diff --git a/test/common.py b/test/common.py
index 1ef219f46c4f7..e1f9d8fc8f55f 100644
--- a/test/common.py
+++ b/test/common.py
@@ -232,6 +232,13 @@ def decorated(self, *args, **kwargs):
   return decorated
 
 
+def needs_make(note=''):
+  assert not callable(note)
+  if WINDOWS:
+    return unittest.skip('Tool not available on Windows bots (%s)' % note)
+  return lambda f: f
+
+
 def record_flaky_test(test_name, attempt_count, exception_msg):
   logging.info(f'Retrying flaky test "{test_name}" (attempt {attempt_count}/{EMTEST_RETRY_FLAKY} failed):\n{exception_msg}')
   open(flaky_tests_log_filename, 'a').write(f'{test_name}\n')
diff --git a/test/test_benchmark.py b/test/test_benchmark.py
index b89daf68265bf..fe48c5b63a16d 100644
--- a/test/test_benchmark.py
+++ b/test/test_benchmark.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 import jsrun
 import common
 from tools.shared import CLANG_CC, CLANG_CXX
-from common import test_file, read_file, read_binary
+from common import test_file, read_file, read_binary, needs_make
 from tools.shared import run_process, PIPE, EMCC, config
 from tools import building, utils, shared
 
@@ -1006,7 +1006,7 @@ def test_zzz_zlib(self):
     src = read_file(test_file('benchmark/test_zlib_benchmark.c'))
 
     def lib_builder(name, native, env_init):
-      return self.get_library(os.path.join('third_party', 'zlib'), os.path.join('libz.a'), make_args=['libz.a'], native=native, cache_name_extra=name, env_init=env_init)
+      return self.get_library(os.path.join('third_party', 'zlib'), os.path.join('libz.a'), configure=['cmake', '-DCMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.5', '.'], make=['cmake', '--build', '.', '--'], make_args=[], native=native, cache_name_extra=name, env_init=env_init)
 
     self.do_benchmark('zlib', src, 'ok.',
                       force_c=True, shared_args=['-I' + test_file('third_party/zlib')], lib_builder=lib_builder)
@@ -1039,15 +1039,11 @@ def test_zzz_bullet(self):
 
     def lib_builder(name, native, env_init):
       return self.get_library(str(Path('third_party/bullet')),
-                              [Path('src/.libs/libBulletDynamics.a'),
-                               Path('src/.libs/libBulletCollision.a'),
-                               Path('src/.libs/libLinearMath.a')],
-                              # The --host parameter is needed for 2 reasons:
-                              # 1) bullet in it's configure.ac tries to do platform detection and will fail on unknown platforms
-                              # 2) configure will try to compile and run a test file to check if the C compiler is sane. As Cheerp
-                              #    will generate a wasm file (which cannot be run), configure will fail. Passing `--host` enables
-                              #    cross compile mode, which lets configure complete happily.
-                              configure_args=['--disable-demos', '--disable-dependency-tracking', '--host=i686-unknown-linux'], native=native, cache_name_extra=name, env_init=env_init)
+                              ['src/BulletDynamics/libBulletDynamics.a',
+                               'src/BulletCollision/libBulletCollision.a',
+                               'src/LinearMath/libLinearMath.a'],
+                              configure=['cmake', '.'], configure_args=['-DCMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.5','-DBUILD_DEMOS=OFF', '-DBUILD_EXTRAS=OFF', '-DUSE_GLUT=OFF', '-DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=14'],
+                              make=['cmake', '--build', '.', '--'], make_args=[], native=native, cache_name_extra=name, env_init=env_init)
 
     self.do_benchmark('bullet', src, '\nok.\n',
                       shared_args=['-I' + test_file('third_party/bullet/src'), '-I' + test_file('third_party/bullet/Demos/Benchmarks')],
@@ -1070,6 +1066,7 @@ def test_zzz_sqlite(self):
                       emcc_args=['-sFILESYSTEM', '-sMINIMAL_RUNTIME=0'],
                       force_c=True)
 
+  @needs_make('depends on freetype')
   def test_zzz_poppler(self):
     utils.write_file('pre.js', '''
       var benchmarkArgument = %s;
diff --git a/test/test_core.py b/test/test_core.py
index 0c2d01624130a..a1c2f7d40e9d8 100644
--- a/test/test_core.py
+++ b/test/test_core.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 from common import compiler_for, crossplatform, no_4gb, no_2gb, also_with_minimal_runtime, also_with_modularize
 from common import with_all_fs, also_with_nodefs, also_with_nodefs_both, also_with_noderawfs, also_with_wasmfs
 from common import with_all_eh_sjlj, with_all_sjlj, also_with_standalone_wasm, can_do_standalone, no_wasm64, requires_wasm_eh, requires_jspi
-from common import NON_ZERO, WEBIDL_BINDER, EMBUILDER, PYTHON
+from common import NON_ZERO, WEBIDL_BINDER, EMBUILDER, PYTHON, needs_make
 import clang_native
 
 # decorators for limiting which modes a test can run in
@@ -265,13 +265,6 @@ def decorated(self):
   return decorator
 
 
-def needs_make(note=''):
-  assert not callable(note)
-  if WINDOWS:
-    return unittest.skip('Tool not available on Windows bots (%s)' % note)
-  return lambda f: f
-
-
 def no_asan(note):
   assert not callable(note)