diff --git a/util/run-gnu-test.sh b/util/run-gnu-test.sh
index 1abb476b72b..4148c3f96db 100755
--- a/util/run-gnu-test.sh
+++ b/util/run-gnu-test.sh
@@ -1,13 +1,27 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 # `run-gnu-test.bash [TEST]`
 # run GNU test (or all tests if TEST is missing/null)
 
-# spell-checker:ignore (env/vars) GNULIB SRCDIR SUBDIRS ; (utils) shellcheck
+# spell-checker:ignore (env/vars) GNULIB SRCDIR SUBDIRS OSTYPE ; (utils) shellcheck gnproc greadlink
 
 # ref: [How the GNU coreutils are tested](https://www.pixelbeat.org/docs/coreutils-testing.html) @@ <https://archive.is/p2ITW>
 # * note: to run a single test => `make check TESTS=PATH/TO/TEST/SCRIPT SUBDIRS=. VERBOSE=yes`
 
-ME_dir="$(dirname -- "$(readlink -fm -- "$0")")"
+# Use GNU version for make, nproc, readlink on *BSD
+case "$OSTYPE" in
+    *bsd*)
+        MAKE="gmake"
+        NPROC="gnproc"
+        READLINK="greadlink"
+        ;;
+    *)
+        MAKE="make"
+        NPROC="nproc"
+        READLINK="readlink"
+        ;;
+esac
+
+ME_dir="$(dirname -- "$("${READLINK}" -fm -- "$0")")"
 REPO_main_dir="$(dirname -- "${ME_dir}")"
 
 echo "ME_dir='${ME_dir}'"
@@ -18,7 +32,7 @@ set -e
 ### * config (from environment with fallback defaults); note: GNU and GNULIB are expected to be sibling repo directories
 
 path_UUTILS=${path_UUTILS:-${REPO_main_dir}}
-path_GNU="$(readlink -fm -- "${path_GNU:-${path_UUTILS}/../gnu}")"
+path_GNU="$("${READLINK}" -fm -- "${path_GNU:-${path_UUTILS}/../gnu}")"
 
 echo "path_UUTILS='${path_UUTILS}'"
 echo "path_GNU='${path_GNU}'"
@@ -47,7 +61,7 @@ if test "$1" != "run-root"; then
             fi
         done
         # trim it
-        SPECIFIC_TESTS=$(echo $SPECIFIC_TESTS | xargs)
+        SPECIFIC_TESTS=$(echo "$SPECIFIC_TESTS" | xargs)
         echo "Running specific tests: $SPECIFIC_TESTS"
     fi
 fi
@@ -60,16 +74,16 @@ fi
 if test "$1" != "run-root"; then
     # run the regular tests
     if test $# -ge 1; then
-        timeout -sKILL 4h make -j "$(nproc)" check TESTS="$SPECIFIC_TESTS" SUBDIRS=. RUN_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes RUN_VERY_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes VERBOSE=no gl_public_submodule_commit="" srcdir="${path_GNU}" || : # Kill after 4 hours in case something gets stuck in make
+        timeout -sKILL 4h "${MAKE}" -j "$("${NPROC}")" check TESTS="$SPECIFIC_TESTS" SUBDIRS=. RUN_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes RUN_VERY_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes VERBOSE=no gl_public_submodule_commit="" srcdir="${path_GNU}" || : # Kill after 4 hours in case something gets stuck in make
     else
-        timeout -sKILL 4h make -j "$(nproc)" check SUBDIRS=. RUN_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes RUN_VERY_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes VERBOSE=no gl_public_submodule_commit="" srcdir="${path_GNU}" || : # Kill after 4 hours in case something gets stuck in make
+        timeout -sKILL 4h "${MAKE}" -j "$("${NPROC}")" check SUBDIRS=. RUN_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes RUN_VERY_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes VERBOSE=no gl_public_submodule_commit="" srcdir="${path_GNU}" || : # Kill after 4 hours in case something gets stuck in make
     fi
 else
     # in case we would like to run tests requiring root
     if test -z "$1" -o "$1" == "run-root"; then
         if test -n "$CI"; then
             echo "Running check-root to run only root tests"
-            sudo make -j "$(nproc)" check-root SUBDIRS=. RUN_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes RUN_VERY_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes VERBOSE=no gl_public_submodule_commit="" srcdir="${path_GNU}" TEST_SUITE_LOG="tests/test-suite-root.log" || :
+            sudo "${MAKE}" -j "$("${NPROC}")" check-root SUBDIRS=. RUN_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes RUN_VERY_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes VERBOSE=no gl_public_submodule_commit="" srcdir="${path_GNU}" TEST_SUITE_LOG="tests/test-suite-root.log" || :
         fi
     fi
 fi