diff --git a/test/utils/command.cpp b/test/utils/command.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2ccb3383
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/utils/command.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#if __has_include(<catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>)
+#include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
+#else
+#include <catch2/catch.hpp>
+#endif
+
+#include <cerrno>
+#include <list>
+#include <mutex>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+std::mutex reap_mtx;
+std::list<pid_t> reap;
+
+extern "C" int waybar_test_execl(const char* path, const char* arg, ...);
+extern "C" int waybar_test_execlp(const char* file, const char* arg, ...);
+
+#define execl waybar_test_execl
+#define execlp waybar_test_execlp
+#include "util/command.hpp"
+#undef execl
+#undef execlp
+
+extern "C" int waybar_test_execl(const char* path, const char* arg, ...) {
+  (void)path;
+  (void)arg;
+  errno = ENOENT;
+  return -1;
+}
+
+extern "C" int waybar_test_execlp(const char* file, const char* arg, ...) {
+  (void)file;
+  (void)arg;
+  errno = ENOENT;
+  return -1;
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("command::execNoRead returns 127 when shell exec fails", "[util][command]") {
+  const auto result = waybar::util::command::execNoRead("echo should-not-run");
+  REQUIRE(result.exit_code == waybar::util::command::kExecFailureExitCode);
+  REQUIRE(result.out.empty());
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("command::forkExec child exits 127 when shell exec fails", "[util][command]") {
+  const auto pid = waybar::util::command::forkExec("echo should-not-run", "test-output");
+  REQUIRE(pid > 0);
+
+  int status = -1;
+  REQUIRE(waitpid(pid, &status, 0) == pid);
+  REQUIRE(WIFEXITED(status));
+  REQUIRE(WEXITSTATUS(status) == waybar::util::command::kExecFailureExitCode);
+
+  std::scoped_lock<std::mutex> lock(reap_mtx);
+  reap.remove(pid);
+}
diff --git a/test/utils/meson.build b/test/utils/meson.build
index 050af262..e8dd37fa 100644
--- a/test/utils/meson.build
+++ b/test/utils/meson.build
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ test_src = files(
     'JsonParser.cpp',
     'SafeSignal.cpp',
     'sleeper_thread.cpp',
+    'command.cpp',
     'css_reload_helper.cpp',
     '../../src/util/css_reload_helper.cpp',
 )