diff --git a/test/data/addmoddel.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/addmoddel.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/addmoddel.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/addmoddel.out
diff --git a/test/data/conversions.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/conversions.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/conversions.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/conversions.out
diff --git a/test/data/crw-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/crw-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/crw-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/crw-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/exifdata-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/exifdata-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/exifdata-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/exifdata-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/exiv2-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/exiv2-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/exiv2-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/exiv2-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/geotag-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/geotag-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/geotag-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/geotag-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/icc-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/icc-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/icc-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/icc-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/iotest.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/iotest.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/iotest.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/iotest.out
diff --git a/test/data/iso65k-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/iso65k-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/iso65k-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/iso65k-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/issue_1959_poc.xmp.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/issue_1959_poc.xmp.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/issue_1959_poc.xmp.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/issue_1959_poc.xmp.out
diff --git a/test/data/modify-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/modify-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/modify-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/modify-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/nls-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/nls-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/nls-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/nls-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/png-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/png-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/png-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/png-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/preview-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/preview-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/preview-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/preview-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/stdin-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/stdin-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/stdin-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/stdin-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/stringto-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/stringto-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/stringto-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/stringto-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/tiff-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/tiff-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/tiff-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/tiff-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/webp-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/webp-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/webp-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/webp-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/write-test-debug.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/write-test-debug.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/write-test-debug.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/write-test-debug.out
diff --git a/test/data/write-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/write-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/write-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/write-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/write2-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/write2-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/write2-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/write2-test.out
diff --git a/test/data/xmpparser-test.out b/test/data/test_reference_files/xmpparser-test.out
similarity index 100%
rename from test/data/xmpparser-test.out
rename to test/data/test_reference_files/xmpparser-test.out
diff --git a/tests/bash_tests/utils.py b/tests/bash_tests/utils.py
index f64345e9af..2781e4d2dc 100644
--- a/tests/bash_tests/utils.py
+++ b/tests/bash_tests/utils.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ class Config:
     dyld_library_path   = os.path.join(bin_dir, '../lib')
     ld_library_path     = os.path.join(bin_dir, '../lib')
     data_dir            = os.path.join(exiv2_dir, 'test/data')
+    ref_dir             = os.path.join(data_dir, 'test_reference_files')
     tmp_dir             = os.path.join(exiv2_dir, 'test/tmp')
     system_name         = platform.system() or 'Unknown'    # It could be Windows, Linux, etc.
     exiv2_http          = 'http://127.0.0.1'
@@ -550,7 +551,7 @@ def reportTest(testname, output: str, encoding=None,forgive=False):
     """ If the output of the test case is correct, this function returns None. Otherwise print its error. """
     output               = str(output) + '\n'
     encoding             = encoding or Config.encoding
-    reference_file       = os.path.join(Config.data_dir, '{}.out'.format(testname))
+    reference_file       = os.path.join(Config.ref_dir, '{}.out'.format(testname))
     reference_output     = cat(reference_file, encoding=encoding)
     if reference_output == output:
         return