diff --git a/borg/testsuite/archiver.py b/borg/testsuite/archiver.py
index cecc6016c..2f4723331 100644
--- a/borg/testsuite/archiver.py
+++ b/borg/testsuite/archiver.py
@@ -123,12 +123,13 @@ def cmd(request):
 
 
 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
@@ -154,7 +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)
@@ -333,7 +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()
@@ -343,7 +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)
@@ -568,8 +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')
@@ -656,6 +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):