diff --git a/src/installer/tests/Assets/Projects/HostApiInvokerApp/Program.cs b/src/installer/tests/Assets/Projects/HostApiInvokerApp/Program.cs
index f14003995e6a2c..d586de4aeb7af7 100644
--- a/src/installer/tests/Assets/Projects/HostApiInvokerApp/Program.cs
+++ b/src/installer/tests/Assets/Projects/HostApiInvokerApp/Program.cs
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ public static void MainCore(string[] args)
         {
             Console.WriteLine("Hello World!");
             Console.WriteLine(string.Join(Environment.NewLine, args));
+            if (args.Length == 0)
+            {
+                throw new Exception("Invalid number of arguments passed");
+            }
 
             // If requested, test multilevel lookup using fake Global SDK directories:
             //     1. using a fake ProgramFiles location
@@ -39,22 +43,30 @@ public static void MainCore(string[] args)
             string testMultilevelLookupProgramFiles = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("TEST_MULTILEVEL_LOOKUP_PROGRAM_FILES");
             string testMultilevelLookupSelfRegistered = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("TEST_MULTILEVEL_LOOKUP_SELF_REGISTERED");
 
+            string hostfxrPath;
             if (testMultilevelLookupProgramFiles != null && testMultilevelLookupSelfRegistered != null)
             {
                 Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("_DOTNET_TEST_GLOBALLY_REGISTERED_PATH", testMultilevelLookupSelfRegistered);
                 Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("ProgramFiles", testMultilevelLookupProgramFiles);
                 Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("ProgramFiles(x86)", testMultilevelLookupProgramFiles);
                 Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("DOTNET_MULTILEVEL_LOOKUP", "1");
+                hostfxrPath = AppContext.GetData("HOSTFXR_PATH_TEST_BEHAVIOR") as string;
             }
             else
             {
                 // never rely on machine state in test if we're not faking the multi-level lookup
                 Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("DOTNET_MULTILEVEL_LOOKUP", "0");
+                hostfxrPath = AppContext.GetData("HOSTFXR_PATH") as string;
             }
 
-            if (args.Length == 0)
+            if (hostfxrPath is not null)
             {
-                throw new Exception("Invalid number of arguments passed");
+                NativeLibrary.SetDllImportResolver(typeof(Program).Assembly, (libraryName, assembly, searchPath) =>
+                {
+                    return libraryName == nameof(HostFXR.hostfxr)
+                        ? NativeLibrary.Load(libraryName, assembly, searchPath)
+                        : default;
+                });
             }
 
             string apiToTest = args[0];
diff --git a/src/installer/tests/HostActivation.Tests/NativeHostApis.cs b/src/installer/tests/HostActivation.Tests/NativeHostApis.cs
index f829ac046a61f2..6def3656fd35fc 100644
--- a/src/installer/tests/HostActivation.Tests/NativeHostApis.cs
+++ b/src/installer/tests/HostActivation.Tests/NativeHostApis.cs
@@ -447,7 +447,6 @@ public void Hostfxr_resolve_frameworks_for_runtime_config(bool isMissing)
                     result.Should()
                         .ReturnStatusCode(api, Constants.ErrorCode.Success)
                         .And.ReturnResolvedFramework(requested.Name, requested.Version, GetFrameworkPath(requested.Name, requested.Version, dotnet.BinPath));
-
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -784,14 +783,6 @@ public class SharedTestState : IDisposable
 
             public SharedTestState()
             {
-                HostApiInvokerApp = TestApp.CreateFromBuiltAssets("HostApiInvokerApp");
-
-                if (!OperatingSystem.IsWindows())
-                {
-                    // On non-Windows, we can't just P/Invoke to already loaded hostfxr, so copy it next to the app dll.
-                    File.Copy(Binaries.HostFxr.FilePath, Path.Combine(HostApiInvokerApp.Location, Binaries.HostFxr.FileName));
-                }
-
                 // Make a copy of the built .NET, as we will enable test-only behaviour
                 copiedDotnet = TestArtifact.CreateFromCopy(nameof(NativeHostApis), TestContext.BuiltDotNet.BinPath);
                 TestBehaviorEnabledDotNet = new DotNetCli(copiedDotnet.Location);
@@ -800,6 +791,14 @@ public SharedTestState()
                 // as we just delete the entire copy after the tests run.
                 _ = TestOnlyProductBehavior.Enable(TestBehaviorEnabledDotNet.GreatestVersionHostFxrFilePath);
 
+                HostApiInvokerApp = TestApp.CreateFromBuiltAssets("HostApiInvokerApp");
+
+                // On non-Windows, we can't just P/Invoke to already loaded hostfxr, so provide the app with
+                // paths to hostfxr so that it can handle resolving the library.
+                RuntimeConfig.FromFile(HostApiInvokerApp.RuntimeConfigJson)
+                    .WithProperty("HOSTFXR_PATH", TestContext.BuiltDotNet.GreatestVersionHostFxrFilePath)
+                    .WithProperty("HOSTFXR_PATH_TEST_BEHAVIOR", TestBehaviorEnabledDotNet.GreatestVersionHostFxrFilePath);
+
                 SdkAndFrameworkFixture = new SdkAndFrameworkFixture();
             }