diff --git a/internal/testutil/pkgdata.go b/internal/testutil/pkgdata.go
index 682b1ea9..ff42f9fc 100644
--- a/internal/testutil/pkgdata.go
+++ b/internal/testutil/pkgdata.go
@@ -277,3 +277,35 @@ func MustMakeDeb(entries []TarEntry) []byte {
 	}
 	return data
 }
+
+func Reg(mode int64, path, content string) TarEntry {
+	return TarEntry{
+		Header: tar.Header{
+			Typeflag: tar.TypeReg,
+			Name:     path,
+			Mode:     mode,
+		},
+		Content: []byte(content),
+	}
+}
+
+func Dir(mode int64, path string) TarEntry {
+	return TarEntry{
+		Header: tar.Header{
+			Typeflag: tar.TypeDir,
+			Name:     path,
+			Mode:     mode,
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+func Lnk(mode int64, path, target string) TarEntry {
+	return TarEntry{
+		Header: tar.Header{
+			Typeflag: tar.TypeSymlink,
+			Name:     path,
+			Mode:     mode,
+			Linkname: target,
+		},
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/testutil/pkgdata_test.go b/internal/testutil/pkgdata_test.go
index 30136c3d..fb38b24a 100644
--- a/internal/testutil/pkgdata_test.go
+++ b/internal/testutil/pkgdata_test.go
@@ -398,3 +398,42 @@ func (s *S) TestMustMakeDeb(c *C) {
 		},
 	}})
 }
+
+func (s *S) TestTarEntryShortHands(c *C) {
+	var testCases = []struct {
+		shorthand testutil.TarEntry
+		result    testutil.TarEntry
+	}{{
+		testutil.Reg(0600, "./document.txt", "cats are best"),
+		testutil.TarEntry{
+			Header: tar.Header{
+				Typeflag: tar.TypeReg,
+				Name:     "./document.txt",
+				Mode:     0600,
+			},
+			Content: []byte("cats are best"),
+		},
+	}, {
+		testutil.Dir(0755, "./home/user"),
+		testutil.TarEntry{
+			Header: tar.Header{
+				Typeflag: tar.TypeDir,
+				Name:     "./home/user",
+				Mode:     0755,
+			},
+		},
+	}, {
+		testutil.Lnk(0755, "./lib", "./usr/lib/"),
+		testutil.TarEntry{
+			Header: tar.Header{
+				Typeflag: tar.TypeSymlink,
+				Name:     "./lib",
+				Mode:     0755,
+				Linkname: "./usr/lib/",
+			},
+		},
+	}}
+	for _, test := range testCases {
+		c.Assert(test.shorthand, DeepEquals, test.result)
+	}
+}