diff --git a/tests/src/core/qgsrenderchecker.cpp b/tests/src/core/qgsrenderchecker.cpp
index 24483dc54aa..597dfe50c8f 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/qgsrenderchecker.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/qgsrenderchecker.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,13 @@ QString QgsRenderChecker::controlImagePath() const
   return myControlImageDir;
 }
 
+void QgsRenderChecker::setControlName(const QString theName)
+{
+  mControlName = theName;
+  mExpectedImageFile = controlImagePath() + theName + QDir::separator() +
+      theName + ".png";
+}
+
 bool QgsRenderChecker::runTest( QString theTestName,
                                 unsigned int theMismatchCount )
 {
diff --git a/tests/src/core/qgsrenderchecker.h b/tests/src/core/qgsrenderchecker.h
index d3d9e86d5d5..e2585fc7ba1 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/qgsrenderchecker.h
+++ b/tests/src/core/qgsrenderchecker.h
@@ -44,7 +44,11 @@ public:
   //only records time for actual render part
   int elapsedTime() { return mElapsedTime; };
   void setElapsedTimeTarget(int theTarget) { mElapsedTimeTarget = theTarget; };
-  void setExpectedImage (QString theImageFileName) { mExpectedImageFile = theImageFileName; };
+  /** Base directory name for the control image (with control image path
+    * suffixed) the path to the image will be constructed like this:
+    * controlImagePath + '/' + mControlName + '/' + mControlName + '.png'
+    */
+  void setControlName(const QString theName);
   void setRenderedImage (QString theImageFileName) { mRenderedImageFile = theImageFileName; };
   void setMapRenderer ( QgsMapRenderer *  thepMapRenderer) { mpMapRenderer = thepMapRenderer; };
   /**
@@ -73,6 +77,7 @@ public:
 private:
   QString mReport;
   QString mExpectedImageFile;
+  QString mControlName;
   QString mRenderedImageFile; 
   unsigned int mMismatchCount;
   unsigned int mMatchTarget;
diff --git a/tests/src/core/regression992.cpp b/tests/src/core/regression992.cpp
index bd940050500..f493089bc9c 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/regression992.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/regression992.cpp
@@ -106,8 +106,7 @@ void Regression992::regression992()
   QVERIFY( mpRasterLayer->isValid() );
   mpMapRenderer->setExtent( mpRasterLayer->extent() );
   QgsRenderChecker myChecker;
-  myChecker.setExpectedImage( myChecker.controlImagePath() +
-                              "expected_rgbwcmyk01_YeGeo.jp2.png" );
+  myChecker.setControlName( "expected_rgbwcmyk01_YeGeo.jp2" );
   myChecker.setMapRenderer( mpMapRenderer );
   // allow up to 300 mismatched pixels
   bool myResultFlag = myChecker.runTest( "regression992", 300 );
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsgeometry.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsgeometry.cpp
index ef5c6963c2b..1fbd1f33d0b 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsgeometry.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsgeometry.cpp
@@ -314,8 +314,7 @@ bool TestQgsGeometry::renderCheck( QString theTestName, QString theComment )
   QString myFileName = myTmpDir + theTestName + ".png";
   mImage.save( myFileName, "PNG" );
   QgsRenderChecker myChecker;
-  myChecker.setExpectedImage( myChecker.controlImagePath() +
-                              "expected_" + theTestName + ".png" );
+  myChecker.setControlName( "expected_" + theTestName );
   myChecker.setRenderedImage( myFileName );
   bool myResultFlag = myChecker.compareImages( theTestName );
   mReport += myChecker.report();
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsmaprenderer.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsmaprenderer.cpp
index 1b9869e7d06..a2d79ded5a1 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsmaprenderer.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsmaprenderer.cpp
@@ -193,8 +193,7 @@ void TestQgsMapRenderer::performanceTest()
 {
   mpMapRenderer->setExtent( mpPolysLayer->extent() );
   QgsRenderChecker myChecker;
-  myChecker.setExpectedImage(
-        myChecker.controlImagePath() + "expected_maprender.png" );
+  myChecker.setControlName( "expected_maprender" );
   myChecker.setMapRenderer( mpMapRenderer );
   bool myResultFlag = myChecker.runTest( "maprender" );
   mReport += myChecker.report();
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsrasterlayer.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsrasterlayer.cpp
index e7942bc7ce3..9bb04935bc0 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsrasterlayer.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsrasterlayer.cpp
@@ -256,8 +256,7 @@ bool TestQgsRasterLayer::render( QString theTestType )
 {
   mReport += "<h2>" + theTestType + "</h2>\n";
   QgsRenderChecker myChecker;
-  myChecker.setExpectedImage( myChecker.controlImagePath()
-                              + "expected_" + theTestType + ".png" );
+  myChecker.setControlName( "expected_" + theTestType );
   myChecker.setMapRenderer( mpMapRenderer );
   bool myResultFlag = myChecker.runTest( theTestType );
   mReport += "\n\n\n" + myChecker.report();
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsrenderers.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsrenderers.cpp
index 835b550cbc7..b4894ed60e9 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsrenderers.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsrenderers.cpp
@@ -216,9 +216,7 @@ bool TestQgsRenderers::imageCheck( QString theTestType )
   //ensure the rendered output matches our control image
   mpMapRenderer->setExtent( mpPointsLayer->extent() );
   QgsRenderChecker myChecker;
-  QString myExpectedImage = myChecker.controlImagePath() +
-      "expected_" + theTestType + ".png";
-  myChecker.setExpectedImage( myExpectedImage );
+  myChecker.setControlName( "expected_" + theTestType );
   myChecker.setMapRenderer( mpMapRenderer );
   bool myResultFlag = myChecker.runTest( theTestType );
   mReport += myChecker.report();
