATH=nixpkgs=shell.nix nix-shell structured-attrs-shell.nix \
-    --run 'test "3" = "$(jq ".my.list|length" < $NIX_ATTRS_JSON_FILE)"'
-
-nix develop -f structured-attrs-shell.nix -c bash -c 'test "3" = "$(jq ".my.list|length" < $NIX_ATTRS_JSON_FILE)"'
-
-# `nix develop` is a slightly special way of dealing with environment vars, it parses
-# these from a shell-file exported from a derivation. This is to test especially `outputs`
-# (which is an associative array in thsi case) being fine.
-nix develop -f structured-attrs-shell.nix -c bash -c 'test -n "$out"'
-
-nix print-dev-env -f structured-attrs-shell.nix | grepQuiet 'NIX_ATTRS_JSON_FILE='
-nix print-dev-env -f structured-attrs-shell.nix | grepQuiet 'NIX_ATTRS_SH_FILE='
-nix print-dev-env -f shell.nix shellDrv | grepQuietInverse 'NIX_ATTRS_SH_FILE'
-
-jsonOut="$(nix print-dev-env -f structured-attrs-shell.nix --json)"
-
-test "$(<<<"$jsonOut" jq '.structuredAttrs|keys|.[]' -r)" = "$(printf ".attrs.json\n.attrs.sh")"
-
-test "$(<<<"$jsonOut" jq '.variables.out.value' -r)" = "$(<<<"$jsonOut" jq '.structuredAttrs.".attrs.json"' -r | jq -r '.outputs.out')"