diff --git a/borg/testsuite/archiver.py b/borg/testsuite/archiver.py
index 00a3a2bd9..f2de2282c 100644
--- a/borg/testsuite/archiver.py
+++ b/borg/testsuite/archiver.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from binascii import hexlify
 from configparser import RawConfigParser
+import errno
 import os
 from io import StringIO
 import stat
@@ -70,11 +71,15 @@ class environment_variable:
             else:
                 os.environ[k] = v
 
-
-def exec_cmd(*args, archiver=None, fork=False, **kw):
+def exec_cmd(*args, archiver=None, fork=False, exe=None, **kw):
     if fork:
         try:
-            borg = (sys.executable, '-m', 'borg.archiver')
+            if exe is None:
+                borg = (sys.executable, '-m', 'borg.archiver')
+            elif isinstance(exe, str):
+                borg = (exe, )
+            elif not isinstance(exe, tuple):
+                raise ValueError('exe must be None, a tuple or a str')
             output = subprocess.check_output(borg + args)
             ret = 0
         except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
@@ -94,13 +99,37 @@ def exec_cmd(*args, archiver=None, fork=False, **kw):
             sys.stdin, sys.stdout, sys.stderr = stdin, stdout, stderr
 
 
-class ArchiverTestCaseBase(BaseTestCase):
+# check if the binary "borg.exe" is available
+try:
+    exec_cmd('help', exe='borg.exe', fork=True)
+    BORG_EXES = ['python', 'binary', ]
+except (IOError, OSError) as err:
+    if err.errno != errno.ENOENT:
+        raise
+    BORG_EXES = ['python', ]
 
+
+@pytest.fixture(params=BORG_EXES)
+def cmd(request):
+    if request.param == 'python':
+        exe = None
+    elif request.param == 'binary':
+        exe = 'borg.exe'
+    else:
+        raise ValueError("param must be 'python' or 'binary'")
+    def exec_fn(*args, **kw):
+        return exec_cmd(*args, exe=exe, fork=True, **kw)
+    return exec_fn
+
+
+class ArchiverTestCaseBase(BaseTestCase):
+    EXE = None  # python source based
+    FORK_DEFAULT = False
     prefix = ''
 
     def setUp(self):
         os.environ['BORG_CHECK_I_KNOW_WHAT_I_AM_DOING'] = '1'
-        self.archiver = Archiver()
+        self.archiver = not self.FORK_DEFAULT and Archiver() or None
         self.tmpdir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
         self.repository_path = os.path.join(self.tmpdir, 'repository')
         self.repository_location = self.prefix + self.repository_path
@@ -126,7 +155,10 @@ class ArchiverTestCaseBase(BaseTestCase):
 
     def cmd(self, *args, **kw):
         exit_code = kw.pop('exit_code', 0)
-        ret, output = exec_cmd(*args, archiver=self.archiver, **kw)
+        fork = kw.pop('fork', None)
+        if fork is None:
+            fork = self.FORK_DEFAULT
+        ret, output = exec_cmd(*args, fork=fork, exe=self.EXE, archiver=self.archiver, **kw)
         if ret != exit_code:
             print(output)
         self.assert_equal(ret, exit_code)
@@ -305,7 +337,10 @@ class ArchiverTestCase(ArchiverTestCaseBase):
         self.cmd('init', '--encryption=none', self.repository_location)
         self._set_repository_id(self.repository_path, repository_id)
         self.assert_equal(repository_id, self._extract_repository_id(self.repository_path))
-        self.assert_raises(Cache.EncryptionMethodMismatch, lambda: self.cmd('create', self.repository_location + '::test.2', 'input'))
+        if self.FORK_DEFAULT:
+            self.cmd('create', self.repository_location + '::test.2', 'input', exit_code=1)  # fails
+        else:
+            self.assert_raises(Cache.EncryptionMethodMismatch, lambda: self.cmd('create', self.repository_location + '::test.2', 'input'))
 
     def test_repository_swap_detection2(self):
         self.create_test_files()
@@ -315,7 +350,10 @@ class ArchiverTestCase(ArchiverTestCaseBase):
         self.cmd('create', self.repository_location + '_encrypted::test', 'input')
         shutil.rmtree(self.repository_path + '_encrypted')
         os.rename(self.repository_path + '_unencrypted', self.repository_path + '_encrypted')
-        self.assert_raises(Cache.RepositoryAccessAborted, lambda: self.cmd('create', self.repository_location + '_encrypted::test.2', 'input'))
+        if self.FORK_DEFAULT:
+            self.cmd('create', self.repository_location + '_encrypted::test.2', 'input', exit_code=1)  # fails
+        else:
+            self.assert_raises(Cache.RepositoryAccessAborted, lambda: self.cmd('create', self.repository_location + '_encrypted::test.2', 'input'))
 
     def test_strip_components(self):
         self.cmd('init', self.repository_location)
@@ -540,8 +578,12 @@ class ArchiverTestCase(ArchiverTestCaseBase):
         self.assert_in('bar-2015-08-12-20:00', output)
 
     def test_usage(self):
-        self.assert_raises(SystemExit, lambda: self.cmd())
-        self.assert_raises(SystemExit, lambda: self.cmd('-h'))
+        if self.FORK_DEFAULT:
+            self.cmd(exit_code=0)
+            self.cmd('-h', exit_code=0)
+        else:
+            self.assert_raises(SystemExit, lambda: self.cmd())
+            self.assert_raises(SystemExit, lambda: self.cmd('-h'))
 
     def test_help(self):
         assert 'Borg' in self.cmd('help')
@@ -628,6 +670,12 @@ class ArchiverTestCase(ArchiverTestCaseBase):
         self.verify_aes_counter_uniqueness('passphrase')
 
 
+@unittest.skipUnless('binary' in BORG_EXES, 'no borg.exe available')
+class ArchiverTestCaseBinary(ArchiverTestCase):
+    EXE = 'borg.exe'
+    FORK_DEFAULT = True
+
+
 class ArchiverCheckTestCase(ArchiverTestCaseBase):
 
     def setUp(self):
diff --git a/borg/testsuite/benchmark.py b/borg/testsuite/benchmark.py
index 5b5c38634..e7d9b2487 100644
--- a/borg/testsuite/benchmark.py
+++ b/borg/testsuite/benchmark.py
@@ -10,13 +10,7 @@ import os
 
 import pytest
 
-from .archiver import changedir, exec_cmd
-
-
-# TODO: use fixture params to test python code and binary
-@pytest.fixture
-def cmd():
-    return exec_cmd
+from .archiver import changedir, cmd
 
 
 @pytest.yield_fixture