diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index d511853b..4cc97bab 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ noinst_HEADERS += src/precomputed_ecmult.h
 noinst_HEADERS += src/precomputed_ecmult_gen.h
 noinst_HEADERS += src/assumptions.h
 noinst_HEADERS += src/checkmem.h
+noinst_HEADERS += src/tests_common.h
 noinst_HEADERS += src/testutil.h
 noinst_HEADERS += src/util.h
 noinst_HEADERS += src/util_local_visibility.h
diff --git a/src/bench.h b/src/bench.h
index 232fb35f..4e8e961b 100644
--- a/src/bench.h
+++ b/src/bench.h
@@ -12,27 +12,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
-#if (defined(_MSC_VER) && _MSC_VER >= 1900)
-#  include <time.h>
-#else
-#  include <sys/time.h>
-#endif
-
-static int64_t gettime_i64(void) {
-#if (defined(_MSC_VER) && _MSC_VER >= 1900)
-    /* C11 way to get wallclock time */
-    struct timespec tv;
-    if (!timespec_get(&tv, TIME_UTC)) {
-        fputs("timespec_get failed!", stderr);
-        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-    }
-    return (int64_t)tv.tv_nsec / 1000 + (int64_t)tv.tv_sec * 1000000LL;
-#else
-    struct timeval tv;
-    gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
-    return (int64_t)tv.tv_usec + (int64_t)tv.tv_sec * 1000000LL;
-#endif
-}
+#include "tests_common.h"
 
 #define FP_EXP (6)
 #define FP_MULT (1000000LL)
diff --git a/src/tests_common.h b/src/tests_common.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a341633b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests_common.h
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/***********************************************************************
+ * Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying    *
+ * file COPYING or https://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.*
+ ***********************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef SECP256K1_TESTS_COMMON_H
+#define SECP256K1_TESTS_COMMON_H
+
+/***********************************************************************
+ * Test Support Utilities
+ *
+ * This file provides general-purpose functions for tests and benchmark
+ * programs. Unlike testutil.h, this file is not linked to the library,
+ * allowing each program to choose whether to run against the production
+ * API or access library internals directly.
+ ***********************************************************************/
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+#if (defined(_MSC_VER) && _MSC_VER >= 1900)
+#  include <time.h>
+#else
+#  include <sys/time.h>
+#endif
+
+static int64_t gettime_i64(void) {
+#if (defined(_MSC_VER) && _MSC_VER >= 1900)
+    /* C11 way to get wallclock time */
+    struct timespec tv;
+    if (!timespec_get(&tv, TIME_UTC)) {
+        fputs("timespec_get failed!", stderr);
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
+    return (int64_t)tv.tv_nsec / 1000 + (int64_t)tv.tv_sec * 1000000LL;
+#else
+    struct timeval tv;
+    gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
+    return (int64_t)tv.tv_usec + (int64_t)tv.tv_sec * 1000000LL;
+#endif
+}
+
+#endif /* SECP256K1_TESTS_COMMON_H */