diff --git a/internal/testutil/pkgdata.go b/internal/testutil/pkgdata.go
index 0c71fa47..1371f443 100644
--- a/internal/testutil/pkgdata.go
+++ b/internal/testutil/pkgdata.go
@@ -274,3 +274,35 @@ 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 5118fad0..9c0e2eec 100644
--- a/internal/testutil/pkgdata_test.go
+++ b/internal/testutil/pkgdata_test.go
@@ -397,3 +397,42 @@ 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)
+	}
+}