diff --git a/packages/rstack/tests/setup/directories.test.ts b/packages/rstack/tests/setup/directories.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0363d22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rstack/tests/setup/directories.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { expect, test } from 'rstack/test';
+import { installHooks } from '../../src/setup/install.ts';
+import { hooksPath, runGit, runHook, withRepository, writeHook } from './helpers.ts';
+
+test('installs a custom hooks directory from the Git root and runs its hook', () => {
+  withRepository((cwd) => {
+    const customHooksDir = 'frontend/custom hooks';
+    const customHooksPath = `${customHooksDir}/_`;
+    writeHook(cwd, "printf 'ran\\n' > custom-hook-ran\n", customHooksDir);
+
+    expect(installHooks({ cwd, hooksDir: customHooksDir })).toEqual({
+      status: 'installed',
+      hooksPath: customHooksPath,
+    });
+    expect(runGit(cwd, ['config', '--local', '--get', 'core.hooksPath'])).toBe(customHooksPath);
+    expect(existsSync(path.join(cwd, customHooksPath, 'runner'))).toBe(true);
+
+    expect(runHook(cwd).status).toBe(0);
+    expect(readFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'custom-hook-ran'), 'utf8')).toBe('ran\n');
+  });
+});
+
+test('installs the default hooks directory from a nested project', () => {
+  withRepository((cwd) => {
+    const projectDirectory = path.join(cwd, 'frontend');
+    const nestedHooksPath = `frontend/${hooksPath}`;
+    mkdirSync(projectDirectory);
+    writeHook(
+      projectDirectory,
+      `printf 'root\\n' > nested-hook-cwd
+cd frontend
+printf 'nested\\n' > nested-hook-ran
+`,
+    );
+
+    expect(installHooks({ cwd: projectDirectory })).toEqual({
+      status: 'installed',
+      hooksPath: nestedHooksPath,
+    });
+    expect(runGit(cwd, ['config', '--local', '--get', 'core.hooksPath'])).toBe(nestedHooksPath);
+    expect(existsSync(path.join(projectDirectory, hooksPath, 'runner'))).toBe(true);
+
+    expect(runHook(cwd).status).toBe(0);
+    expect(readFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'nested-hook-cwd'), 'utf8')).toBe('root\n');
+    expect(readFileSync(path.join(projectDirectory, 'nested-hook-ran'), 'utf8')).toBe('nested\n');
+  });
+});
+
+test('installs a custom hooks directory from a nested project', () => {
+  withRepository((cwd) => {
+    const projectDirectory = path.join(cwd, 'frontend app');
+    mkdirSync(projectDirectory);
+
+    expect(installHooks({ cwd: projectDirectory, hooksDir: 'config\\hooks' })).toEqual({
+      status: 'installed',
+      hooksPath: 'frontend app/config/hooks/_',
+    });
+    expect(runGit(cwd, ['config', '--local', '--get', 'core.hooksPath'])).toBe(
+      'frontend app/config/hooks/_',
+    );
+    expect(existsSync(path.join(projectDirectory, 'config', 'hooks', '_', 'runner'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/rstack/tests/setup/helpers.ts b/packages/rstack/tests/setup/helpers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..141df8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rstack/tests/setup/helpers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import { type SpawnSyncReturns, spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
+import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import path from 'node:path';
+
+const hooksDir = '.rstack/hooks';
+
+export const hooksPath: string = `${hooksDir}/_`;
+
+export const git = (
+  cwd: string,
+  args: string[],
+  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
+): SpawnSyncReturns<string> => spawnSync('git', args, { cwd, encoding: 'utf8', env });
+
+export const runGit = (cwd: string, args: string[]): string => {
+  const result = git(cwd, args);
+  if (result.status !== 0) {
+    throw new Error(result.stderr || `Git exited with status ${result.status}`);
+  }
+  return result.stdout.trim();
+};
+
+export const withDirectory = (callback: (cwd: string) => void): void => {
+  const cwd = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), 'rstack hooks '));
+  try {
+    callback(cwd);
+  } finally {
+    rmSync(cwd, { force: true, recursive: true });
+  }
+};
+
+export const restoreEnv = (name: string, value: string | undefined): void => {
+  if (value === undefined) {
+    delete process.env[name];
+  } else {
+    process.env[name] = value;
+  }
+};
+
+const hookEnv = (cwd: string, value?: string): NodeJS.ProcessEnv => {
+  const env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = {
+    ...process.env,
+    XDG_CONFIG_HOME: path.join(cwd, '.git', 'xdg'),
+  };
+
+  if (value !== undefined) {
