diff --git a/pkgs/test/default.nix b/pkgs/test/default.nix
index 3a39d247c8fe..6c89ba5638e0 100644
--- a/pkgs/test/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/test/default.nix
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ with pkgs;
   cc-wrapper-clang-9 = callPackage ./cc-wrapper { stdenv = llvmPackages_9.stdenv; };
   cc-wrapper-libcxx-9 = callPackage ./cc-wrapper { stdenv = llvmPackages_9.libcxxStdenv; };
   stdenv-inputs = callPackage ./stdenv-inputs { };
+  stdenv = callPackage ./stdenv { };
 
   config = callPackage ./config.nix { };
 
diff --git a/pkgs/test/stdenv/default.nix b/pkgs/test/stdenv/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..01f0e0fe8b83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/test/stdenv/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+# To run these tests:
+# nix-build -A tests.stdenv
+
+{ stdenv
+, pkgs
+, lib
+,
+}:
+
+let
+  # use a early stdenv so when hacking on stdenv this test can be run quickly
+  bootStdenv = stdenv.__bootPackages.stdenv.__bootPackages.stdenv.__bootPackages.stdenv.__bootPackages.stdenv;
+  pkgsStructured = import pkgs.path { config = { structuredAttrsByDefault = true; }; inherit (stdenv.hostPlatform) system; };
+  bootStdenvStructuredAttrsByDefault = pkgsStructured.stdenv.__bootPackages.stdenv.__bootPackages.stdenv.__bootPackages.stdenv.__bootPackages.stdenv;
+in
+
+{
+  test-env-attrset = bootStdenv.mkDerivation {
+    name = "test-env-attrset";
+    dontUnpack = true;
+    dontConfigure = true;
+    dontBuild = true;
+    dontPatch = true;
+    dontFixup = true;
+    env = {
+      string = "testing-string";
+    };
+
+    installPhase = ''
+      declare -p string
+      echo "env.string = $string"
+      [[ $string == "testing-string" ]] || (echo "string was not testing-string" && false)
+      touch $out
+    '';
+  };
+
+  test-structured-env-attrset = bootStdenv.mkDerivation {
+    name = "test-structured-env-attrset";
+    dontUnpack = true;
+    dontConfigure = true;
+    dontBuild = true;
+    dontPatch = true;
+    dontFixup = true;
+    __structuredAttrs = true;
+    env = {
+      string = "testing-string";
+    };
+
+    installPhase = ''
+      declare -p string
+      echo "env.string = $string"
+      [[ $string == "testing-string" ]] || (echo "string was not testing-string" && false)
+      touch $out
+    '';
+  };
+
+  test-cc-wrapper-substitutions = bootStdenv.cc.overrideAttrs (previousAttrs: {
+    name = "test-cc-wrapper-substitutions";
+
+    postFixup = previousAttrs.postFixup + ''
+      declare -p wrapperName
+      echo "env.wrapperName = $wrapperName"
+      [[ $wrapperName == "CC_WRAPPER" ]] || (echo "wrapperName was not CC_WRAPPER" && false)
+      touch $out
+    '';
+  });
+
+  structuredAttrsByDefault = lib.recurseIntoAttrs {
+
+    test-cc-wrapper-substitutions = bootStdenvStructuredAttrsByDefault.cc.overrideAttrs (previousAttrs: {
+      name = "test-cc-wrapper-substitutions-structuredAttrsByDefault";
+
+      postFixup = previousAttrs.postFixup + ''
+        declare -p wrapperName
+        echo "env.wrapperName = $wrapperName"
+        [[ $wrapperName == "CC_WRAPPER" ]] || (echo "wrapperName was not CC_WRAPPER" && false)
+        declare -p suffixSalt
+        echo "env.suffixSalt = $suffixSalt"
+        [[ $suffixSalt == "${bootStdenvStructuredAttrsByDefault.cc.suffixSalt}" ]] || (echo "wrapperName was not ${bootStdenvStructuredAttrsByDefault.cc.suffixSalt}" && false)
+
+        grep -q "@out@" $out/bin/cc || echo "@out@ in $out/bin/cc was substituted"
+        grep -q "@suffixSalt@" $out/bin/cc && (echo "$out/bin/cc contains unsubstituted variables" && false)
+
+        touch $out
+      '';
+    });
+
+    test-structured-env-attrset = bootStdenvStructuredAttrsByDefault.mkDerivation {
+      name = "test-structured-env-attrset-structuredAttrsByDefault";
+      dontUnpack = true;
+      dontConfigure = true;
+      dontBuild = true;
+      dontPatch = true;
+      dontFixup = true;
+      env = {
+        string = "testing-string";
+      };
+
+      installPhase = ''
+        declare -p string
+        echo "env.string = $string"
+        [[ $string == "testing-string" ]] || (echo "string was not testing-string" && false)
+        touch $out
+      '';
+    };
+  };
+}