diff --git a/src/debian/mod.rs b/src/debian/mod.rs
index 5ba7422..e18815e 100644
--- a/src/debian/mod.rs
+++ b/src/debian/mod.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 //! - [`files`]: `debian/files` artifact registry (`Dpkg::Dist::Files`)
 //! - [`version`]: Debian version splitting/validation/comparison
 //! - [`changelog`]: `debian/changelog` entry parsing
+//! - [`tests_control`]: DEP-8 test metadata (`debian/tests/control`)
 
 pub mod arch;
 pub mod changelog;
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ pub mod checksums;
 pub mod control;
 pub mod deps;
 pub mod files;
+pub mod tests_control;
 pub mod version;
 
 pub use changelog::{
@@ -28,4 +30,5 @@ pub use control::{
     ControlInfo, Paragraph, parse_paragraphs, strip_clearsigned_armour, write_paragraph,
 };
 pub use files::{FilesEntry, FilesList};
+pub use tests_control::{Test, TestsControl};
 pub use version::DebianVersion;
diff --git a/src/debian/tests_control.rs b/src/debian/tests_control.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66f6a77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/debian/tests_control.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,266 @@
+//! DEP-8 as-installed test metadata (`debian/tests/control`).
+//!
+//! Parses the test control file into runnable test descriptions: one
+//! [`Test`] per `Tests:` script and per `Test-Command:` value, carrying
+//! the stanza fields they share (`Depends:`, `Restrictions:`,
+//! `Tests-Directory:`). The `@`-family substitution of `Depends:` needs
+//! the list of built binaries and is runner-side logic — this module
+//! only hands over the raw value.
+
+use std::path::Path;
+
+use crate::debian::control::parse_paragraphs;
+
+/// One runnable DEP-8 test.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct Test {
+    /// Test name: the `Tests:` script path as written, the `test-name:`
+    /// value, or the `command1`, `command2`, ... enumeration of
+    /// `Test-Command:` stanzas. The enumeration advances once per
+    /// `Test-Command:` stanza whether or not `test-name:` overrides the
+    /// name.
+    pub name: String,
+    /// Script path relative to the tests directory (`Tests:` stanzas):
+    /// `debian/tests/` or the stanza's [`Test::tests_directory`], with
+    /// subdirectories as written (`upstream/foo`).
+    pub script: Option<String>,
+    /// Inline shell command run under `bash -e` (`Test-Command:` stanzas).
+    pub command: Option<String>,
+    /// Raw `Depends:` value as written; `None` when absent, meaning the
+    /// DEP-8 default `@` (all built binaries).
+    pub depends: Option<String>,
+    /// Declared restrictions, in declaration order, as written
+    /// (e.g. `allow-stderr`).
+    pub restrictions: Vec<String>,
+    /// `Tests-Directory:` replacing the `debian/tests` path segment for
+    /// this stanza's scripts (relative path).
+    pub tests_directory: Option<String>,
+}
+
+impl Test {
+    /// Whether the test declares `restriction` (case-insensitive).
+    pub fn has_restriction(&self, restriction: &str) -> bool {
+        self.restrictions
+            .iter()
+            .any(|r| r.eq_ignore_ascii_case(restriction))
+    }
+}
+
+/// Parsed `debian/tests/control`: the runnable tests, in declaration
+/// order.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Default)]
+pub struct TestsControl {
+    /// One entry per `Tests:` script and per `Test-Command:` stanza.
+    pub tests: Vec<Test>,
+}
+
+impl TestsControl {
+    /// Parse the test control file at `path`.
+    pub fn parse(path: &Path) -> Result<TestsControl, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+        let content = std::fs::read_to_string(path)?;
+        Ok(TestsControl::parse_content(&content)?)
+    }
+
+    /// Parse the test control file from its content.
+    ///
+    /// Every non-empty stanza must carry exactly one of `Tests:` or
+    /// `Test-Command:` (a script list expands to one test per script,
+    /// sharing the stanza fields); `test-name:` is only valid on a
+    /// `Test-Command:` stanza. A file without stanzas parses to an empty
+    /// [`TestsControl`] — whether the package declares tests at all is
+    /// the caller's check (`Testsuite: autopkgtest`).
+    pub fn parse_content(content: &str) -> Result<TestsControl, String> {
+        let mut tests_control = TestsControl::default();
+        let mut command_index = 0usize;
+        for (index, paragraph) in parse_paragraphs(content).iter().enumerate() {
+            let stanza = index + 1;
+            let tests_field = non_empty(paragraph.get("Tests"));
+            let command_field = non_empty(paragraph.get("Test-Command"));
+            let test_name = non_empty(paragraph.get("test-name"));
+            let depends = non_empty(paragraph.get("Depends")).map(String::from);
+            let restrictions: Vec<String> = non_empty(paragraph.get("Restrictions"))
+                .map(|value| value.split_whitespace().map(String::from).collect())
+                .unwrap_or_default();
+            let tests_directory = non_empty(paragraph.get("Tests-Directory")).map(String::from);
+
+            match (tests_field, command_field) {
+                (Some(_), Some(_)) => {
+                    return Err(format!(
+                        "stanza {stanza}: Tests and Test-Command are mutually exclusive"
+                    ));
+                }
+                (None, None) => {
+                    return Err(format!(
+                        "stanza {stanza}: missing a Tests or Test-Command field"
+                    ));
+                }
+                (Some(scripts), None) => {
+                    if test_name.is_some() {
+                        return Err(format!(
+                            "stanza {stanza}: test-name only applies to a Test-Command stanza"
+                        ));
+                    }
+                    for script in scripts.split_whitespace() {
+                        tests_control.tests.push(Test {
+                            name: script.to_string(),
+                            script: Some(script.to_string()),
+                            command: None,
+                            depends: depends.clone(),
+                            restrictions: restrictions.clone(),
+                            tests_directory: tests_directory.clone(),
+                        });
+                    }
+                }
+                (None, Some(command)) => {
+                    command_index += 1;
+                    let name = test_name
+                        .map(String::from)
+                        .unwrap_or_else(|| format!("command{command_index}"));
+                    tests_control.tests.push(Test {
+                        name,
+                        script: None,
+                        command: Some(command.to_string()),
+                        depends: depends.clone(),
+                        restrictions: restrictions.clone(),
+                        tests_directory: tests_directory.clone(),
+                    });
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(tests_control)
+    }
+}
+
+/// A field value with its surrounding whitespace trimmed; `None` when the
+/// field is absent or whitespace-only.