+    env.RSTACK_HOOKS = value;
+  }
+
+  return env;
+};
+
+export const writeHook = (cwd: string, content: string, directory: string = hooksDir): void => {
+  const filePath = path.join(cwd, directory, 'pre-commit');
+  mkdirSync(path.dirname(filePath), { recursive: true });
+  writeFileSync(filePath, content);
+};
+
+export const writeInit = (cwd: string, content: string): void => {
+  const filePath = path.join(cwd, '.git', 'xdg', 'rstack', 'hooks-init.sh');
+  mkdirSync(path.dirname(filePath), { recursive: true });
+  writeFileSync(filePath, content);
+};
+
+export const runHook = (cwd: string, value?: string): SpawnSyncReturns<string> =>
+  git(cwd, ['hook', 'run', 'pre-commit'], hookEnv(cwd, value));
+
+export const withRepository = (callback: (cwd: string) => void): void =>
+  withDirectory((cwd) => {
+    const globalConfig = process.env.GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL;
+    const noSystemConfig = process.env.GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM;
+    process.env.GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL = path.join(cwd, 'global.gitconfig');
+    process.env.GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM = '1';
+
+    try {
+      runGit(cwd, ['init', '--quiet']);
+      callback(cwd);
+    } finally {
+      restoreEnv('GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL', globalConfig);
+      restoreEnv('GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM', noSystemConfig);
+    }
+  });
diff --git a/packages/rstack/tests/setup/install.test.ts b/packages/rstack/tests/setup/install.test.ts
index 624ea42..643000b 100644
--- a/packages/rstack/tests/setup/install.test.ts
+++ b/packages/rstack/tests/setup/install.test.ts
@@ -1,94 +1,9 @@
-import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
-import {
-  chmodSync,
-  existsSync,
-  mkdirSync,
-  mkdtempSync,
-  readFileSync,
-  rmSync,
-  statSync,
-  writeFileSync,
-} from 'node:fs';
-import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { chmodSync, existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, statSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { expect, test } from 'rstack/test';
 import { createHookFiles } from '../../src/setup/hooks.ts';
 import { installHooks } from '../../src/setup/install.ts';
-
-const hooksDir = '.rstack/hooks';
-const hooksPath = `${hooksDir}/_`;
-
-const git = (cwd: string, args: string[], env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env) =>
-  spawnSync('git', args, { cwd, encoding: 'utf8', env });
-
-const runGit = (cwd: string, args: string[]): string => {
-  const result = git(cwd, args);
-  if (result.status !== 0) {
-    throw new Error(result.stderr || `Git exited with status ${result.status}`);
-  }
-  return result.stdout.trim();
-};
-
-const withDirectory = (callback: (cwd: string) => void): void => {
-  const cwd = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), 'rstack hooks '));
-  try {
-    callback(cwd);
-  } finally {
-    rmSync(cwd, { force: true, recursive: true });
-  }
-};
-
-const restoreEnv = (name: string, value: string | undefined): void => {
-  if (value === undefined) {
-    delete process.env[name];
-  } else {
-    process.env[name] = value;
-  }
-};
-
-const hookEnv = (cwd: string, value?: string): NodeJS.ProcessEnv => {
-  const env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = {
-    ...process.env,
-    XDG_CONFIG_HOME: path.join(cwd, '.git', 'xdg'),
-  };
-
-  if (value !== undefined) {
-    env.RSTACK_HOOKS = value;
-  }
-
-  return env;
-};
-
-const writeHook = (cwd: string, content: string, directory = hooksDir): void => {
-  const filePath = path.join(cwd, directory, 'pre-commit');
-  mkdirSync(path.dirname(filePath), { recursive: true });
-  writeFileSync(filePath, content);
-};
-
-const writeInit = (cwd: string, content: string): void => {
-  const filePath = path.join(cwd, '.git', 'xdg', 'rstack', 'hooks-init.sh');
-  mkdirSync(path.dirname(filePath), { recursive: true });
-  writeFileSync(filePath, content);
-};
-
-const runHook = (cwd: string, value?: string) =>
-  git(cwd, ['hook', 'run', 'pre-commit'], hookEnv(cwd, value));
-
-const withRepository = (callback: (cwd: string) => void): void =>
-  withDirectory((cwd) => {
-    const globalConfig = process.env.GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL;
-    const noSystemConfig = process.env.GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM;
-    process.env.GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL = path.join(cwd, 'global.gitconfig');
