diff --git a/tests/_runner.lua b/tests/_runner.lua
index fc65b67d5..532d8fed8 100644
--- a/tests/_runner.lua
+++ b/tests/_runner.lua
@@ -43,7 +43,54 @@ runner.step_kill_clients = function(step)
     end
 end
 
-runner.run_steps = function(steps, options)
+--- Print a message if verbose mode is enabled.
+-- @tparam string message The message to print.
+function runner.verbose(message)
+    if verbose then
+        io.stderr:write(message .. "\n")
+    end
+end
+
+--- When using run_direct(), this function indicates that the test is now done.
+-- @tparam[opt=nil] string message An error message explaining the test failure, if it failed.
+function runner.done(message)
+    if message then
+        io.stderr:write("Error: " .. message .. "\n")
+        if not runner.quit_awesome_on_error then
+            io.stderr:write("Keeping awesome open...\n")
+            return
+        end
+    end
+
+    local client_count = #client.get()
+    if client_count > 0 then
+        io.stderr:write(string.format(
+            "NOTE: there were %d clients left after the test.\n", client_count))
+
+        -- Remove any clients.
+        for _,c in ipairs(client.get()) do
+            c:kill()
+        end
+    end
+
+    if not message then
+        io.stderr:write("Test finished successfully.\n")
+    end
+    awesome.quit()
+end
+
+--- This function is called to indicate that a test does not use the run_steps()
+-- facility, but instead runs something else directly.
+function runner.run_direct()
+    assert(not running, "API abuse: Test was started twice")
+    running = true
+end
+
+--- Start some step-wise tests. The given steps are called in order until all
+-- succeeded. Each step is a function that can return true/false to indicate
+-- success/failure, but can also return nothing if it needs to be called again
+-- later.
+function runner.run_steps(steps, options)
     -- Setup timer/timeout to limit waiting for signal and quitting awesome.
     local t = timer({timeout=0})
     local wait=20
@@ -52,8 +99,7 @@ runner.run_steps = function(steps, options)
     options = options or {
         kill_clients=true,
     }
-    assert(not running, "run_steps() was called twice")
-    running = true
+    runner.run_direct()
 
     if options.kill_clients then
         -- Add a final step to kill all clients and wait for them to finish.
@@ -65,9 +111,7 @@ runner.run_steps = function(steps, options)
         io.flush()  -- for "tail -f".
         step_count = step_count + 1
         local step_as_string = step..'/'..#steps..' (@'..step_count..')'
-        if verbose then
-            io.stderr:write(string.format('Running step %s..\n', step_as_string))
-        end
+        runner.verbose(string.format('Running step %s..\n', step_as_string))
 
         -- Call the current step's function.
         local success, result = xpcall(function()
@@ -75,14 +119,9 @@ runner.run_steps = function(steps, options)
         end, debug.traceback)
 
         if not success then
-            io.stderr:write('Error: running function for step '
-                            ..step_as_string..': '..tostring(result)..'!\n')
+            runner.done('running function for step '
+                        ..step_as_string..': '..tostring(result)..'!')
             t:stop()
-            if not runner.quit_awesome_on_error then
-                io.stderr:write("Keeping awesome open...\n")
-                return  -- keep awesome open on error.
-            end
-
         elseif result then
             -- true: test succeeded.
             if step < #steps then
@@ -92,16 +131,12 @@ runner.run_steps = function(steps, options)
                 wait = 20
                 t.timeout = 0
                 t:again()
-                return
+            else
+                -- All steps finished, we are done.
+                runner.done()
             end
-
         elseif result == false then
-            io.stderr:write("Step "..step_as_string.." failed (returned false).\n")
-            if not runner.quit_awesome_on_error then
-                io.stderr:write("Keeping awesome open...\n")
-                return
-            end
-
+            runner.done("Step "..step_as_string.." failed (returned false).")
         else
             -- No result yet, run this step again.
             wait = wait-1
@@ -109,28 +144,11 @@ runner.run_steps = function(steps, options)
                 t.timeout = 0.1
                 t:again()
             else
-                io.stderr:write("Error: timeout waiting for signal in step "
-                                ..step_as_string..".\n")
+                runner.done("timeout waiting for signal in step "
+                            ..step_as_string..".")
                 t:stop()
             end
-            return
         end
-
-        local client_count = #client.get()
-        if client_count > 0 then
-            io.stderr:write(string.format(
-                "NOTE: there were %d clients left after the test.\n", client_count))
-
-            -- Remove any clients.
-            for _,c in ipairs(client.get()) do
-                c:kill()
-            end
-        end
-
-        if success and result then
-            io.stderr:write("Test finished successfully.\n")
-        end
-        awesome.quit()
     end) end)
     t:start()
 end