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_continuous.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_continuous/expected_continuous.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_continuous.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_continuous/expected_continuous.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_bufferCheck.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_bufferCheck/expected_geometry_bufferCheck.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_bufferCheck.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_bufferCheck/expected_geometry_bufferCheck.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_differenceCheck1.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_differenceCheck1/expected_geometry_differenceCheck1.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_differenceCheck1.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_differenceCheck1/expected_geometry_differenceCheck1.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_differenceCheck2.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_differenceCheck2/expected_geometry_differenceCheck2.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_differenceCheck2.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_differenceCheck2/expected_geometry_differenceCheck2.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_intersectionCheck1.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_intersectionCheck1/expected_geometry_intersectionCheck1.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_intersectionCheck1.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_intersectionCheck1/expected_geometry_intersectionCheck1.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_simplifyCheck1.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_simplifyCheck1/expected_geometry_simplifyCheck1.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_simplifyCheck1.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_simplifyCheck1/expected_geometry_simplifyCheck1.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_unionCheck1.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_unionCheck1/expected_geometry_unionCheck1.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_unionCheck1.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_unionCheck1/expected_geometry_unionCheck1.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_unionCheck2.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_unionCheck2/expected_geometry_unionCheck2.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_unionCheck2.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_geometry_unionCheck2/expected_geometry_unionCheck2.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_graduated.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_graduated/expected_graduated.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_graduated.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_graduated/expected_graduated.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_landsat_875.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_landsat_875/expected_landsat_875.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_landsat_875.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_landsat_875/expected_landsat_875.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_landsat_basic.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_landsat_basic/expected_landsat_basic.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_landsat_basic.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_landsat_basic/expected_landsat_basic.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_maprender.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_maprender/expected_maprender.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_maprender.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_maprender/expected_maprender.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_raster.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_raster/expected_raster.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_raster.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_raster/expected_raster.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_raster/expected_raster.png.aux.xml b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_raster/expected_raster.png.aux.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a4b65f3577d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_raster/expected_raster.png.aux.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<PAMDataset>
+  <Metadata domain="IMAGE_STRUCTURE">
+    <MDI key="INTERLEAVE">PIXEL</MDI>
+  </Metadata>
+  <PAMRasterBand band="1">
+    <Metadata>
+      <MDI key="STATISTICS_MINIMUM">0</MDI>
+      <MDI key="STATISTICS_MAXIMUM">255</MDI>
+      <MDI key="STATISTICS_MEAN">127.2</MDI>
+      <MDI key="STATISTICS_STDDEV">81.364365664583</MDI>
+    </Metadata>
+  </PAMRasterBand>
+</PAMDataset>
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_raster_pseudo.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_raster_pseudo/expected_raster_pseudo.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_raster_pseudo.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_raster_pseudo/expected_raster_pseudo.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_rgbwcmyk01_YeGeo.jp2.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_rgbwcmyk01_YeGeo.jp2/expected_rgbwcmyk01_YeGeo.jp2.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_rgbwcmyk01_YeGeo.jp2.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_rgbwcmyk01_YeGeo.jp2/expected_rgbwcmyk01_YeGeo.jp2.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_single.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_single/expected_single.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_single.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_single/expected_single.png
diff --git a/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_uniquevalue.png b/tests/testdata/control_images/expected_uniquevalue/expected_uniquevalue.png
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testdata/control_images/expected_uniquevalue.png
rename to tests/testdata/control_images/expected_uniquevalue/expected_uniquevalue.png