diff --git a/src/test/Makefile b/src/test/Makefile
index c3bd32990..c223ccae6 100644
--- a/src/test/Makefile
+++ b/src/test/Makefile
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ OBJ_TESTS = \
 	obj_memcheck\
 	obj_memcheck_register\
 	obj_memops\
+	obj_ndctl_bb\
+	obj_ndctl_sds\
 	obj_oid_thread\
 	obj_out_of_memory\
 	obj_persist_count\
diff --git a/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/.gitignore b/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1f5fdc3a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+obj_ndctl_bb
diff --git a/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/Makefile b/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0c9ede86c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+# Copyright 2026, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
+
+TARGET = obj_ndctl_bb
+OBJS = obj_ndctl_bb.o
+
+LIBPMEMOBJ=internal-debug
+
+include ../Makefile.inc
+LDFLAGS += $(call extract_funcs, obj_ndctl_bb.c)
diff --git a/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/TEST0 b/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/TEST0
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..d4e670de3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/TEST0
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+# Copyright 2026, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
+#
+#
+# obj_ndctl_bb/TEST0 -- check if the badblocks-related code is not run when no PMem is in use.
+#                       DAOS-18296
+#
+
+. ../unittest/unittest.sh
+
+require_fs_type non-pmem
+require_ndctl_enable
+require_test_type short
+
+setup
+
+FILE=$DIR/testfile
+
+# obj_ndctl_bb commands
+CREATE=c
+OPEN=o
+
+expect_normal_exit obj_ndctl_bb $FILE $CREATE
+
+expect_normal_exit obj_ndctl_bb $FILE $OPEN
+
+check
+
+pass
diff --git a/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/TEST1 b/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/TEST1
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..b01d40746
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/TEST1
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+# Copyright 2026, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
+#
+#
+# obj_ndctl_bb/TEST1 -- check if the executable works as intended. Sanity check.
+#
+
+. ../unittest/unittest.sh
+
+require_real_pmem
+require_ndctl_enable
+require_test_type short
+
+setup
+
+TMP=tmp${UNITTEST_NUM}.log
+rm -f $TMP
+
+FILE=$DIR/testfile
+
+# obj_ndctl_bb commands
+CREATE=c
+OPEN=o
+
+expect_abnormal_exit obj_ndctl_bb $FILE $CREATE
+cat $ERR_LOG_FILE >> $TMP
+
+expect_normal_exit $PMEMPOOL$EXESUFFIX create obj $FILE
+
+expect_abnormal_exit obj_ndctl_bb $FILE $OPEN
+cat $ERR_LOG_FILE >> $TMP
+
+# move combined error log in place
+mv $TMP $ERR_LOG_FILE
+
+check
+
+pass
diff --git a/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/err1.log.match b/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/err1.log.match
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2f43dc7dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/err1.log.match
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+{obj_ndctl_bb.c:$(N) __wrap_badblocks_check_poolset} obj_ndctl_bb/TEST1: Error: assertion failure: 0
+{obj_ndctl_bb.c:$(N) __wrap_badblocks_recovery_file_exists} obj_ndctl_bb/TEST1: Error: assertion failure: 0
diff --git a/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/obj_ndctl_bb.c b/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/obj_ndctl_bb.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..993930e89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/obj_ndctl_bb/obj_ndctl_bb.c
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+/* Copyright 2026, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP */
+
+/*
+ * obj_ndctl_bb.c -- crashes whenever badblocks-related code is run
+ */
+
+#include <libpmemobj.h>
+
+#include "set.h"
+
+#include "unittest.h"
+
+FUNC_MOCK(badblocks_recovery_file_exists, int, struct pool_set *set)
+	FUNC_MOCK_RUN_DEFAULT {
+		UT_ASSERT(0);
+	}
+FUNC_MOCK_END
+
+FUNC_MOCK(badblocks_check_poolset, int, struct pool_set *set, int create)
+	FUNC_MOCK_RUN_DEFAULT {
+		UT_ASSERT(0);
+	}
+FUNC_MOCK_END
+
+int
+main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	START(argc, argv, "obj_ndctl_bb");
+	if (argc < 3) {
+		UT_FATAL("usage: %s <path> <c|o>\nc - create\no - open",
+			argv[0]);
+	}
+
+	const char *path = argv[1];
+	const char *cmd = argv[2];
+	PMEMobjpool *pop;
+
+	if (strlen(cmd) != 1) {
+		UT_FATAL("unknown command: %s", cmd);
+	}
+
+	switch (cmd[0]) {
+		case 'c':
+			pop = pmemobj_create(path, NULL, PMEMOBJ_MIN_POOL,
+				0600);
+		break;
+		case 'o':
+			pop = pmemobj_open(path, NULL);
+		break;
+		default:
+			UT_FATAL("unknown command: %s", cmd);
+	}
+
+	UT_ASSERTne(pop, NULL);
+
+	pmemobj_close(pop);
+
+	DONE(NULL);
+}
diff --git a/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/.gitignore b/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..61c6a097a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+obj_ndctl_sds
diff --git a/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/Makefile b/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..35442695a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+# Copyright 2026, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
+
+TARGET = obj_ndctl_sds
+OBJS = obj_ndctl_sds.o
+
+LIBPMEMOBJ=internal-debug
+
+include ../Makefile.inc
+LDFLAGS += $(call extract_funcs, obj_ndctl_sds.c)
diff --git a/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/TEST0 b/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/TEST0
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..ccc519896
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/TEST0
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+# Copyright 2026, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
+#
+#
+# obj_ndctl_sds/TEST0 -- check if the shutdown-state-related code is not run when no PMem is in use.
