diff --git a/tests/forgery/fs.go b/tests/forgery/fs.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f41b193702
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/forgery/fs.go
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Forgejo Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package forgery
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"io/fs"
+	"strings"
+	"testing/fstest"
+	"time"
+
+	repo_model "forgejo.org/models/repo"
+	user_model "forgejo.org/models/user"
+	"forgejo.org/modules/git"
+	files_service "forgejo.org/services/repository/files"
+)
+
+type MapFS = fstest.MapFS
+
+// when a file has one of this mode, it needs specific git handling
+// other non-zero modes are rejected
+const (
+	modeSubmodule = fs.ModeNamedPipe // hacky, but
+	modeSymlink   = fs.ModeSymlink
+)
+
+func MapFile(data string) *fstest.MapFile {
+	return &fstest.MapFile{
+		Data: []byte(data),
+	}
+}
+
+func MapSymlink(target string) *fstest.MapFile {
+	return &fstest.MapFile{
+		Data: []byte(target),
+		Mode: modeSymlink,
+	}
+}
+
+func MapSubmodule(sha string) *fstest.MapFile {
+	return &fstest.MapFile{
+		Data: []byte(sha),
+		Mode: modeSubmodule,
+	}
+}
+
+func initRepo(doer *user_model.User, repo *repo_model.Repository, format git.ObjectFormat, fsys fs.FS, commitMessage string) (string, error) {
+	t, err := files_service.NewTemporaryUploadRepository(git.DefaultContext, repo)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	defer t.Close()
+	if err := t.Init(format.Name()); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	if err := fs.WalkDir(fsys, ".", func(path string, d fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
+		if err != nil || d.IsDir() {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		var content io.Reader
+		mode := git.EntryModeBlob
+		switch d.Type() {
+		case modeSymlink:
+			target, err := fs.ReadLink(fsys, path)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			content = strings.NewReader(target)
+			mode = git.EntryModeSymlink
+		case modeSubmodule:
+			mode = git.EntryModeCommit
+			fallthrough
+		case 0:
+			f, err := fsys.Open(path)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			defer f.Close()
+
+			content = f
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected file type in forgery.CreateRepository %s: %s", path, d.Type())
+		}
+
+		// add object to the database
+		objectHash, err := t.HashObject(content)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		// Add the object to the index
+		return t.AddObjectToIndex(mode.String(), objectHash, path)
+	}); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	treeHash, err := t.WriteTree()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	now := time.Now()
+	commitHash, err := t.CommitTreeWithDate("", doer, doer, treeHash, commitMessage, false, now, now)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	return commitHash, t.Push(doer, commitHash, repo.DefaultBranch)
+}
diff --git a/tests/forgery/repo.go b/tests/forgery/repo.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bfa0a51681
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/forgery/repo.go
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Forgejo Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package forgery
+
+import (
+	"cmp"
+	"io/fs"
+	"testing"
+
+	repo_model "forgejo.org/models/repo"
+	unit_model "forgejo.org/models/unit"
+	user_model "forgejo.org/models/user"
+	"forgejo.org/modules/git"
+	repo_service "forgejo.org/services/repository"
+	wiki_service "forgejo.org/services/wiki"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"xorm.io/xorm/convert"
+)
+
+type CreateRepositoryOptions struct {
+	Name string // if nil a unique name (derived from the test name) will be generated
+
+	// Content of the initial commit, if nil the git repo will be left uninitialized.
+	// Use [MapFS] or [FilesInit] to setup the initial files.
+	Files fs.FS
+
+	ObjectFormat git.ObjectFormat // If nil, SHA1
+	IsTemplate   bool
+	IsPrivate    bool
+
+	LatestSha   *string // if not nil, the commit sha after initializing the repo with the Files will be written to this ref
+	SkipCleanup bool    // if true the repo will not be deleted at the end of the test (can be useful to debug locally)
+}
+
+// FilesInit specifies the templates to use upon repository initialization.
