diff --git a/dub.sdl b/dub.sdl
index feeb263728..2eac444644 100644
--- a/dub.sdl
+++ b/dub.sdl
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ copyright "Copyright © 1999-2017, The D Language Foundation"
 license "BSL-1.0"
 
 targetType "none"
-dependency ":parser" version="*"
+dependency ":frontend" version="*"
 
 subPackage {
   name "root"
@@ -49,3 +49,104 @@ subPackage {
 
   dependency "dmd:lexer" version="*"
 }
+
+subPackage {
+  name "frontend"
+  targetType "library"
+  stringImportPaths "res"
+  versions "NoBackend"
+  versions "GC"
+  versions "NoMain"
+  sourcePaths
+
+  sourceFiles \
+    "src/dmd/access.d" \
+    "src/dmd/aggregate.d" \
+    "src/dmd/aliasthis.d" \
+    "src/dmd/apply.d" \
+    "src/dmd/argtypes.d" \
+    "src/dmd/arrayop.d" \
+    "src/dmd/arraytypes.d" \
+    "src/dmd/astcodegen.d" \
+    "src/dmd/attrib.d" \
+    "src/dmd/blockexit.d" \
+    "src/dmd/builtin.d" \
+    "src/dmd/canthrow.d" \
+    "src/dmd/clone.d" \
+    "src/dmd/complex.d" \
+    "src/dmd/cond.d" \
+    "src/dmd/constfold.d" \
+    "src/dmd/cppmangle.d" \
+    "src/dmd/cppmanglewin.d" \
+    "src/dmd/ctfeexpr.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dcast.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dclass.d" \
+    "src/dmd/declaration.d" \
+    "src/dmd/delegatize.d" \
+    "src/dmd/denum.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dimport.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dinifile.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dinterpret.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dmacro.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dmangle.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dmodule.d" \
+    "src/dmd/doc.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dscope.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dstruct.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dsymbol.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dtemplate.d" \
+    "src/dmd/dversion.d" \
+    "src/dmd/escape.d" \
+    "src/dmd/expression.d" \
+    "src/dmd/expressionsem.d" \
+    "src/dmd/func.d" \
+    "src/dmd/gluelayer.d" \
+    "src/dmd/hdrgen.d" \
+    "src/dmd/id.d" \
+    "src/dmd/impcnvtab.d" \
+    "src/dmd/imphint.d" \
+    "src/dmd/init.d" \
+    "src/dmd/initsem.d" \
+    "src/dmd/inline.d" \
+    "src/dmd/inlinecost.d" \
+    "src/dmd/intrange.d" \
+    "src/dmd/json.d" \
+    "src/dmd/lib.d" \
+    "src/dmd/link.d" \
+    "src/dmd/mars.d" \
+    "src/dmd/mtype.d" \
+    "src/dmd/nogc.d" \
+    "src/dmd/nspace.d" \
+    "src/dmd/objc.d" \
+    "src/dmd/opover.d" \
+    "src/dmd/optimize.d" \
+    "src/dmd/parse.d" \
+    "src/dmd/parsetimevisitor.d" \
+    "src/dmd/printast.d" \
+    "src/dmd/safe.d" \
+    "src/dmd/sapply.d" \
+    "src/dmd/semantic.d" \
+    "src/dmd/sideeffect.d" \
+    "src/dmd/statement.d" \
+    "src/dmd/statement_rewrite_walker.d" \
+    "src/dmd/statementsem.d" \
+    "src/dmd/staticassert.d" \
+    "src/dmd/staticcond.d" \
+    "src/dmd/target.d" \
+    "src/dmd/templateparamsem.d" \
+    "src/dmd/traits.d" \
+    "src/dmd/typesem.d" \
+    "src/dmd/typinf.d" \
+    "src/dmd/utils.d" \
+    "src/dmd/visitor.d"
+
+   sourceFiles "src/dmd/scanelf.d" \
+    "src/dmd/libelf.d" platform="linux"
+
+   sourceFiles "src/dmd/scanmach.d" \
+    "src/dmd/libmach.d" platform="osx"
+
+  dependency "dmd:parser" version="*"
+  dependency "dmd:lexer" version="*"
+}
diff --git a/test/dub_package/README.md b/test/dub_package/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e885fd33d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub_package/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+DMD as a library
+================
+
+The tests in this module are high-level and mostly indented to make sure all
+necessary modules are included in the Dub package.
+
+The tests are executable single-file packages for the D's package manager `dub`
+and can be directly executed:
+
+```bash
+./lexer.d
+```
+
+If you want to see the log output or want to pass additional options, use `--single`:
+
+```bash
+dub --single -v lexer.d
+```
+
+If you don't have `dub` installed on your system,
+[install an official release](https://dlang.org/download.html).
diff --git a/test/dub_package/lexer.d b/test/dub_package/lexer.d
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..68f70d165f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/dub_package/lexer.d
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env dub
+/+dub.sdl:
+dependency "dmd" path="../.."
++/
+void main()
+{
+    import dmd.lexer;
+    import dmd.tokens;
+
+    immutable expected = [
+        TOKvoid,
+        TOKidentifier,
+        TOKlparen,
+        TOKrparen,
+        TOKlcurly,
+        TOKrcurly
+    ];
+
+    immutable sourceCode = "void test() {} // foobar";
+    scope lexer = new Lexer("test", sourceCode.ptr, 0, sourceCode.length, 0, 0);
+    lexer.nextToken;
+
+    TOK[] result;
+
+    do
+    {
+        result ~= lexer.token.value;
+    } while (lexer.nextToken != TOKeof);
+
+    assert(result == expected);
+}
diff --git a/test/dub_package/parser.d b/test/dub_package/parser.d
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 7d8c77ed7e..b997724dde
--- a/test/dub_package/parser.d
+++ b/test/dub_package/parser.d
@@ -1,44 +1,8 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env dub
 /+dub.sdl:
 dependency "dmd" path="../.."
 +/
-// The tests in this module are highlevel and mostly indented to make sure all
-// necessary modules are included in the Dub package.
-
 void main()
-{
-}
-
-// lexer
-unittest
-{
-    import dmd.lexer;
-    import dmd.tokens;
-
-    immutable expected = [
-        TOKvoid,
-        TOKidentifier,
-        TOKlparen,
-        TOKrparen,
-        TOKlcurly,
-        TOKrcurly
-    ];
-
-    immutable sourceCode = "void test() {} // foobar";
-    scope lexer = new Lexer("test", sourceCode.ptr, 0, sourceCode.length, 0, 0);
-    lexer.nextToken;
-
-    TOK[] result;
-
-    do
-    {
-        result ~= lexer.token.value;
-    } while (lexer.nextToken != TOKeof);
-
-    assert(result == expected);
-}
-
-// parser
-unittest
 {
     import dmd.astbase;
     import dmd.parse;