diff --git a/gnovm/cmd/gno/build_test.go b/gnovm/cmd/gno/build_test.go
index 89339ee8a6ed..5bb03ef0d354 100644
--- a/gnovm/cmd/gno/build_test.go
+++ b/gnovm/cmd/gno/build_test.go
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
 package main
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"testing"
 
-func TestBuildApp(t *testing.T) {
-	tc := []testMainCase{
-		{
-			args:        []string{"build"},
-			errShouldBe: "flag: help requested",
-		},
+	"github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal/testscript"
+)
 
-		// {args: []string{"build", "..."}, stdoutShouldContain: "..."},
-		// TODO: auto precompilation
-		// TODO: error handling
-	}
-	testMainCaseRun(t, tc)
+func TestBuild(t *testing.T) {
+	testscript.Run(t, setupTestScript(t, "testdata/gno_build"))
 }
diff --git a/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/empty_dir.txtar b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/empty_dir.txtar
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d346b6ad46f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/empty_dir.txtar
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Run gno build on an empty dir
+
+gno build .
+
+! stdout .+
+! stderr .+
diff --git a/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/invalid_gno_files.txtar b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/invalid_gno_files.txtar
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..617e12291be3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/invalid_gno_files.txtar
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Run gno build with invalid gno files (still success)
+
+gno build .
+
+! stdout .+
+! stderr .+
+
+-- go.mod --
+module gnobuild
+
+-- file1.go --
+package file1
+
+-- main.gno --
+package main
+
+invalid
+
+func main() {}
+
+-- sub/sub.gno --
+package sub
+
+invalid
+
+-- sub/file2.go --
+package file2
diff --git a/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/invalid_go_files.txtar b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/invalid_go_files.txtar
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6093bfdad000
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/invalid_go_files.txtar
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# Run gno build with invalid go files
+
+! gno build .
+
+! stdout .+
+stderr '\./file1\.go:3:1: syntax error: non-declaration statement outside function body'
+stderr '\./\.: build pkg: std go compiler: exit status 1'
+stderr 'sub/file2\.go:3:1: syntax error: non-declaration statement outside function body'
+stderr '\./sub: build pkg: std go compiler: exit status 1'
+
+-- go.mod --
+module gnobuild
+
+-- file1.go --
+package file1
+
+invalid1
+
+-- main.gno --
+package main
+
+func main() {}
+
+-- sub/sub.gno --
+package sub
+
+-- sub/file2.go --
+package file2
+
+invalid2
diff --git a/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/no_args.txtar b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/no_args.txtar
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b3f68676588e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/no_args.txtar
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Run gno build without args
+
+! gno build
+
+! stdout .+ 
+stderr 'flag: help requested'
diff --git a/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/no_gno_files.txtar b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/no_gno_files.txtar
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..58261e77cda2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/no_gno_files.txtar
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Run gno build on a dir w/o gno files
+
+gno build .
+
+! stdout .+
+! stderr .+
+
+-- README --
+Hello world
+
+-- sub/README --
+Hello world
diff --git a/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/no_go_files.txtar b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/no_go_files.txtar
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ddc6aec4555d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/no_go_files.txtar
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Run gno build in a dir without go files
+
+! gno build .
+
+! stdout .+
+stderr -count=2 'no Go files in '$WORK
+stderr '\./\.: build pkg: std go compiler: exit status 1'
+stderr '\./sub: build pkg: std go compiler: exit status 1'
+
+-- go.mod --
+module gnobuild
+
+-- main.gno --
+package main
+
+func main() {}
+
+-- sub/sub.gno --
+package sub
diff --git a/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/no_gomod.txtar b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/no_gomod.txtar
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5eb8edeaad93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/no_gomod.txtar
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# Run gno build on a dir without go.mod
+
+! gno build .
+
+! stdout .+
+stderr -count=2 'go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory'
+stderr './.: build pkg: std go compiler: exit status 1'
+stderr './sub: build pkg: std go compiler: exit status 1'
+
+-- main.gno --
+package main
+
+func main() {}
+
+-- sub/sub.gno --
+package sub
diff --git a/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/ok.txtar b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/ok.txtar
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9d70fd979041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnovm/cmd/gno/testdata/gno_build/ok.txtar
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Run gno build successfully
+
+gno build .
+
+! stdout .+
+! stderr .+
+
+-- go.mod --
+module gnobuild
+
+-- file1.go --
+package file1
+
+-- main.gno --
+package main
+
+func main() {}
+
+-- sub/sub.gno --
+package sub
+
+-- sub/file2.go --
+package file2