diff --git a/test/test-functions b/test/test-functions
index c98f58b278..9eafd769cc 100644
--- a/test/test-functions
+++ b/test/test-functions
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ fi
 PATH_TO_INIT=$ROOTLIBDIR/systemd
 
 BASICTOOLS="test sh bash setsid loadkeys setfont login sulogin gzip sleep echo head tail cat mount umount cryptsetup date dmsetup modprobe sed cmp tee rm true false chmod chown ln xargs"
-DEBUGTOOLS="df free ls stty ps ln ip route dmesg dhclient mkdir cp ping dhclient strace less grep id tty touch du sort hostname find"
+DEBUGTOOLS="df free ls stty ps ln ip route dmesg dhclient mkdir cp ping dhclient strace less grep id tty touch du sort hostname find vi mv"
 
 STATEDIR="${BUILD_DIR:-.}/test/$(basename $(dirname $(realpath $0)))"
 STATEFILE="$STATEDIR/.testdir"
@@ -655,6 +655,21 @@ install_basic_tools() {
 
 install_debug_tools() {
     [[ $DEBUGTOOLS ]] && dracut_install $DEBUGTOOLS
+
+    if [[ $INTERACTIVE_DEBUG ]]; then
+        # Set default TERM from vt220 to linux, so at least basic key shortcuts work
+        local _getty_override="$initdir/etc/systemd/system/serial-getty@.service.d"
+        mkdir -p "$_getty_override"
+        echo -e "[Service]\nEnvironment=TERM=linux" > "$_getty_override/default-TERM.conf"
+
+        cat > "$initdir/etc/motd" << EOF
+To adjust the terminal size use:
+    export COLUMNS=xx
+    export LINES=yy
+or
+    stty cols xx rows yy
+EOF
+    fi
 }
 
 install_libnss() {
@@ -761,7 +776,8 @@ setup_testsuite() {
 
     mkdir -p $initdir/etc/systemd/system/testsuite.target.wants
     ln -fs $TEST_BASE_DIR/testsuite.service $initdir/etc/systemd/system/testsuite.target.wants/testsuite.service
-    ln -fs $TEST_BASE_DIR/end.service $initdir/etc/systemd/system/testsuite.target.wants/end.service
+    # Don't shutdown the machine after running the test when INTERACTIVE_DEBUG is set
+    [[ -z $INTERACTIVE_DEBUG ]] && ln -fs $TEST_BASE_DIR/end.service $initdir/etc/systemd/system/testsuite.target.wants/end.service
 
     # make the testsuite the default target
     ln -fs testsuite.target $initdir/etc/systemd/system/default.target