diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/build_env.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/build_env.py
index 128d167a291..c3fe3c93b9c 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/build_env.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/build_env.py
@@ -2,86 +2,17 @@
 # Spack Project Developers. See the top-level COPYRIGHT file for details.
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: (Apache-2.0 OR MIT)
-
-from __future__ import print_function
-
 import argparse
-import os
-
-import llnl.util.tty as tty
-import spack.build_environment as build_environment
-import spack.cmd
 import spack.cmd.common.arguments as arguments
-from spack.util.environment import dump_environment, pickle_environment
+import spack.cmd.common.env_utility as env_utility
 
 description = "run a command in a spec's install environment, " \
               "or dump its environment to screen or file"
 section = "build"
 level = "long"
 
-
-def setup_parser(subparser):
-    arguments.add_common_arguments(subparser, ['clean', 'dirty'])
-    subparser.add_argument(
-        '--dump', metavar="FILE",
-        help="dump a source-able environment to FILE"
-    )
-    subparser.add_argument(
-        '--pickle', metavar="FILE",
-        help="dump a pickled source-able environment to FILE"
-    )
-    subparser.add_argument(
-        'spec', nargs=argparse.REMAINDER,
-        metavar='spec [--] [cmd]...',
-        help="spec of package environment to emulate")
-    subparser.epilog\
-        = 'If a command is not specified, the environment will be printed ' \
-        'to standard output (cf /usr/bin/env) unless --dump and/or --pickle ' \
-        'are specified.\n\nIf a command is specified and spec is ' \
-        'multi-word, then the -- separator is obligatory.'
+setup_parser = env_utility.setup_parser
 
 
 def build_env(parser, args):
-    if not args.spec:
-        tty.die("spack build-env requires a spec.")
-
-    # Specs may have spaces in them, so if they do, require that the
-    # caller put a '--' between the spec and the command to be
-    # executed.  If there is no '--', assume that the spec is the
-    # first argument.
-    sep = '--'
-    if sep in args.spec:
-        s = args.spec.index(sep)
-        spec = args.spec[:s]
-        cmd = args.spec[s + 1:]
-    else:
-        spec = args.spec[0]
-        cmd = args.spec[1:]
-
-    specs = spack.cmd.parse_specs(spec, concretize=True)
-    if len(specs) > 1:
-        tty.die("spack build-env only takes one spec.")
-    spec = specs[0]
-
-    build_environment.setup_package(spec.package, args.dirty)
-
-    if args.dump:
-        # Dump a source-able environment to a text file.
-        tty.msg("Dumping a source-able environment to {0}".format(args.dump))
-        dump_environment(args.dump)
-
-    if args.pickle:
-        # Dump a source-able environment to a pickle file.
-        tty.msg(
-            "Pickling a source-able environment to {0}".format(args.pickle))
-        pickle_environment(args.pickle)
-
-    if cmd:
-        # Execute the command with the new environment
-        os.execvp(cmd[0], cmd)
-
-    elif not bool(args.pickle or args.dump):
-        # If no command or dump/pickle option act like the "env" command
-        # and print out env vars.
-        for key, val in os.environ.items():
-            print("%s=%s" % (key, val))
+    env_utility.emulate_env_utility('build-env', 'build', args)
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/common/env_utility.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/common/env_utility.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..08d460b4250
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/common/env_utility.py
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+# Copyright 2013-2020 Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC and other
+# Spack Project Developers. See the top-level COPYRIGHT file for details.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: (Apache-2.0 OR MIT)
+from __future__ import print_function
+
+import argparse
+import os
+
+import llnl.util.tty as tty
+import spack.build_environment as build_environment
+import spack.paths
+import spack.cmd
+import spack.cmd.common.arguments as arguments
+from spack.util.environment import dump_environment, pickle_environment
+
+
+def setup_parser(subparser):
+    arguments.add_common_arguments(subparser, ['clean', 'dirty'])
+    subparser.add_argument(
+        '--dump', metavar="FILE",
+        help="dump a source-able environment to FILE"
+    )
+    subparser.add_argument(
+        '--pickle', metavar="FILE",
+        help="dump a pickled source-able environment to FILE"
+    )
+    subparser.add_argument(
+        'spec', nargs=argparse.REMAINDER,
+        metavar='spec [--] [cmd]...',
+        help="specs of package environment to emulate")
+    subparser.epilog\
+        = 'If a command is not specified, the environment will be printed ' \
+        'to standard output (cf /usr/bin/env) unless --dump and/or --pickle ' \
+        'are specified.\n\nIf a command is specified and spec is ' \
+        'multi-word, then the -- separator is obligatory.'
+
+
+def emulate_env_utility(cmd_name, context, args):
+    if not args.spec:
+        tty.die("spack %s requires a spec." % cmd_name)
+
+    # Specs may have spaces in them, so if they do, require that the
+    # caller put a '--' between the spec and the command to be
+    # executed.  If there is no '--', assume that the spec is the
+    # first argument.
+    sep = '--'
+    if sep in args.spec:
+        s = args.spec.index(sep)
+        spec = args.spec[:s]
+        cmd = args.spec[s + 1:]
+    else:
+        spec = args.spec[0]
+        cmd = args.spec[1:]
+
+    specs = spack.cmd.parse_specs(spec, concretize=True)
+    if len(specs) > 1:
+        tty.die("spack %s only takes one spec." % cmd_name)
+    spec = specs[0]
+
+    build_environment.setup_package(spec.package, args.dirty, context)
+
+    if args.dump:
+        # Dump a source-able environment to a text file.
+        tty.msg("Dumping a source-able environment to {0}".format(args.dump))
+        dump_environment(args.dump)
+
+    if args.pickle:
+        # Dump a source-able environment to a pickle file.
+        tty.msg(
+            "Pickling a source-able environment to {0}".format(args.pickle))
+        pickle_environment(args.pickle)
+
+    if cmd:
+        # Execute the command with the new environment
+        os.execvp(cmd[0], cmd)
+
+    elif not bool(args.pickle or args.dump):
+        # If no command or dump/pickle option act like the "env" command
+        # and print out env vars.
+        for key, val in os.environ.items():
+            print("%s=%s" % (key, val))
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/test_env.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/test_env.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5c0a91d20c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/test_env.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Copyright 2013-2020 Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC and other
+# Spack Project Developers. See the top-level COPYRIGHT file for details.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: (Apache-2.0 OR MIT)
+import argparse
+import spack.cmd.common.arguments as arguments
+import spack.cmd,common.env_utility as env_utility
+
+description = "run a command in a spec's test environment, " \
+              "or dump its environment to screen or file"
+section = "administration"
+level = "long"
+
+setup_parser = env_utility.setup_parser
+
+
+def test_env(parser, args):
+    env_utility.emulate_env_utility('test-env', 'test', args)