diff --git a/models/unittest/fixtures.go b/models/unittest/fixtures.go
index c653ce1e38..9ce0909589 100644
--- a/models/unittest/fixtures.go
+++ b/models/unittest/fixtures.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package unittest
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
 
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/db"
@@ -28,6 +29,16 @@ func GetXORMEngine(engine ...*xorm.Engine) (x *xorm.Engine) {
 	return db.DefaultContext.(*db.Context).Engine().(*xorm.Engine)
 }
 
+func OverrideFixtures(opts FixturesOptions, engine ...*xorm.Engine) func() {
+	old := fixturesLoader
+	if err := InitFixtures(opts, engine...); err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return func() {
+		fixturesLoader = old
+	}
+}
+
 // InitFixtures initialize test fixtures for a test database
 func InitFixtures(opts FixturesOptions, engine ...*xorm.Engine) (err error) {
 	e := GetXORMEngine(engine...)
@@ -37,6 +48,12 @@ func InitFixtures(opts FixturesOptions, engine ...*xorm.Engine) (err error) {
 	} else {
 		fixtureOptionFiles = testfixtures.Files(opts.Files...)
 	}
+	var fixtureOptionDirs []func(*testfixtures.Loader) error
+	if opts.Dirs != nil {
+		for _, dir := range opts.Dirs {
+			fixtureOptionDirs = append(fixtureOptionDirs, testfixtures.Directory(filepath.Join(opts.Base, dir)))
+		}
+	}
 	dialect := "unknown"
 	switch e.Dialect().URI().DBType {
 	case schemas.POSTGRES:
@@ -57,6 +74,7 @@ func InitFixtures(opts FixturesOptions, engine ...*xorm.Engine) (err error) {
 		testfixtures.DangerousSkipTestDatabaseCheck(),
 		fixtureOptionFiles,
 	}
+	loaderOptions = append(loaderOptions, fixtureOptionDirs...)
 
 	if e.Dialect().URI().DBType == schemas.POSTGRES {
 		loaderOptions = append(loaderOptions, testfixtures.SkipResetSequences())
diff --git a/models/unittest/testdb.go b/models/unittest/testdb.go
index 6db99cd393..c6ff292f05 100644
--- a/models/unittest/testdb.go
+++ b/models/unittest/testdb.go
@@ -209,6 +209,8 @@ func MainTest(m *testing.M, testOpts ...*TestOptions) {
 type FixturesOptions struct {
 	Dir   string
 	Files []string
+	Dirs  []string
+	Base  string
 }
 
 // CreateTestEngine creates a memory database and loads the fixture data from fixturesDir
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.go b/tests/test_utils.go
index 50049e73f0..8e456783cf 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.go
+++ b/tests/test_utils.go
@@ -267,3 +267,13 @@ func PrintCurrentTest(t testing.TB, skip ...int) func() {
 func Printf(format string, args ...any) {
 	testlogger.Printf(format, args...)
 }
+
+func AddFixtures(dirs ...string) func() {
+	return unittest.OverrideFixtures(
+		unittest.FixturesOptions{
+			Dir:  filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(setting.AppPath), "models/fixtures/"),
+			Base: filepath.Dir(setting.AppPath),
+			Dirs: dirs,
+		},
+	)
+}