diff --git a/include/crm/common/unittest_internal.h b/include/crm/common/unittest_internal.h
index b8f78cf411..1fc8501cb1 100644
--- a/include/crm/common/unittest_internal.h
+++ b/include/crm/common/unittest_internal.h
@@ -1,84 +1,122 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2022 the Pacemaker project contributors
+ * Copyright 2022-2023 the Pacemaker project contributors
  *
  * The version control history for this file may have further details.
  *
  * This source code is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License
  * version 2.1 or later (LGPLv2.1+) WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY.
  */
 
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <setjmp.h>
 #include <sys/resource.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #include <cmocka.h>
 
 #ifndef CRM_COMMON_UNITTEST_INTERNAL__H
 #define CRM_COMMON_UNITTEST_INTERNAL__H
 
 /* internal unit testing related utilities */
 
 /*!
  * \internal
  * \brief Assert that a statement aborts through CRM_ASSERT().
  *
  * \param[in] stmt  Statement to execute; can be an expression.
  *
  * A cmocka-like assert macro for use in unit testing. This one verifies that a
  * statement aborts through CRM_ASSERT(), erroring out if that is not the case.
  *
  * This macro works by running the statement in a forked child process with core
  * dumps disabled (CRM_ASSERT() calls \c abort(), which will write out a core
  * dump). The parent waits for the child to exit and checks why. If the child
  * received a \c SIGABRT, the test passes. For all other cases, the test fails.
  *
  * \note If cmocka's expect_*() or will_return() macros are called along with
  *       pcmk__assert_asserts(), they must be called within a block that is
  *       passed as the \c stmt argument. That way, the values are added only to
  *       the child's queue. Otherwise, values added to the parent's queue will
  *       never be popped, and the test will fail.
  */
 #define pcmk__assert_asserts(stmt) \
     do { \
         pid_t p = fork(); \
         if (p == 0) { \
             struct rlimit cores = { 0, 0 }; \
             setrlimit(RLIMIT_CORE, &cores); \
             stmt; \
             _exit(0); \
         } else if (p > 0) { \
             int wstatus = 0; \
             if (waitpid(p, &wstatus, 0) == -1) { \
                 fail_msg("waitpid failed"); \
             } \
             if (!(WIFSIGNALED(wstatus) && WTERMSIG(wstatus) == SIGABRT)) { \
                 fail_msg("statement terminated in child without asserting"); \
             } \
         } else { \
             fail_msg("unable to fork for assert test"); \
         } \
     } while (0);
 
+/*!
+ * \internal
+ * \brief Assert that a statement exits with the expected exit status.
+ *
+ * \param[in] stmt  Statement to execute; can be an expression.
+ * \param[in] rc    The expected exit status.
+ *
+ * This functions just like \c pcmk__assert_asserts, except that it tests for
+ * an expected exit status.  Abnormal termination or incorrect exit status is
+ * treated as a failure of the test.
+ *
+ * In the event that stmt does not exit at all, the special code \c CRM_EX_NONE
+ * will be returned.  It is expected that this code is not used anywhere, thus
+ * always causing an error.
+ */
+#define pcmk__assert_exits(rc, stmt) \
+    do { \
+        pid_t p = fork(); \
+        if (p == 0) { \
+            struct rlimit cores = { 0, 0 }; \
+            setrlimit(RLIMIT_CORE, &cores); \
+            stmt; \
+            _exit(CRM_EX_NONE); \
+        } else if (p > 0) { \
+            int wstatus = 0; \
+            if (waitpid(p, &wstatus, 0) == -1) { \
+                fail_msg("waitpid failed"); \
+            } \
+            if (!WIFEXITED(wstatus)) { \
+                fail_msg("statement terminated abnormally"); \
+            } else if (WEXITSTATUS(wstatus) != rc) { \
+                fail_msg("statement exited with %d, not expected %d", WEXITSTATUS(wstatus), rc); \
+            } \
+        } else { \
+            fail_msg("unable to fork for assert test"); \
+        } \
+    } while (0);
+
 /* Generate the main function of most unit test files.  Typically, group_setup
  * and group_teardown will be NULL.  The rest of the arguments are a list of
  * calls to cmocka_unit_test or cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown to run the
  * individual unit tests.
  */
 #define PCMK__UNIT_TEST(group_setup, group_teardown, ...) \
 int \
 main(int argc, char **argv) \
 { \
     const struct CMUnitTest t[] = { \
         __VA_ARGS__ \
     }; \
     cmocka_set_message_output(CM_OUTPUT_TAP); \
     return cmocka_run_group_tests(t, group_setup, group_teardown); \
 }
 
 #endif /* CRM_COMMON_UNITTEST_INTERNAL__H */