diff --git a/tests/core/test_dylink_tls.c b/tests/core/test_dylink_tls.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a7afd6181f2d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/core/test_dylink_tls.c
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <threads.h>
+
+static thread_local int foo = 10;
+static thread_local int bar = 11;
+
+void sidey();
+
+int get_foo() {
+  return foo;
+}
+
+int get_bar() {
+  return bar;
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char const *argv[]) {
+  printf("main TLS: %d %d\n", get_foo(), get_bar());
+  sidey();
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tests/core/test_dylink_tls.out b/tests/core/test_dylink_tls.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..9ff12f06b53d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/core/test_dylink_tls.out
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+main TLS: 10 11
+side TLS: 42 43
diff --git a/tests/core/test_dylink_tls_side.c b/tests/core/test_dylink_tls_side.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e5cb9062a909a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/core/test_dylink_tls_side.c
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <threads.h>
+
+static thread_local int baz = 42;
+static thread_local int wiz = 43;
+
+int get_baz() {
+  return baz;
+}
+
+int get_wiz() {
+  return wiz;
+}
+
+void sidey() {
+  printf("side TLS: %d %d\n", get_baz(), get_wiz());
+}
diff --git a/tests/test_core.py b/tests/test_core.py
index bf5497019b4a1..5fe3c2e2ed01f 100644
--- a/tests/test_core.py
+++ b/tests/test_core.py
@@ -4592,31 +4592,8 @@ def test_dylink_tls(self):
 
     # TODO(sbc): Add tests that depend on importing/exported TLS symbols
     # once we figure out how to do that.
-    create_file('main.c', r'''
-      #include <stdio.h>
-
-      _Thread_local int foo = 10;
-
-      void sidey();
-
-      int main(int argc, char const *argv[]) {
-        printf("main TLS: %d\n", foo);
-        sidey();
-        return 0;
-      }
-    ''')
-    create_file('side.c', r'''
-      #include <stdio.h>
-
-      _Thread_local int bar = 11;
-
-      void sidey() {
-        printf("side TLS: %d\n", bar);
-      }
-    ''')
     self.emcc_args.append('-Wno-experimental')
-    self.dylink_testf('main.c', 'side.c',
-                      expected='main TLS: 10\nside TLS: 11\n',
+    self.dylink_testf(test_file('core/test_dylink_tls.c'), test_file('core/test_dylink_tls_side.c'),
                       need_reverse=False)
 
   def test_random(self):