+#                        DAOS-18296
+#
+
+. ../unittest/unittest.sh
+
+require_fs_type non-pmem
+require_ndctl_enable
+require_test_type short
+
+setup
+
+FILE=$DIR/testfile
+
+# obj_ndctl_sds commands
+CREATE=c
+OPEN=o
+
+expect_normal_exit obj_ndctl_sds $FILE $CREATE
+
+expect_normal_exit obj_ndctl_sds $FILE $OPEN
+
+check
+
+pass
diff --git a/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/TEST1 b/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/TEST1
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..44d9b37eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/TEST1
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+# Copyright 2026, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
+#
+#
+# obj_ndctl_sds/TEST1 -- check if the executable works as intended. Sanity check.
+#
+
+. ../unittest/unittest.sh
+
+require_real_pmem
+require_ndctl_enable
+require_test_type short
+
+setup
+
+TMP=tmp${UNITTEST_NUM}.log
+rm -f $TMP
+
+FILE=$DIR/testfile
+
+# obj_ndctl_sds commands
+CREATE=c
+OPEN=o
+
+expect_abnormal_exit obj_ndctl_sds $FILE $CREATE
+cat $ERR_LOG_FILE >> $TMP
+
+# The crashed process leaves $FILE in a half-baked state. Let's do it right.
+rm -f $FILE
+expect_normal_exit $PMEMPOOL$EXESUFFIX create obj $FILE
+
+expect_abnormal_exit obj_ndctl_sds $FILE $OPEN
+cat $ERR_LOG_FILE >> $TMP
+
+# move combined error log in place
+mv $TMP $ERR_LOG_FILE
+
+check
+
+pass
diff --git a/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/err1.log.match b/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/err1.log.match
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7f0e7cab5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/err1.log.match
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+{obj_ndctl_sds.c:$(N) __wrap_shutdown_state_init} obj_ndctl_sds/TEST1: Error: assertion failure: 0
+{obj_ndctl_sds.c:$(N) __wrap_shutdown_state_init} obj_ndctl_sds/TEST1: Error: assertion failure: 0
diff --git a/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/obj_ndctl_sds.c b/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/obj_ndctl_sds.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab3b75e45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/obj_ndctl_sds/obj_ndctl_sds.c
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+/* Copyright 2026, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP */
+
+/*
+ * obj_ndctl_sds.c -- crashes whenever shutdown-state-related code is run
+ */
+
+#include <libpmemobj.h>
+
+#include "set.h"
+
+#include "unittest.h"
+
+FUNC_MOCK(shutdown_state_init, int, struct shutdown_state *sds,
+	struct pool_replica *rep)
+	FUNC_MOCK_RUN_DEFAULT {
+		UT_ASSERT(0);
+	}
+FUNC_MOCK_END
+
+FUNC_MOCK(shutdown_state_set_dirty, void, struct shutdown_state *sds,
+	struct pool_replica *rep)
+	FUNC_MOCK_RUN_DEFAULT {
+		UT_ASSERT(0);
+	}
+FUNC_MOCK_END
+
+FUNC_MOCK(shutdown_state_check, int, struct shutdown_state *curr_sds,
+	struct shutdown_state *pool_sds, struct pool_replica *rep)
+	FUNC_MOCK_RUN_DEFAULT {
+		UT_ASSERT(0);
+	}
+FUNC_MOCK_END
+
+int
+main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	START(argc, argv, "obj_ndctl_sds");
+	if (argc < 3) {
+		UT_FATAL("usage: %s <path> <c|o>\nc - create\no - open",
+			argv[0]);
+	}
+
+	const char *path = argv[1];
+	const char *cmd = argv[2];
+	PMEMobjpool *pop;
+
+	if (strlen(cmd) != 1) {
+		UT_FATAL("unknown command: %s", cmd);
+	}
+
+	switch (cmd[0]) {
+		case 'c':
+			pop = pmemobj_create(path, NULL, PMEMOBJ_MIN_POOL,
+				0600);
+		break;
+		case 'o':
+			pop = pmemobj_open(path, NULL);
+		break;
+		default:
+			UT_FATAL("unknown command: %s", cmd);
+	}
+
+	UT_ASSERTne(pop, NULL);
+
+	pmemobj_close(pop);
+
+	DONE(NULL);
+}