diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 429a14e1e9d..ec0262495f9 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -403,6 +403,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([tests/general/pio_tutil.F90:tests/general/util/pio_tutil.F90])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([tests/cunit/run_tests.sh], [chmod ugo+x tests/cunit/run_tests.sh])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([tests/ncint/run_tests.sh], [chmod ugo+x tests/ncint/run_tests.sh])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([tests/ncint/run_perf.sh], [chmod ugo+x tests/ncint/run_perf.sh])
+AC_CONFIG_FILES([tests/unit/run_tests.sh], [chmod ugo+x tests/unit/run_tests.sh])
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([examples/c/run_tests.sh], [chmod ugo+x examples/c/run_tests.sh])
 
 # Args:
diff --git a/tests/unit/Makefile.am b/tests/unit/Makefile.am
index 1eaea6e77b3..b1ac4dd39e7 100644
--- a/tests/unit/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/unit/Makefile.am
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@
 AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)/src/flib
 
 # Build the test for make check.
-check_PROGRAMS = pio_unit_test_driver
+check_PROGRAMS = pio_unit_test_driver ftst_vars
 pio_unit_test_driver_SOURCES = driver.F90
 pio_unit_test_driver_LDADD = libglobal_vars.la libncdf_tests.la	\
-libbasic_tests.la ${top_builddir}/src/flib/libpiof.la ${top_builddir}/src/clib/libpioc.la
+libbasic_tests.la ${top_builddir}/src/flib/libpiof.la		\
+${top_builddir}/src/clib/libpioc.la
+ftst_vars_SOURCES = ftst_vars.F90
 
 # Build these uninstalled convenience libraries.
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES = libglobal_vars.la libncdf_tests.la	\
diff --git a/tests/unit/basic_tests.F90 b/tests/unit/basic_tests.F90
index e48c99a9047..b9f72692be4 100644
--- a/tests/unit/basic_tests.F90
+++ b/tests/unit/basic_tests.F90
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 !! @brief Module containing basic unit tests that are run for both
 !!        binary and netcdf file types.
 !<
+#include "config.h"
 
 module basic_tests
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/driver.F90 b/tests/unit/driver.F90
index 6764b875595..6c3975d9b47 100644
--- a/tests/unit/driver.F90
+++ b/tests/unit/driver.F90
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 !! @file
 !! @brief The driver for PIO unit tests
 !<
+#include "config.h"
 
 Program pio_unit_test_driver
   use pio
diff --git a/tests/unit/ftst_vars.F90 b/tests/unit/ftst_vars.F90
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..335c8423f1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/ftst_vars.F90
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+  ! This is a test of the PIO Fortran library.
+
+  ! This tests var functions.
+
+  ! Ed Hartnett, 8/28/20
+#include "config.h"
+
+program ftst_vars
+  use mpi
+  use pio
+  integer :: my_rank, ntasks
+  integer :: ierr
+  
+  ! Set up MPI
+  call MPI_Init(ierr)
+  call MPI_Comm_rank(MPI_COMM_WORLD, my_rank, ierr)
+  call MPI_Comm_size(MPI_COMM_WORLD, ntasks , ierr)
+  
+  if (my_rank .eq. 0) print *,'Testing variables...'
+     
+  if (my_rank .eq. 0) print *,'SUCCESS!'
+  call MPI_Finalize(ierr)        
+end program ftst_vars
diff --git a/tests/unit/global_vars.F90 b/tests/unit/global_vars.F90
index f3347ba38c9..69cf0f412ac 100644
--- a/tests/unit/global_vars.F90
+++ b/tests/unit/global_vars.F90
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 !! @file
 !! @brief Module containing variables used across all unit test files
 !<
+#include "config.h"
 
 module global_vars
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/ncdf_tests.F90 b/tests/unit/ncdf_tests.F90
index 831a06d28fb..765132751e3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/ncdf_tests.F90
+++ b/tests/unit/ncdf_tests.F90
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 !! @file
 !! @brief Module containing netcdf-specific PIO unit tests
 !<
+#include "config.h"
 
 module ncdf_tests
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/run_tests.sh b/tests/unit/run_tests.sh.in
similarity index 82%
rename from tests/unit/run_tests.sh
rename to tests/unit/run_tests.sh.in
index 0f7c61ee178..aedce3635cf 100755
--- a/tests/unit/run_tests.sh
+++ b/tests/unit/run_tests.sh.in
@@ -10,14 +10,14 @@ trap exit INT TERM
 
 printf 'running PIO tests...\n'
 
-PIO_TESTS='pio_unit_test_driver'
+PIO_TESTS='pio_unit_test_driver ftst_vars'
 
 success1=true
 for TEST in $PIO_TESTS
 do
     success1=false
     echo "running ${TEST}"
-    mpiexec -n 4 ./${TEST} && success1=true
+    @WITH_MPIEXEC@ -n 4 ./${TEST} && success1=true
     if test $success1 = false; then
         break
     fi