-    process.env.GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM = '1';
-
-    try {
-      runGit(cwd, ['init', '--quiet']);
-      callback(cwd);
-    } finally {
-      restoreEnv('GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL', globalConfig);
-      restoreEnv('GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM', noSystemConfig);
-    }
-  });
+import { git, hooksPath, restoreEnv, runGit, withDirectory, withRepository } from './helpers.ts';
 
 test('installs generated hooks and configures the repository', () => {
   withRepository((cwd) => {
@@ -109,66 +24,6 @@ test('installs generated hooks and configures the repository', () => {
   });
 });
 
-test('installs a custom hooks directory from the Git root and runs its hook', () => {
-  withRepository((cwd) => {
-    const customHooksDir = 'frontend/custom hooks';
-    const customHooksPath = `${customHooksDir}/_`;
-    writeHook(cwd, "printf 'ran\\n' > custom-hook-ran\n", customHooksDir);
-
-    expect(installHooks({ cwd, hooksDir: customHooksDir })).toEqual({
-      status: 'installed',
-      hooksPath: customHooksPath,
-    });
-    expect(runGit(cwd, ['config', '--local', '--get', 'core.hooksPath'])).toBe(customHooksPath);
-    expect(existsSync(path.join(cwd, customHooksPath, 'runner'))).toBe(true);
-
-    expect(runHook(cwd).status).toBe(0);
-    expect(readFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'custom-hook-ran'), 'utf8')).toBe('ran\n');
-  });
-});
-
-test('installs the default hooks directory from a nested project', () => {
-  withRepository((cwd) => {
-    const projectDirectory = path.join(cwd, 'frontend');
-    const nestedHooksPath = `frontend/${hooksPath}`;
-    mkdirSync(projectDirectory);
-    writeHook(
-      projectDirectory,
-      `printf 'root\\n' > nested-hook-cwd
-cd frontend
-printf 'nested\\n' > nested-hook-ran
-`,
-    );
-
-    expect(installHooks({ cwd: projectDirectory })).toEqual({
-      status: 'installed',
-      hooksPath: nestedHooksPath,
-    });
-    expect(runGit(cwd, ['config', '--local', '--get', 'core.hooksPath'])).toBe(nestedHooksPath);
-    expect(existsSync(path.join(projectDirectory, hooksPath, 'runner'))).toBe(true);
-
-    expect(runHook(cwd).status).toBe(0);
-    expect(readFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'nested-hook-cwd'), 'utf8')).toBe('root\n');
-    expect(readFileSync(path.join(projectDirectory, 'nested-hook-ran'), 'utf8')).toBe('nested\n');
-  });
-});
-
-test('installs a custom hooks directory from a nested project', () => {
-  withRepository((cwd) => {
-    const projectDirectory = path.join(cwd, 'frontend app');
-    mkdirSync(projectDirectory);
-
-    expect(installHooks({ cwd: projectDirectory, hooksDir: 'config\\hooks' })).toEqual({
-      status: 'installed',
-      hooksPath: 'frontend app/config/hooks/_',
-    });
-    expect(runGit(cwd, ['config', '--local', '--get', 'core.hooksPath'])).toBe(
-      'frontend app/config/hooks/_',
-    );
-    expect(existsSync(path.join(projectDirectory, 'config', 'hooks', '_', 'runner'))).toBe(true);
-  });
-});
-
 test('is idempotent and preserves user hooks', () => {
   withRepository((cwd) => {
     const userDirectory = path.join(cwd, '.rstack', 'hooks');
@@ -245,76 +100,3 @@ test('reports Git configuration failures without changing hooksPath', () => {
     expect(existsSync(path.join(cwd, hooksPath, 'runner'))).toBe(true);
   });
 });
-
-test('loads user init and project binaries', () => {
-  withRepository((cwd) => {
-    const binDirectory = path.join(cwd, 'node_modules', '.bin');
-    mkdirSync(binDirectory, { recursive: true });
-    writeInit(cwd, 'set -u\nexport RSTACK_INIT=loaded\n');
-
-    const command = path.join(binDirectory, 'rstack-hook-command');
-    writeFileSync(
-      command,
-      `#!/usr/bin/env sh
-printf 'ran\\n' > project-bin-ran
-`,
-    );
-    chmodSync(command, 0o755);
-
-    writeHook(
-      cwd,
-      `printf '%s\\n' "$RSTACK_INIT" > init-ran
-rstack-hook-command
-`,
-    );
-
-    expect(installHooks({ cwd }).status).toBe('installed');
-
-    expect(runHook(cwd).status).toBe(0);
-    expect(readFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'init-ran'), 'utf8')).toBe('loaded\n');
-    expect(readFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'project-bin-ran'), 'utf8')).toBe('ran\n');
-  });
-});
-
-test('skips user hooks when disabled by the environment or init', () => {
-  withRepository((cwd) => {
-    writeHook(cwd, 'echo ran >> hook-ran\n');
-    expect(installHooks({ cwd }).status).toBe('installed');
-
-    expect(runHook(cwd, '0').status).toBe(0);
-    expect(existsSync(path.join(cwd, 'hook-ran'))).toBe(false);
