diff --git a/test cases/common/230 external project/libfoo/configure b/test cases/common/230 external project/libfoo/configure
index 0ca647009..71549c1b2 100755
--- a/test cases/common/230 external project/libfoo/configure	
+++ b/test cases/common/230 external project/libfoo/configure	
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 
+set -e
+
 srcdir=$(dirname "$0")
 
 # some configure scripts seem to iterate over srcdir and other paths
@@ -60,3 +62,8 @@ install: libfoo.$LIBEXT
 	cp \$< "\$(DESTDIR)$LIBDIR";
 	cp "$srcdir/libfoo.h" "\$(DESTDIR)$INCDIR";
 EOL
+
+if [ "$FOO" != "BAR" ]; then
+  echo "Env FOO is not set"
+  exit 1
+fi
diff --git a/test cases/common/230 external project/libfoo/meson.build b/test cases/common/230 external project/libfoo/meson.build
index f69600c6e..3930aba6a 100644
--- a/test cases/common/230 external project/libfoo/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/230 external project/libfoo/meson.build	
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ p = mod.add_project('configure',
   ],
   depends: somelib,
   verbose: true,
+  env: ['FOO=BAR'],
 )
 
 libfoo_dep = declare_dependency(link_with : somelib,