diff --git a/testing/pyproject.toml b/testing/pyproject.toml
index b28b9795fe..0cdfa0952a 100644
--- a/testing/pyproject.toml
+++ b/testing/pyproject.toml
@@ -38,5 +38,11 @@ classifiers = [
 "Homepage" = "https://github.com/canonical/operator"
 "Bug Tracker" = "https://github.com/canonical/operator/issues"
 
+[dependency-groups]
+unit = [
+    "ops-tracing",
+    "pytest~=9.0",
+]
+
 [tool.hatch.build.targets.wheel]
 packages = ["src/scenario"]  # Hatch looks for 'ops_scenario' by default.
diff --git a/testing/tests/benchmark/test_testing.py b/testing/tests/benchmark/test_testing.py
index 6dd5f60285..388ed8148d 100644
--- a/testing/tests/benchmark/test_testing.py
+++ b/testing/tests/benchmark/test_testing.py
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 import ops
 from ops import testing
 
+pytest.importorskip('pytest_benchmark')  # Provides the 'benchmark' fixture.
+
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def benchmark_charm():
diff --git a/testing/tests/test_e2e/conftest.py b/testing/tests/test_e2e/conftest.py
index 26fb185651..9c26c39fef 100644
--- a/testing/tests/test_e2e/conftest.py
+++ b/testing/tests/test_e2e/conftest.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import pathlib
 from collections.abc import Generator
 from typing import Any
 
@@ -19,8 +20,8 @@ def secrets_context(secrets_charm_meta: dict[str, Any]):
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-def secrets_charm_meta(pytestconfig: pytest.Config) -> Generator[dict[str, Any]]:
+def secrets_charm_meta() -> Generator[dict[str, Any]]:
     """Metadata for the secret test charm."""
-    return yaml.safe_load(
-        (pytestconfig.rootpath / 'test/charms/test_secrets/charmcraft.yaml').read_text()
-    )
+    # The repository root, so the path doesn't depend on pytest's rootdir.
+    root = pathlib.Path(__file__).parents[3]
+    return yaml.safe_load((root / 'test/charms/test_secrets/charmcraft.yaml').read_text())
diff --git a/testing/tests/test_e2e/test_trace_data.py b/testing/tests/test_e2e/test_trace_data.py
index 9b4819c967..83b92bbb1c 100644
--- a/testing/tests/test_e2e/test_trace_data.py
+++ b/testing/tests/test_e2e/test_trace_data.py
@@ -3,10 +3,13 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import pytest
 from scenario import Context, State
 
 import ops
 
+pytest.importorskip('ops_tracing')
+
 META = {
     'name': 'traced_charm',
     'requires': {'charm-tracing': {'interface': 'tracing', 'limit': 1}},
diff --git a/testing/tox.ini b/testing/tox.ini
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..467c816009
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/tox.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+[tox]
+requires = tox>=4.2
+env_list = unit
+skip_missing_interpreters = true
+
+[testenv]
+runner = uv-venv-lock-runner
+setenv =
+  PY_COLORS=1
+passenv =
+  HOME
+  PATH
+  SCENARIO_SKIP_CONSISTENCY_CHECKS
+  SCENARIO_BARE_CHARM_ERRORS
+
+[testenv:py{3.10,3.12,3.14}-unit]
+# runner must be re-specified here due to tox environment inheritance shenanigans
+runner = uv-venv-lock-runner
+base = unit
+
+[testenv:unit]
+dependency_groups = unit
+commands = pytest {posargs}
diff --git a/tracing/pyproject.toml b/tracing/pyproject.toml
index 0945421c1d..92c36432ca 100644
--- a/tracing/pyproject.toml
+++ b/tracing/pyproject.toml
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ lint = [
     "pyright~=1.1",
 ]
 unit = [
-    "ops[testing]",
+    "ops-scenario",
     "pytest~=9.0",
 ]
 
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index 9cdb739a59..9a19d31687 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -910,6 +910,12 @@ dependencies = [
     { name = "typing-extensions" },
 ]
 
+[package.dev-dependencies]
+unit = [
+    { name = "ops-tracing" },
+    { name = "pytest" },
+]
+
 [package.metadata]
 requires-dist = [
     { name = "ops", editable = "." },
@@ -917,6 +923,12 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "typing-extensions", specifier = ">=4.9.0" },
 ]
 
+[package.metadata.requires-dev]
+unit = [
+    { name = "ops-tracing", editable = "tracing" },
+    { name = "pytest", specifier = "~=9.0" },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "ops-tracing"
 version = "3.10.0.dev0"
@@ -935,7 +947,7 @@ lint = [
     { name = "ruff" },
 ]
 unit = [
-    { name = "ops", extra = ["testing"] },
+    { name = "ops-scenario" },
     { name = "pytest" },
 ]
 
@@ -954,7 +966,7 @@ lint = [
     { name = "ruff", specifier = "==0.17.2" },
 ]
 unit = [
-    { name = "ops", extras = ["testing"], editable = "." },
+    { name = "ops-scenario", editable = "testing" },
     { name = "pytest", specifier = "~=9.0" },
 ]