diff --git a/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
index 58b406a26..410714a61 100644
--- a/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,18 +26,6 @@
 #  POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #
 
-set(COMMON_SOURCES
-    test_platform.cpp
-    test_util.cpp
-)
-
-set(COMMON_LIBS
-    openthread-ftd
-    ot-config
-    ${OT_MBEDTLS}
-    util
-)
-
 set(COMMON_INCLUDES
     ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include
     ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src
@@ -50,8 +38,36 @@ set(COMMON_COMPILE_OPTIONS
     -DOPENTHREAD_SPINEL_CONFIG_OPENTHREAD_MESSAGE_ENABLE=1
 )
 
+add_library(test-platform
+    test_platform.cpp
+    test_util.cpp
+)
+
+target_include_directories(test-platform
+    PRIVATE
+        ${COMMON_INCLUDES}
+)
+
+target_compile_options(test-platform
+    PRIVATE
+        ${COMMON_COMPILE_OPTIONS}
+)
+
+target_link_libraries(test-platform
+    PRIVATE
+        ot-config
+        ${OT_MBEDTLS}
+)
+
+set(COMMON_LIBS
+    test-platform
+    openthread-ftd
+    test-platform
+    ${OT_MBEDTLS}
+    ot-config
+)
+
 add_executable(test-aes
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_aes.cpp
 )
 
@@ -73,12 +89,10 @@ target_link_libraries(test-aes
 add_test(NAME test-aes COMMAND test-aes)
 
 add_executable(test-child
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_child.cpp
 )
 
 add_executable(test-checksum
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_checksum.cpp
 )
 
@@ -118,7 +132,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-child
 add_test(NAME test-child COMMAND test-child)
 
 add_executable(test-child-table
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_child_table.cpp
 )
 
@@ -140,7 +153,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-child-table
 add_test(NAME test-child-table COMMAND test-child-table)
 
 add_executable(test-cmd-line-parser
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_cmd_line_parser.cpp
 )
 
@@ -162,7 +174,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-cmd-line-parser
 add_test(NAME test-cmd-line-parser COMMAND test-cmd-line-parser)
 
 add_executable(test-flash
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_flash.cpp
 )
 
@@ -184,7 +195,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-flash
 add_test(NAME test-flash COMMAND test-flash)
 
 add_executable(test-heap
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_heap.cpp
 )
 
@@ -206,7 +216,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-heap
 add_test(NAME test-heap COMMAND test-heap)
 
 add_executable(test-hmac-sha256
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_hmac_sha256.cpp
 )
 
@@ -228,7 +237,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-hmac-sha256
 add_test(NAME test-hmac-sha256 COMMAND test-hmac-sha256)
 
 add_executable(test-ip6-address
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_ip6_address.cpp
 )
 
@@ -250,7 +258,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-ip6-address
 add_test(NAME test-ip6-address COMMAND test-ip6-address)
 
 add_executable(test-link-quality
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_link_quality.cpp
 )
 
@@ -272,7 +279,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-link-quality
 add_test(NAME test-link-quality COMMAND test-link-quality)
 
 add_executable(test-linked-list
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_linked_list.cpp
 )
 
@@ -294,7 +300,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-linked-list
 add_test(NAME test-linked-list COMMAND test-linked-list)
 
 add_executable(test-lookup-table
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_lookup_table.cpp
 )
 
@@ -316,7 +321,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-lookup-table
 add_test(NAME test-lookup-table COMMAND test-lookup-table)
 
 add_executable(test-lowpan
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_lowpan.cpp
 )
 
@@ -338,7 +342,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-lowpan
 add_test(NAME test-lowpan COMMAND test-lowpan)
 
 add_executable(test-mac-frame
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_mac_frame.cpp
 )
 
@@ -360,7 +363,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-mac-frame
 add_test(NAME test-mac-frame COMMAND test-mac-frame)
 
 add_executable(test-message
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_message.cpp
 )
 
@@ -382,7 +384,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-message
 add_test(NAME test-message COMMAND test-message)
 
 add_executable(test-message-queue
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_message_queue.cpp
 )
 
@@ -404,7 +405,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-message-queue
 add_test(NAME test-message-queue COMMAND test-message-queue)
 
 add_executable(test-multicast-listeners-table
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_multicast_listeners_table.cpp
 )
 
@@ -419,14 +419,13 @@ target_compile_options(test-multicast-listeners-table
 )
 
 target_link_libraries(test-multicast-listeners-table
-        PRIVATE
+    PRIVATE
         ${COMMON_LIBS}
-    )
+)
 
 add_test(NAME test-multicast-listeners-table COMMAND test-multicast-listeners-table)
 
 add_executable(test-ndproxy-table
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_ndproxy_table.cpp
 )
 
@@ -450,7 +449,6 @@ add_test(NAME test-ndproxy-table COMMAND test-ndproxy-table)
 
 
 add_executable(test-netif
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_netif.cpp
 )
 
@@ -472,7 +470,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-netif
 add_test(NAME test-netif COMMAND test-netif)
 
 add_executable(test-network-data
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_network_data.cpp
 )
 
@@ -494,7 +491,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-network-data
 add_test(NAME test-network-data COMMAND test-network-data)
 
 add_executable(test-pool
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_pool.cpp
 )
 
@@ -516,7 +512,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-pool
 add_test(NAME test-pool COMMAND test-pool)
 
 add_executable(test-priority-queue
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_priority_queue.cpp
 )
 
@@ -538,7 +533,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-priority-queue
 add_test(NAME test-priority-queue COMMAND test-priority-queue)
 
 add_executable(test-pskc
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_pskc.cpp
 )
 
@@ -560,7 +554,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-pskc
 add_test(NAME test-pskc COMMAND test-pskc)
 
 add_executable(test-steering-data
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_steering_data.cpp
 )
 
@@ -582,7 +575,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-steering-data
 add_test(NAME test-steering-data COMMAND test-steering-data)
 
 add_executable(test-string
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_string.cpp
 )
 
@@ -604,7 +596,6 @@ target_link_libraries(test-string
 add_test(NAME test-string COMMAND test-string)
 
 add_executable(test-timer
-    ${COMMON_SOURCES}
     test_timer.cpp
 )
 
@@ -626,6 +617,7 @@ target_link_libraries(test-timer
 add_test(NAME test-timer COMMAND test-timer)
 
 set_target_properties(
+    test-platform
     test-aes
     test-checksum
     test-child