+type FilesInit struct {
+	Readme     string
+	Gitignores string
+	License    string
+}
+
+func (FilesInit) Open(name string) (fs.File, error) {
+	panic("FilesInit is only a sentinel value")
+}
+
+// CreateRepository returns the repo, owner and opts can be nil
+func CreateRepository(t testing.TB, owner *user_model.User, opts *CreateRepositoryOptions) *repo_model.Repository {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	if owner == nil {
+		owner = CreateUser(t, nil) // if specific options are needed, create the owner manually
+	}
+	if opts == nil {
+		opts = &CreateRepositoryOptions{}
+	}
+
+	repoName := opts.Name
+	if repoName == "" {
+		repoName = "repo-" + uniqueSafeName(t.Name())
+	}
+
+	gitFormat := cmp.Or(opts.ObjectFormat, git.Sha1ObjectFormat)
+
+	// Create the repository
+	createOptions := repo_service.CreateRepoOptions{
+		Name:             repoName,
+		Description:      "Test Repo",
+		DefaultBranch:    "main",
+		IsTemplate:       opts.IsTemplate,
+		ObjectFormatName: gitFormat.Name(),
+		IsPrivate:        opts.IsPrivate,
+	}
+	if fi, ok := opts.Files.(FilesInit); ok {
+		createOptions.AutoInit = true
+		createOptions.Readme = cmp.Or(fi.Readme, "Default")
+		createOptions.Gitignores = fi.Gitignores
+		createOptions.License = fi.License
+	}
+	repo, err := repo_service.CreateRepositoryDirectly(t.Context(), owner, owner, createOptions)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	if !opts.SkipCleanup {
+		t.Cleanup(func() {
+			_ = repo_service.DeleteRepository(t.Context(), owner, repo, false)
+		})
+	}
+	require.NotEmpty(t, repo)
+
+	if !createOptions.AutoInit && opts.Files != nil {
+		sha, err := initRepo(owner, repo, gitFormat, opts.Files, "init")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		if opts.LatestSha != nil {
+			*opts.LatestSha = sha
+		}
+
+		// reload the repo since pushing a commit might update the model via the push_update queue (IsEmpty for instance)
+		repo, err = repo_model.GetRepositoryByID(t.Context(), repo.ID)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+	repo.Owner = owner
+
+	return repo
+}
+
+func InitWiki(t testing.TB, repo *repo_model.Repository, branch string) {
+	// Set the wiki branch in the database first
+	repo.WikiBranch = branch
+	err := repo_model.UpdateRepositoryCols(t.Context(), repo, "wiki_branch")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Initialize the wiki
+	err = wiki_service.InitWiki(t.Context(), repo)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Add a new wiki page
+	err = wiki_service.AddWikiPage(t.Context(), repo.Owner, repo, "Home", "Welcome to the wiki!", "Add a Home page")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
+// config may be nil
+func EnableRepoUnit(t testing.TB, repo *repo_model.Repository, unit unit_model.Type, config convert.Conversion) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	err := repo_service.UpdateRepositoryUnits(t.Context(), repo, []repo_model.RepoUnit{{
+		RepoID: repo.ID,
+		Type:   unit,
+		Config: config,
+	}}, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
+func DisableRepoUnits(t testing.TB, repo *repo_model.Repository, units ...unit_model.Type) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	err := repo_service.UpdateRepositoryUnits(t.Context(), repo, nil, units)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
diff --git a/tests/forgery/user.go b/tests/forgery/user.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1175297497
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/forgery/user.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Forgejo Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package forgery
+
+import (
+	"math/rand/v2"
+	"regexp"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+
+	org_model "forgejo.org/models/organization"
+	user_model "forgejo.org/models/user"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+var nameCleaner = regexp.MustCompile(`[^a-zA-Z0-9-]+`) // exclude "_", to prevent multiple consecutive dashes
+
+// uniqueSafeName replaces specials chars with _ and appends a random hex suffix
+func uniqueSafeName(testName string) string {
+	return nameCleaner.ReplaceAllLiteralString(testName, "_") + "-" + strconv.FormatUint(uint64(rand.Uint32()), 16)
+}
+
+type CreateUserOptions struct {
+	IsAdmin bool
+}
+
+const userPassword = "password"
+
+func CreateUser(t testing.TB, opts *CreateUserOptions) *user_model.User {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	if opts == nil {
+		opts = &CreateUserOptions{}
+	}
+	u := &user_model.User{}
+
+	name := "user-" + uniqueSafeName(t.Name())
+
+	u.Name = name
+	u.Email = name + "@test.forgejo.org"
+	u.Passwd = userPassword
+	u.IsAdmin = opts.IsAdmin
+
+	err := user_model.CreateUser(t.Context(), u)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return u
+}
+
+func CreateOrganisation(t testing.TB, owner *user_model.User) *org_model.Organization {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	if owner == nil {
+		owner = CreateUser(t, nil) // if specific options are needed, create the owner manually
+	}
+	o := &org_model.Organization{}
+
+	name := "org-" + uniqueSafeName(t.Name())
+
+	o.Name = name
+
+	err := org_model.CreateOrganization(t.Context(), o, owner)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return o
+}