-
-    writeInit(cwd, 'set -u\nexport RSTACK_HOOKS=0\n');
-
-    expect(runHook(cwd).status).toBe(0);
-    expect(existsSync(path.join(cwd, 'hook-ran'))).toBe(false);
-  });
-});
-
-test('traces and reports hook failures and command lookup errors', () => {
-  withRepository((cwd) => {
-    writeHook(cwd, 'exit 23\n');
-    expect(installHooks({ cwd }).status).toBe('installed');
-
-    const failed = runHook(cwd, '2');
-    expect(failed.status).toBe(23);
-    expect(failed.stderr).toContain('+ sh -e');
-    expect(`${failed.stdout}${failed.stderr}`).toContain(
-      'Rstack - pre-commit hook failed (code 23)',
-    );
-
-    writeHook(
-      cwd,
-      `printf '%s\\n' "$PATH" > hook-path
-missing-command
-`,
-    );
-    const missing = runHook(cwd);
-    const actualPath = readFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'hook-path'), 'utf8').trim();
-    const output = `${missing.stdout}${missing.stderr}`;
-
-    expect(missing.status).toBe(127);
-    expect(output).toContain('Rstack - pre-commit hook failed (code 127)');
-    expect(output).toContain(`Rstack - command not found in PATH=${actualPath}`);
-  });
-});
diff --git a/packages/rstack/tests/setup/runtime-errors.test.ts b/packages/rstack/tests/setup/runtime-errors.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ac85a13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rstack/tests/setup/runtime-errors.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { expect, test } from 'rstack/test';
+import { installHooks } from '../../src/setup/install.ts';
+import { runHook, withRepository, writeHook } from './helpers.ts';
+
+test('traces and reports hook failures and command lookup errors', () => {
+  withRepository((cwd) => {
+    writeHook(cwd, 'exit 23\n');
+    expect(installHooks({ cwd }).status).toBe('installed');
+
+    const failed = runHook(cwd, '2');
+    expect(failed.status).toBe(23);
+    expect(failed.stderr).toContain('+ sh -e');
+    expect(`${failed.stdout}${failed.stderr}`).toContain(
+      'Rstack - pre-commit hook failed (code 23)',
+    );
+
+    writeHook(
+      cwd,
+      `printf '%s\\n' "$PATH" > hook-path
+missing-command
+`,
+    );
+    const missing = runHook(cwd);
+    const actualPath = readFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'hook-path'), 'utf8').trim();
+    const output = `${missing.stdout}${missing.stderr}`;
+
+    expect(missing.status).toBe(127);
+    expect(output).toContain('Rstack - pre-commit hook failed (code 127)');
+    expect(output).toContain(`Rstack - command not found in PATH=${actualPath}`);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/rstack/tests/setup/runtime.test.ts b/packages/rstack/tests/setup/runtime.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4efb84e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rstack/tests/setup/runtime.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import { chmodSync, existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { expect, test } from 'rstack/test';
+import { installHooks } from '../../src/setup/install.ts';
+import { runHook, withRepository, writeHook, writeInit } from './helpers.ts';
+
+test('loads user init and project binaries', () => {
+  withRepository((cwd) => {
+    const binDirectory = path.join(cwd, 'node_modules', '.bin');
+    mkdirSync(binDirectory, { recursive: true });
+    writeInit(cwd, 'set -u\nexport RSTACK_INIT=loaded\n');
+
+    const command = path.join(binDirectory, 'rstack-hook-command');
+    writeFileSync(
+      command,
+      `#!/usr/bin/env sh
+printf 'ran\\n' > project-bin-ran
+`,
+    );
+    chmodSync(command, 0o755);
+
+    writeHook(
+      cwd,
+      `printf '%s\\n' "$RSTACK_INIT" > init-ran
+rstack-hook-command
+`,
+    );
+
+    expect(installHooks({ cwd }).status).toBe('installed');
+
+    expect(runHook(cwd).status).toBe(0);
+    expect(readFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'init-ran'), 'utf8')).toBe('loaded\n');
+    expect(readFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'project-bin-ran'), 'utf8')).toBe('ran\n');
+  });
+});
+
+test('skips user hooks when disabled by the environment or init', () => {
+  withRepository((cwd) => {
+    writeHook(cwd, 'echo ran >> hook-ran\n');
+    expect(installHooks({ cwd }).status).toBe('installed');
+
+    expect(runHook(cwd, '0').status).toBe(0);
+    expect(existsSync(path.join(cwd, 'hook-ran'))).toBe(false);
+
+    writeInit(cwd, 'set -u\nexport RSTACK_HOOKS=0\n');
+
+    expect(runHook(cwd).status).toBe(0);
+    expect(existsSync(path.join(cwd, 'hook-ran'))).toBe(false);
+  });
+});