+fn non_empty(value: Option<&str>) -> Option<&str> {
+    value.map(str::trim).filter(|value| !value.is_empty())
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    /// A realistic control file: a restrictions stanza, a multi-script
+    /// stanza sharing its fields, a Tests-Directory stanza and two
+    /// Test-Command stanzas (one enumerated, one named).
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_golden_multi_stanza() {
+        let control = TestsControl::parse_content(
+            "# a leading comment\n\
+             \n\
+             Tests: smoke\n\
+             Restrictions: allow-stderr needs-root\n\
+             Depends: @, build-essential\n\
+             \n\
+             Tests: one two\n\
+             Depends: @\n\
+             \n\
+             Tests: checks/cli\n\
+             Tests-Directory: tests\n\
+             \n\
+             Test-Command: hello --version\n\
+             Depends: @builddeps@\n\
+             \n\
+             Test-Command: python3 -c \"print('ok')\"\n\
+             test-name: py-smoke\n\
+             Restrictions: superficial skippable\n",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let names: Vec<&str> = control.tests.iter().map(|t| t.name.as_str()).collect();
+        assert_eq!(
+            names,
+            ["smoke", "one", "two", "checks/cli", "command1", "py-smoke"]
+        );
+
+        let smoke = &control.tests[0];
+        assert_eq!(smoke.script.as_deref(), Some("smoke"));
+        assert_eq!(smoke.depends.as_deref(), Some("@, build-essential"));
+        assert!(smoke.has_restriction("NEEDS-ROOT"));
+        assert!(!smoke.has_restriction("skippable"));
+
+        // The multi-script stanza's fields are shared by every test.
+        assert_eq!(control.tests[1].depends, control.tests[2].depends);
+        assert_eq!(control.tests[2].script.as_deref(), Some("two"));
+
+        let cli = &control.tests[3];
+        assert_eq!(cli.tests_directory.as_deref(), Some("tests"));
+        assert_eq!(cli.depends, None); // absent: the runner defaults to @
+
+        let enumerated = &control.tests[4];
+        assert_eq!(enumerated.command.as_deref(), Some("hello --version"));
+        assert_eq!(enumerated.script, None);
+
+        let named = &control.tests[5];
+        assert_eq!(named.name, "py-smoke");
+        assert!(named.has_restriction("skippable") && named.has_restriction("superficial"));
+    }
+
+    /// The command enumeration advances per Test-Command stanza, even
+    /// when test-name overrides the name.
+    #[test]
+    fn command_numbering_skips_named_stanzas() {
+        let control = TestsControl::parse_content(
+            "Test-Command: a\n\
+             test-name: named\n\
+             \n\
+             Test-Command: b\n",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            control
+                .tests
+                .iter()
+                .map(|t| t.name.as_str())
+                .collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+            ["named", "command2"]
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// Continuation lines join field values; comments inside a value are
+    /// not possible, but comment lines between fields are ignored.
+    #[test]
+    fn continuation_lines_join_values() {
+        let control = TestsControl::parse_content(concat!(
+            "Tests: smoke\n",
+            "Depends: @,\n",
+            " glib-network-service,\n",
+            "# comment line\n",
+            " locales-all\n",
+        ))
+        .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            control.tests[0].depends.as_deref(),
+            Some("@,\nglib-network-service,\nlocales-all")
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// An empty file (or only comments) parses to no tests.
+    #[test]
+    fn empty_file_parses_to_no_tests() {
+        assert!(TestsControl::parse_content("").unwrap().tests.is_empty());
+        assert!(
+            TestsControl::parse_content("# nothing\n\n")
+                .unwrap()
+                .tests
+                .is_empty()
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// Malformed stanzas are errors, naming the stanza.
+    #[test]
+    fn malformed_stanzas_are_errors() {
+        for (content, expected) in [
+            ("Depends: @\n", "missing a Tests or Test-Command"),
+            ("Tests: a\nTest-Command: b\n", "mutually exclusive"),
+            (
+                "Test-Command: b\ntest-name: x\n\nTests: a\ntest-name: y\n",
+                "only applies",
+            ),
+        ] {
+            let error = TestsControl::parse_content(content).unwrap_err();
+            assert!(error.contains(expected), "{error}");
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 44cf391..e89b99c 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ pub(crate) mod data;
 /// Build a Debian package into a binary (.deb)
 pub mod deb;
 /// Reusable Debian format primitives (control/deb822, checksums, versions,
-/// changelog entries, artifact registries)
+/// changelog entries, test metadata, artifact registries)
 pub mod debian;
 /// Obtain general information about distribution, series, etc
 pub mod distro_info;