diff --git a/test/examples.sh b/test/examples.sh
index 7ba9ccef9..39f7e392d 100755
--- a/test/examples.sh
+++ b/test/examples.sh
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 example_tests=$(ls $(dirname $0)/*.sh)
 
 # List of script names to exclude.
-exclude_list="examples vpxdec vpxenc tools_common"
+exclude_list="examples tools_common"
 
 # Filter out the scripts in $exclude_list.
 for word in ${exclude_list}; do
diff --git a/test/tools_common.sh b/test/tools_common.sh
index 0bfefba46..15c7bcebb 100755
--- a/test/tools_common.sh
+++ b/test/tools_common.sh
@@ -144,6 +144,24 @@ is_windows_target() {
   fi
 }
 
+# Echoes path to $1 when it's executable and exists in ${LIBVPX_BIN_PATH}, or an
+# empty string. Caller is responsible for testing the string once the function
+# returns.
+vpx_tool_path() {
+  local readonly tool_name="$1"
+  local tool_path="${LIBVPX_BIN_PATH}/${tool_name}${VPX_TEST_EXE_SUFFIX}"
+  if [ ! -x "${tool_path}" ]; then
+    # Try one directory up: when running via examples.sh the tool could be in
+    # the parent directory of $LIBVPX_BIN_PATH.
+    tool_path="${LIBVPX_BIN_PATH}/../${tool_name}${VPX_TEST_EXE_SUFFIX}"
+  fi
+
+  if [ ! -x "${tool_path}" ]; then
+    tool_path=""
+  fi
+  echo "${tool_path}"
+}
+
 # Echoes yes to stdout when the file named by positional parameter one exists
 # in LIBVPX_BIN_PATH, and is executable.
 vpx_tool_available() {
diff --git a/test/vpxdec.sh b/test/vpxdec.sh
index 836b13cce..a7bee7c6a 100755
--- a/test/vpxdec.sh
+++ b/test/vpxdec.sh
@@ -17,14 +17,13 @@
 # Environment check: Make sure input is available.
 vpxdec_verify_environment() {
   if [ ! -e "${VP8_IVF_FILE}" ] || [ ! -e "${VP9_WEBM_FILE}" ]; then
-    echo "Libvpx test data must exist in LIBVPX_TEST_DATA_PATH."
+    elog "Libvpx test data must exist in LIBVPX_TEST_DATA_PATH."
+    return 1
+  fi
+  if [ -z "$(vpx_tool_path vpxdec)" ]; then
+    elog "vpxdec not found. It must exist in LIBVPX_BIN_PATH or its parent."
     return 1
   fi
-}
-
-# Echoes yes to stdout when vpxdec exists according to vpx_tool_available().
-vpxdec_available() {
-  [ -n "$(vpx_tool_available vpxdec)" ] && echo yes
 }
 
 # Wrapper function for running vpxdec with pipe input. Requires that
@@ -32,7 +31,7 @@ vpxdec_available() {
 # input file path and shifted away. All remaining parameters are passed through
 # to vpxdec.
 vpxdec_pipe() {
-  local decoder="${LIBVPX_BIN_PATH}/vpxdec${VPX_TEST_EXE_SUFFIX}"
+  local decoder="$(vpx_tool_path vpxdec)"
   local input="$1"
   shift
   cat "${input}" | eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${decoder}" - "$@" ${devnull}
@@ -42,22 +41,20 @@ vpxdec_pipe() {
 # the directory containing vpxdec. $1 one is used as the input file path and
 # shifted away. All remaining parameters are passed through to vpxdec.
 vpxdec() {
-  local decoder="${LIBVPX_BIN_PATH}/vpxdec${VPX_TEST_EXE_SUFFIX}"
+  local decoder="$(vpx_tool_path vpxdec)"
   local input="${1}"
   shift
   eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${decoder}" "$input" "$@" ${devnull}
 }
 
 vpxdec_can_decode_vp8() {
-  if [ "$(vpxdec_available)" = "yes" ] && \
-     [ "$(vp8_decode_available)" = "yes" ]; then
+  if [ "$(vp8_decode_available)" = "yes" ]; then
     echo yes
   fi
 }
 
 vpxdec_can_decode_vp9() {
-  if [ "$(vpxdec_available)" = "yes" ] && \
-     [ "$(vp9_decode_available)" = "yes" ]; then
+  if [ "$(vp9_decode_available)" = "yes" ]; then
     echo yes
   fi
 }
diff --git a/test/vpxenc.sh b/test/vpxenc.sh
index 3cf3f4d40..83818aa98 100755
--- a/test/vpxenc.sh
+++ b/test/vpxenc.sh
@@ -23,33 +23,30 @@ vpxenc_verify_environment() {
     echo "The file ${YUV_RAW_INPUT##*/} must exist in LIBVPX_TEST_DATA_PATH."
     return 1
   fi
+  if [ -z "$(vpx_tool_path vpxenc)" ]; then
+    elog "vpxenc not found. It must exist in LIBVPX_BIN_PATH or its parent."
+    return 1
+  fi
 }
 
 vpxenc_can_encode_vp8() {
-  if [ "$(vpxenc_available)" = "yes" ] && \
-     [ "$(vp8_encode_available)" = "yes" ]; then
+  if [ "$(vp8_encode_available)" = "yes" ]; then
     echo yes
   fi
 }
 
 vpxenc_can_encode_vp9() {
-  if [ "$(vpxenc_available)" = "yes" ] && \
-     [ "$(vp9_encode_available)" = "yes" ]; then
+  if [ "$(vp9_encode_available)" = "yes" ]; then
     echo yes
   fi
 }
 
-# Echoes yes to stdout when vpxenc exists according to vpx_tool_available().
-vpxenc_available() {
-  [ -n "$(vpx_tool_available vpxenc)" ] && echo yes
-}
-
 # Wrapper function for running vpxenc with pipe input. Requires that
 # LIBVPX_BIN_PATH points to the directory containing vpxenc. $1 is used as the
 # input file path and shifted away. All remaining parameters are passed through
 # to vpxenc.
 vpxenc_pipe() {
-  local readonly encoder="${LIBVPX_BIN_PATH}/vpxenc${VPX_TEST_EXE_SUFFIX}"
+  local readonly encoder="$(vpx_tool_path vpxenc)"
   local readonly input="$1"
   shift
   cat "${input}" | eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${encoder}" - "$@" ${devnull}
@@ -59,7 +56,7 @@ vpxenc_pipe() {
 # the directory containing vpxenc. $1 one is used as the input file path and
 # shifted away. All remaining parameters are passed through to vpxenc.
 vpxenc() {
-  local readonly encoder="${LIBVPX_BIN_PATH}/vpxenc${VPX_TEST_EXE_SUFFIX}"
+  local readonly encoder="$(vpx_tool_path vpxenc)"
   local readonly input="${1}"
   shift
   eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${encoder}" "$input" "$@" ${devnull}