diff --git a/src/Makefile.bench.include b/src/Makefile.bench.include
--- a/src/Makefile.bench.include
+++ b/src/Makefile.bench.include
@@ -31,13 +31,16 @@
   bench/util_time.cpp \
   bench/base58.cpp \
   bench/lockedpool.cpp \
-  bench/prevector.cpp
+  bench/prevector.cpp \
+  test/test_bitcoin.h \
+  test/test_bitcoin.cpp
 
 nodist_bench_bench_bitcoin_SOURCES = $(GENERATED_BENCH_FILES)
 
 bench_bench_bitcoin_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) $(BITCOIN_INCLUDES) $(EVENT_CLFAGS) $(EVENT_PTHREADS_CFLAGS) -I$(builddir)/bench/
 bench_bench_bitcoin_CXXFLAGS = $(AM_CXXFLAGS) $(PIE_FLAGS)
 bench_bench_bitcoin_LDADD = \
+  $(LIBBITCOIN_SERVER) \
   $(LIBBITCOIN_WALLET) \
   $(LIBBITCOIN_SERVER) \
   $(LIBBITCOIN_COMMON) \
diff --git a/src/bench/CMakeLists.txt b/src/bench/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/bench/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/bench/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@
 	rpc_mempool.cpp
 	util_time.cpp
 
+	# TODO: make a test library
+	../test/test_bitcoin.cpp
+
 	# Add the generated headers to trigger the conversion command
 	${BENCH_DATA_GENERATED_HEADERS}
 )
diff --git a/src/bench/bench.cpp b/src/bench/bench.cpp
--- a/src/bench/bench.cpp
+++ b/src/bench/bench.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@
 
 #include <bench/bench.h>
 
+#include <chainparams.h>
+#include <validation.h>
+
+#include <test/test_bitcoin.h>
+
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <cassert>
 #include <iomanip>
@@ -110,6 +115,9 @@
     printer.header();
 
     for (const auto &p : benchmarks()) {
+        TestingSetup test{CBaseChainParams::REGTEST};
+        assert(::ChainActive().Height() == 0);
+
         if (!std::regex_match(p.first, baseMatch, reFilter)) {
             continue;
         }
diff --git a/src/bench/bench_bitcoin.cpp b/src/bench/bench_bitcoin.cpp
--- a/src/bench/bench_bitcoin.cpp
+++ b/src/bench/bench_bitcoin.cpp
@@ -8,12 +8,9 @@
 #include <key.h>
 #include <util/strencodings.h>
 #include <util/system.h>
-#include <validation.h>
 
 #include <memory>
 
-const std::function<std::string(const char *)> G_TRANSLATION_FUN = nullptr;
-
 static const int64_t DEFAULT_BENCH_EVALUATIONS = 5;
 static const char *DEFAULT_BENCH_FILTER = ".*";
 static const char *DEFAULT_BENCH_SCALING = "1.0";
@@ -69,14 +66,6 @@
     gArgs.AddArg("-help", "", false, OptionsCategory::HIDDEN);
 }
 
-static fs::path SetDataDir() {
-    fs::path ret =
-        fs::temp_directory_path() / "bench_bitcoin" / fs::unique_path();
-    fs::create_directories(ret);
-    gArgs.ForceSetArg("-datadir", ret.string());
-    return ret;
-}
-
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     SetupBenchArgs();
     std::string error;
@@ -91,13 +80,6 @@
         return EXIT_SUCCESS;
     }
 
-    // Set the datadir after parsing the bench options
-    const fs::path bench_datadir{SetDataDir()};
-
-    SHA256AutoDetect();
-    ECC_Start();
-    SetupEnvironment();
-
     int64_t evaluations = gArgs.GetArg("-evals", DEFAULT_BENCH_EVALUATIONS);
     std::string regex_filter = gArgs.GetArg("-filter", DEFAULT_BENCH_FILTER);
     std::string scaling_str = gArgs.GetArg("-scaling", DEFAULT_BENCH_SCALING);
@@ -123,9 +105,5 @@
     benchmark::BenchRunner::RunAll(*printer, evaluations, scaling_factor,
                                    regex_filter, is_list_only);
 
-    fs::remove_all(bench_datadir);
-
-    ECC_Stop();
-
     return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/src/bench/duplicate_inputs.cpp b/src/bench/duplicate_inputs.cpp
--- a/src/bench/duplicate_inputs.cpp
+++ b/src/bench/duplicate_inputs.cpp
@@ -12,46 +12,18 @@
 #include <miner.h>
 #include <policy/policy.h>
 #include <pow.h>
-#include <scheduler.h>
 #include <script/scriptcache.h>
-#include <txdb.h>
 #include <txmempool.h>
-#include <util/time.h>
 #include <validation.h>
 #include <validationinterface.h>
 
-#include <boost/thread.hpp>
-
 #include <list>
 #include <vector>
 
 static void DuplicateInputs(benchmark::State &state) {
     const CScript SCRIPT_PUB{CScript(OP_TRUE)};
 
-    // Switch to regtest so we can mine faster
-    SelectParams(CBaseChainParams::REGTEST);
-    const Config &config = GetConfig();
-
-    InitScriptExecutionCache();
-
-    boost::thread_group thread_group;
-    CScheduler scheduler;
-    const CChainParams &chainparams = config.GetChainParams();
-    {
-        LOCK(cs_main);
-        ::pblocktree.reset(new CBlockTreeDB(1 << 20, true));
-        ::pcoinsdbview.reset(new CCoinsViewDB(1 << 23, true));
-        ::pcoinsTip.reset(new CCoinsViewCache(pcoinsdbview.get()));
-    }
-    {
-        thread_group.create_thread(
-            std::bind(&CScheduler::serviceQueue, &scheduler));
-        GetMainSignals().RegisterBackgroundSignalScheduler(scheduler);
-        LoadGenesisBlock(chainparams);
-        CValidationState cvstate;
-        ActivateBestChain(config, cvstate);
-        assert(::ChainActive().Tip() != nullptr);
-    }
+    const CChainParams &chainparams = Params();
 
     CBlock block{};
     CMutableTransaction coinbaseTx{};
@@ -92,16 +64,11 @@
     while (state.KeepRunning()) {
         CValidationState cvstate{};
         assert(!CheckBlock(block, cvstate, chainparams.GetConsensus(),
-                           BlockValidationOptions(config)
+                           BlockValidationOptions(GetConfig())
                                .withCheckPoW(false)
                                .withCheckMerkleRoot(false)));
         assert(cvstate.GetRejectReason() == "bad-txns-inputs-duplicate");
     }
-
-    thread_group.interrupt_all();
-    thread_group.join_all();
-    GetMainSignals().FlushBackgroundCallbacks();
-    GetMainSignals().UnregisterBackgroundSignalScheduler();
 }
 
 BENCHMARK(DuplicateInputs, 10);
diff --git a/src/test/test_bitcoin.cpp b/src/test/test_bitcoin.cpp
--- a/src/test/test_bitcoin.cpp
+++ b/src/test/test_bitcoin.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 }
 
 BasicTestingSetup::BasicTestingSetup(const std::string &chainName)
-    : m_path_root(fs::temp_directory_path() / "test_bitcoin" /
+    : m_path_root(fs::temp_directory_path() / "test_common_" PACKAGE_NAME /
                   strprintf("%lu_%i", static_cast<unsigned long>(GetTime()),
                             int(InsecureRandRange(1 << 30)))) {
     SHA256AutoDetect();