diff --git a/test/lib/context b/test/lib/context
index babf59a..0d92d8f 100644
--- a/test/lib/context
+++ b/test/lib/context
@@ -13,13 +13,32 @@
 # Copyright Red Hat
 # Author: David Gibson <david@gibson.dropbear.id.au>
 
+# context_setup_common() - Create outline of a new context
+# $1:	Context name
+context_setup_common() {
+	__name="$1"
+	__prefix="${LOGDIR}/context_${__name}"
+	echo -n "${__name}$ " > "${__prefix}.log"
+}
+
 # context_setup_host() - Create a new context for running commands on the host
 # $1:	Context name
 context_setup_host() {
 	__name="$1"
 	__prefix="${LOGDIR}/context_${__name}"
+	context_setup_common "${__name}"
 	echo sh -c > "${__prefix}.enter"
-	echo -n "${__name}$ " > "${__prefix}.log"
+}
+
+# context_setup_nsenter() - Create a new context for running commands in a namespace
+# $1:	Context name
+# $2:	Namespace PID
+context_setup_nsenter() {
+	__name="$1"
+	shift
+	__prefix="${LOGDIR}/context_${__name}"
+	context_setup_common "${__name}"
+	echo "nsenter $@ sh -c" > "${__prefix}.enter"
 }
 
 # context_teardown() - Remove a context (leave log files intact)
diff --git a/test/lib/layout b/test/lib/layout
index 95bd035..1401955 100644
--- a/test/lib/layout
+++ b/test/lib/layout
@@ -61,15 +61,13 @@ layout_pasta() {
 
 	get_info_cols
 
-	tmux pipe-pane -O -t ${PANE_NS} "cat >> ${LOGDIR}/pane_ns.log"
-	tmux select-pane -t ${PANE_NS} -T "namespace"
-
 	tmux send-keys -l -t ${PANE_INFO} 'while cat /tmp/.passt_test_log_pipe; do :; done'
 	tmux send-keys -t ${PANE_INFO} -N 100 C-m
 	tmux select-pane -t ${PANE_INFO} -T "test log"
 
 	pane_watch_contexts ${PANE_HOST} host host
 	pane_watch_contexts ${PANE_PASST} pasta passt
+	pane_watch_contexts ${PANE_NS} "namespace" unshare ns
 
 	info_layout "single pasta instance with namespace"
 
diff --git a/test/lib/setup b/test/lib/setup
index 6598422..a87bce9 100755
--- a/test/lib/setup
+++ b/test/lib/setup
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ INITRAMFS="${BASEPATH}/mbuto.img"
 VCPUS="$( [ $(nproc) -ge 8 ] && echo 6 || echo $(( $(nproc) / 2 + 1 )) )"
 __mem_kib="$(sed -n 's/MemTotal:[ ]*\([0-9]*\) kB/\1/p' /proc/meminfo)"
 VMEM="$((${__mem_kib} / 1024 / 4))"
+NSHOLDER="${BASEPATH}/nsholder"
 
 # setup_build() - Set up pane layout for build tests
 setup_build() {
@@ -72,17 +73,14 @@ setup_passt() {
 setup_pasta() {
 	context_setup_host host
 	context_setup_host passt
+	context_setup_host unshare
 
 	layout_pasta
 
-	pane_run NS 'echo $$'
-	pane_wait NS
-	__tty_pid="$(pane_parse NS)"
+	context_run_bg unshare "unshare -rUnpf ${NSHOLDER} ns.hold hold"
+	__target_pid=$(${NSHOLDER} ns.hold pid)
 
-	pane_run NS "unshare -rUnpf /bin/sh"
-	pane_status NS
-
-	__target_pid=$(pstree -p ${__tty_pid} | sed -n 's/.*(\([0-9].*\))$/\1/p')
+	context_setup_nsenter ns -U -n -p --preserve-credentials -t ${__target_pid}
 
 	# Ports:
 	#
@@ -318,11 +316,12 @@ teardown_passt() {
 
 # teardown_passt() - Exit namespace, kill pasta process
 teardown_pasta() {
-	tmux send-keys -t ${PANE_NS} "C-d"
-	pane_wait NS
+	${NSHOLDER} ns.hold stop
+	context_wait unshare
 
 	teardown_context_watch ${PANE_HOST} host
 	teardown_context_watch ${PANE_PASST} passt
+	teardown_context_watch ${PANE_NS} unshare ns
 }
 
 # teardown_passt_in_ns() - Exit namespace, kill qemu and pasta, remove pid file