diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 3db54afcaa264f31b5c2f73fe9fd9c7a13346cb5..711c3c5284e772164c9f305356d4995e2abcad98 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1270,14 +1270,14 @@ ivas-conformance:
     - mkdir testvec/bin
     - cp -r tests/renderer/data testvec/testv/renderer/data
     - cp -r tests/renderer/cut testvec/testv/renderer/ref
-    - cp tests/test_26252.py testvec
+    - cp -r conformance-test testvec/
     - cp Readme_IVAS_dec.txt Readme_IVAS_enc.txt Readme_IVAS_rend.txt testvec
     - cp IVAS_cod IVAS_dec IVAS_rend testvec/bin
     
     # Test run generated scripts in testvec
     - cd testvec    
     - exit_code=0    
-    - python3 -m pytest tests/test_26252.py --junitxml=report-junit.xml --html=report.html --self-contained-html || exit_code=$?
+    - python3 -m pytest conformance-test/test_26252.py --encoder_path bin/IVAS_cod --decoder_path bin/IVAS_dec --renderer_path bin/IVAS_rend --junit-xml=report-junit.xml --html=report.html --self-contained-html || exit_code=$?
     - zero_errors=$(cat report-junit.xml | grep -c 'errors="0"') || true
     - *merge-request-comparison-check
 
diff --git a/conformance-test/conftest.py b/conformance-test/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..0c5ca7606285485dd1abfc44794c2a792a85a1f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conformance-test/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+__copyright__ = """
+(C) 2022-2023 IVAS codec Public Collaboration with portions copyright Dolby International AB, Ericsson AB,
+Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Huawei Technologies Co. LTD.,
+Koninklijke Philips N.V., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Nokia Technologies Oy, Orange,
+Panasonic Holdings Corporation, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., VoiceAge Corporation, and other
+contributors to this repository. All Rights Reserved.
+
+This software is protected by copyright law and by international treaties.
+The IVAS codec Public Collaboration consisting of Dolby International AB, Ericsson AB,
+Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Huawei Technologies Co. LTD.,
+Koninklijke Philips N.V., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Nokia Technologies Oy, Orange,
+Panasonic Holdings Corporation, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., VoiceAge Corporation, and other
+contributors to this repository retain full ownership rights in their respective contributions in
+the software. This notice grants no license of any kind, including but not limited to patent
+license, nor is any license granted by implication, estoppel or otherwise.
+
+Contributors are required to enter into the IVAS codec Public Collaboration agreement before making
+contributions.
+
+This software is provided "AS IS", without any express or implied warranties. The software is in the
+development stage. It is intended exclusively for experts who have experience with such software and
+solely for the purpose of inspection. All implied warranties of non-infringement, merchantability
+and fitness for a particular purpose are hereby disclaimed and excluded.
+
+Any dispute, controversy or claim arising under or in relation to providing this software shall be
+submitted to and settled by the final, binding jurisdiction of the courts of Munich, Germany in
+accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany excluding its conflict of law rules and
+the United Nations Convention on Contracts on the International Sales of Goods.
+"""
+
+import pytest
+import pathlib
+
+
+def pytest_addoption(parser):
+    parser.addoption(
+        "--encoder_path",
+        action="store",
+        help="path to encoder binary IVAS_cod(.exe)",
+        required=True,
+        type=pathlib.Path,
+    )
+    parser.addoption(
+        "--decoder_path",
+        action="store",
+        help="path to decoder binary IVAS_dec(.exe)",
+        required=True,
+        type=pathlib.Path,
+    )
+    parser.addoption(
+        "--renderer_path",
+        action="store",
+        help="path to renderer binary IVAS_rend(.exe)",
+        required=True,
+        type=pathlib.Path,
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def encoder_path(request) -> str:
+    return str(request.config.option.encoder_path.absolute())
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def decoder_path(request) -> str:
+    return str(request.config.option.decoder_path.absolute())
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def renderer_path(request) -> str:
+    return str(request.config.option.renderer_path.absolute())
diff --git a/conformance-test/pytest.ini b/conformance-test/pytest.ini
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..6d179f0724d6ccc6a27b19e8e6bfd4e5cc751065
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conformance-test/pytest.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# pytest.ini
+[pytest]
+# TODO remove ignore after tests are harmonized
+addopts = -ra --tb=short --basetemp=./tmp -n auto -v
+# Write captured system-out log messages to JUnit report.
+junit_logging = system-out
+# Do not capture log information for passing tests to JUnit report.
+junit_log_passing_tests = False
+junit_duration_report = call
+junit_family = xunit1
+log_file_level = DEBUG
+log_format = %(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(message)s
+log_date_format = %Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S
+# for pytest-html report: do not log environment variables from the runners
+environment_table_redact_list = .*
diff --git a/tests/test_26252.py b/conformance-test/test_26252.py
similarity index 94%
rename from tests/test_26252.py
rename to conformance-test/test_26252.py
index f91da1bbb21571e2d8cb8de156764e732a446972..a691aa7df9b5f88a112063f89070ae9c955dbb9d 100644
--- a/tests/test_26252.py
+++ b/conformance-test/test_26252.py
@@ -98,19 +98,19 @@ for s in scripts:
             subprocess.run(proc.split())
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("test_tag", list(test_dict.keys()))
-def test_26252(test_tag):
+def test_26252(test_tag, encoder_path, decoder_path, renderer_path):
 
     enc_opts, dec_opts, rend_opts, diff_opts, testv_path, ref_path, cut_path = test_dict[test_tag]
 
     if enc_opts:
         enc_opts = replace_paths(enc_opts, testv_path, ref_path, cut_path)
-        subprocess.run(["./bin/IVAS_cod"] + enc_opts.split()[1:], check = True)
+        subprocess.run([encoder_path] + enc_opts.split()[1:], check = True)
     if dec_opts:
         dec_opts = replace_paths(dec_opts, testv_path, ref_path, cut_path)
-        subprocess.run(["./bin/IVAS_dec"] + dec_opts.split()[1:], check = True)    
+        subprocess.run([decoder_path] + dec_opts.split()[1:], check = True)
     if rend_opts:
         rend_opts = replace_paths(rend_opts, testv_path, ref_path, cut_path)
-        subprocess.run(["./bin/IVAS_rend"] + rend_opts.split()[1:], check = True)    
+        subprocess.run([renderer_path] + rend_opts.split()[1:], check = True)
 
     diff_opts = replace_paths(diff_opts, testv_path, ref_path, cut_path)
     if ';' in diff_opts: