diff --git a/devel/pika/Makefile b/devel/pika/Makefile
index 81cb72e81c47..c28c2010fc0b 100644
--- a/devel/pika/Makefile
+++ b/devel/pika/Makefile
@@ -1,29 +1,33 @@
 PORTNAME=	pika
 DISTVERSION=	0.6.0
 CATEGORIES=	devel
 
 MAINTAINER=	yuri@FreeBSD.org
 COMMENT=	C++ library for concurrency and parallelism
 
 LICENSE=	BSL
 LICENSE_FILE=	${WRKSRC}/LICENSE_1_0.txt
 
 BUILD_DEPENDS=	boost-libs>=0:devel/boost-libs
 LIB_DEPENDS=	libhwloc.so:devel/hwloc2 \
 		libtcmalloc_minimal.so:devel/google-perftools
 
 USES=		cmake:testing compiler:c++17-lang
 USE_LDCONFIG=	yes
 
 USE_GITHUB=	yes
 GH_ACCOUNT=	pika-org
 
 CMAKE_ON=	PIKA_WITH_MALLOC
-CMAKE_TESTING_ON=	PIKA_WITH_TESTS # unclear how to run tests
+CMAKE_TESTING_ON=	PIKA_WITH_TESTS PIKA_WITH_TESTS_UNIT # unclear how to run tests
+CMAKE_TESTING_TARGET=	tests test
 
 BINARY_ALIAS=	git=false
 
 post-install:
 	@${RM} -r ${STAGEDIR}${DATADIR} # remove copy of license
 
+pre-test: # unlike most other cmake projects tests fail to build when reconfigured, and require full rebuild
+	@${RM} -r ${BUILD_WRKSRC}/*
+
 .include <bsd.port.mk>