diff --git a/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py b/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py
index d72ab4e9d3..57ea075f37 100644
--- a/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py
+++ b/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py
@@ -4668,13 +4668,27 @@ def test_cases_step(self):
                     test_cmd = os.path.join(source_path, self.name, test)
                     if os.path.exists(test_cmd):
                         break
-                if not os.path.exists(test_cmd):
-                    raise EasyBuildError(f"Test specifies invalid path: {test_cmd}")
-
+                else:
+                    test_cmd = test
+            if not os.path.exists(test_cmd):
+                raise EasyBuildError(f"Test specifies invalid path: {test_cmd}")
+
+            if os.path.isfile(test_cmd):
+                original_perms = os.lstat(test_cmd).st_mode
+                if original_perms & stat.S_IEXEC:
+                    original_perms = None
+                else:
+                    adjust_permissions(test_cmd, stat.S_IEXEC, add=True, recursive=False)
+            else:
+                original_perms = None
             try:
                 self.log.debug(f"Running test {test_cmd}")
-                run_shell_cmd(test_cmd)
-            except EasyBuildError as err:
+                try:
+                    run_shell_cmd(test_cmd)
+                finally:
+                    if original_perms is not None:
+                        adjust_permissions(test_cmd, original_perms, relative=False)
+            except BaseException as err:
                 raise EasyBuildError(f"Running test {test_cmd} failed: {err}")
 
     def update_config_template_run_step(self):
diff --git a/test/framework/easyblock.py b/test/framework/easyblock.py
index 601b21b7f8..0daeaa5ed3 100644
--- a/test/framework/easyblock.py
+++ b/test/framework/easyblock.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 import os
 import re
 import shutil
+import stat
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import textwrap
@@ -52,8 +53,8 @@
 from easybuild.tools import LooseVersion, config
 from easybuild.tools.build_log import EasyBuildError
 from easybuild.tools.config import get_module_syntax, update_build_option
-from easybuild.tools.filetools import change_dir, copy_dir, copy_file, mkdir, read_file, remove_dir, remove_file
-from easybuild.tools.filetools import symlink, verify_checksum, write_file
+from easybuild.tools.filetools import adjust_permissions, change_dir, copy_dir, copy_file, mkdir, read_file
+from easybuild.tools.filetools import remove_dir, remove_file, symlink, verify_checksum, write_file
 from easybuild.tools.module_generator import module_generator
 from easybuild.tools.modules import EnvironmentModules, Lmod, reset_module_caches
 from easybuild.tools.version import get_git_revision, this_is_easybuild
@@ -1271,6 +1272,68 @@ def test_handle_iterate_opts(self):
         self.assertEqual(eb.cfg.iterating, False)
         self.assertEqual(eb.cfg['configopts'], ["--opt1 --anotheropt", "--opt2", "--opt3 --optbis"])
 
+    def test_test_cases_step(self):
+        """Test test_cases_step"""
+        self.contents = '\n'.join([
+            'easyblock = "ConfigureMake"',
+            'name = "pi"',
+            'version = "3.14"',
+            'homepage = "http://example.com"',
+            'description = "test easyconfig"',
+            "toolchain = {'name': 'gompi', 'version': '2018a'}",
+        ])
+        self.writeEC()
+        eb = EasyBlock(EasyConfig(self.eb_file))
+        eb.cfg['tests'] = ['does-not-exist']
+        self.assertRaisesRegex(EasyBuildError, 'invalid path: does-not-exist', eb.test_cases_step)
+        eb.cfg['tests'] = ['/abs/path/does-not-exist']
+        self.assertRaisesRegex(EasyBuildError, 'invalid path: /abs/path/does-not-exist', eb.test_cases_step)
+
+        mock_test_bin = os.path.join(self.test_prefix, 'pi', 'test_me')
+        os.environ['PATH'] += f':{os.path.dirname(mock_test_bin)}'
+        write_file(mock_test_bin, "#!/bin/bash\necho 'Test case success'")
+
+        adjust_permissions(mock_test_bin, stat.S_IXUSR)
+        eb.cfg['tests'] = [os.path.basename(mock_test_bin)]
+        self.assertRaisesRegex(EasyBuildError, f'invalid path: {os.path.basename(mock_test_bin)}', eb.test_cases_step)
+
+        init_config(args=[f"--sourcepath={self.test_prefix}"])
+        write_file(eb.logfile, '')
+        eb.test_cases_step()
+        self.assertIn('Test case success', read_file(eb.logfile))
+
+        # Also works with non-executable file
+        perms = stat.S_IREAD
+        adjust_permissions(mock_test_bin, perms, relative=False)
+        eb.cfg['tests'] = [os.path.basename(mock_test_bin)]
+        write_file(eb.logfile, '')
+        eb.test_cases_step()
+        self.assertEqual(stat.S_IMODE(os.lstat(mock_test_bin).st_mode), perms)  # Permissions unchanged
+        self.assertIn('Test case success', read_file(eb.logfile))
+
+        # Similar for absolute paths
+        eb.cfg['tests'] = [mock_test_bin]
+        write_file(eb.logfile, '')
+        eb.test_cases_step()
+        self.assertIn('Test case success', read_file(eb.logfile))
+
+        # Detect failure
+        adjust_permissions(mock_test_bin, stat.S_IWRITE)
+        mock_test_bin_fail = mock_test_bin + "_fail"
+        write_file(mock_test_bin_fail, "#!/bin/bash\necho 'Test case failure' && exit 1")
+        eb.cfg['tests'] = [mock_test_bin_fail]
+        write_file(eb.logfile, '')
+        self.assertRaisesRegex(EasyBuildError, f'Running test {mock_test_bin_fail} failed', eb.test_cases_step)
+        self.assertIn('Test case failure', read_file(eb.logfile))
+
+        # Multiple tests
+        eb.cfg['tests'] = [mock_test_bin, mock_test_bin_fail]
+        write_file(eb.logfile, '')
+        self.assertRaisesRegex(EasyBuildError, f'Running test {mock_test_bin_fail} failed', eb.test_cases_step)
+        log_txt = read_file(eb.logfile)
+        self.assertIn('Test case success', log_txt)
+        self.assertIn('Test case failure', log_txt)
+
     def test_post_processing_step(self):
         """Test post_processing_step and deprecated post_install_step."""
         init_config(build_options={'silent': True})