diff --git a/data/Makefile b/data/Makefile
index 7c8c70d59e5..7ad423f4314 100644
--- a/data/Makefile
+++ b/data/Makefile
@@ -7,3 +7,6 @@ all install clean:
 	$(MAKE) -C env $@
 	$(MAKE) -C desktop $@
 	$(MAKE) -C polkit $@
+
+check:
+	$(MAKE) -C systemd $@
diff --git a/data/systemd/Makefile b/data/systemd/Makefile
index d405ab3a1ce..86f2f352214 100644
--- a/data/systemd/Makefile
+++ b/data/systemd/Makefile
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ SYSTEMD_UNITS_GENERATED := $(wildcard *.in)
 SYSTEMD_UNITS = $(sort $(SYSTEMD_UNITS_GENERATED:.in=) $(wildcard *.service) $(wildcard *.timer) $(wildcard *.socket) $(wildcard *.target))
 
 .PHONY: all
-all: $(SYSTEMD_UNITS) check
+all: $(SYSTEMD_UNITS)
 
 .PHONY: check
 check: snapd.run-from-snap snapd.core-fixup.sh
diff --git a/packaging/arch/PKGBUILD b/packaging/arch/PKGBUILD
index 78873953a3c..e9ea035a4f8 100644
--- a/packaging/arch/PKGBUILD
+++ b/packaging/arch/PKGBUILD
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ check() {
   # done, not after building the tree.
   # ./run-checks --static
   TMPDIR=/tmp make -C cmd -k check
+  TMPDIR=/tmp make -C data -k check
 }
 
 package() {
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ package() {
     "$pkgdir/usr/share/zsh/site-functions/_snap"
 
   # Install systemd units, dbus services and a script for environment variables
-  make -C data/ install \
+  make -C data install \
      DBUSSERVICESDIR=/usr/share/dbus-1/services \
      BINDIR=/usr/bin \
      SYSTEMDSYSTEMUNITDIR=/usr/lib/systemd/system \
diff --git a/packaging/fedora/snapd.spec b/packaging/fedora/snapd.spec
index 2326b43b13a..d765372911f 100644
--- a/packaging/fedora/snapd.spec
+++ b/packaging/fedora/snapd.spec
@@ -801,9 +801,9 @@ export GO111MODULE=off
 %endif
 
 # snap-confine tests (these always run!)
-pushd ./cmd
-make check
-popd
+make -C cmd -k check
+# and data files
+make -C data -k check
 
 %files
 #define license tag if not already defined
diff --git a/packaging/opensuse/snapd.spec b/packaging/opensuse/snapd.spec
index 78155a0582b..3c3b3fef456 100644
--- a/packaging/opensuse/snapd.spec
+++ b/packaging/opensuse/snapd.spec
@@ -267,7 +267,8 @@ for binary in snap-exec snap-update-ns snapctl; do
     ldd $binary 2>&1 | grep 'not a dynamic executable'
 done
 
-%make_build -C %{indigo_srcdir}/cmd check
+%make_build -C %{indigo_srcdir}/cmd -k check
+%make_build -C %{indigo_srcdir}/data -k check
 # Use the common packaging helper for testing.
 %make_build -C %{indigo_srcdir} -f %{indigo_srcdir}/packaging/snapd.mk \
             GOPATH=%{indigo_gopath}:$GOPATH SNAPD_DEFINES_DIR=%{_builddir} \
diff --git a/packaging/ubuntu-14.04/rules b/packaging/ubuntu-14.04/rules
index 27c79d21402..b7896daa4c0 100755
--- a/packaging/ubuntu-14.04/rules
+++ b/packaging/ubuntu-14.04/rules
@@ -169,7 +169,9 @@ ifeq (,$(filter nocheck,$(DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS)))
 endif
 ifeq (,$(filter nocheck,$(DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS)))
 	# run the snap-confine tests
-	$(MAKE) -C cmd check
+	$(MAKE) -C cmd -k check
+	# and data files tests
+	$(MAKE) -C data -k check
 endif
 
 override_dh_install:
diff --git a/packaging/ubuntu-16.04/rules b/packaging/ubuntu-16.04/rules
index 8043be3a64b..ea874f5aee9 100755
--- a/packaging/ubuntu-16.04/rules
+++ b/packaging/ubuntu-16.04/rules
@@ -289,7 +289,9 @@ ifeq (,$(filter nocheck,$(DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS)))
 endif
 ifeq (,$(filter nocheck,$(DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS)))
 	# run the snap-confine tests
-	$(MAKE) -C cmd check
+	$(MAKE) -C cmd -k check
+	# and data files tests
+	$(MAKE) -C data -k check
 endif