diff --git a/.flake8 b/.flake8
index c2ddfb0f9..71cc80e45 100644
--- a/.flake8
+++ b/.flake8
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@ per-file-ignores =
     # B011: Do not call assert False since python -O removes these calls
     # F841 local variable 'foo' is assigned to but never used
     # B007 Loop control variable
-    jupyter_client/tests/*: B011, F841, B007
+    tests/*: B011, F841, B007
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 0ba69c2fb..f1e39459f 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ repos:
     rev: v0.971
     hooks:
       - id: mypy
-        exclude: jupyter_client/tests
+        exclude: tests
         args: ["--config-file", "pyproject.toml"]
         additional_dependencies: [pyzmq, tornado, types-paramiko]
         stages: [manual]
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index a88f27e76..4af1b7af0 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -112,7 +112,8 @@ src = "pyproject.toml"
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]
 addopts = "-raXs --durations 10 --color=yes --doctest-modules"
 testpaths = [
-    "jupyter_client/tests/"
+    "jupyter_client",
+    "tests/"
 ]
 timeout = 300
 # Restore this setting to debug failures
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/__init__.py
rename to tests/__init__.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/conftest.py
rename to tests/conftest.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/problemkernel.py b/tests/problemkernel.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/problemkernel.py
rename to tests/problemkernel.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/signalkernel.py b/tests/signalkernel.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/signalkernel.py
rename to tests/signalkernel.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_adapter.py b/tests/test_adapter.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_adapter.py
rename to tests/test_adapter.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
similarity index 98%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_client.py
rename to tests/test_client.py
index 867749f68..594131b48 100644
--- a/jupyter_client/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import pytest
 from IPython.utils.capture import capture_output
 
-from ..manager import start_new_kernel
+from jupyter_client.manager import start_new_kernel
 from .utils import test_env
 from jupyter_client.kernelspec import KernelSpecManager
 from jupyter_client.kernelspec import NATIVE_KERNEL_NAME
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_connect.py b/tests/test_connect.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_connect.py
rename to tests/test_connect.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_jsonutil.py b/tests/test_jsonutil.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_jsonutil.py
rename to tests/test_jsonutil.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_kernelapp.py b/tests/test_kernelapp.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_kernelapp.py
rename to tests/test_kernelapp.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_kernelmanager.py b/tests/test_kernelmanager.py
similarity index 98%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_kernelmanager.py
rename to tests/test_kernelmanager.py
index 145373cd9..e5a072334 100644
--- a/jupyter_client/tests/test_kernelmanager.py
+++ b/tests/test_kernelmanager.py
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
 from jupyter_core import paths
 from traitlets.config.loader import Config
 
-from ..manager import _ShutdownStatus
-from ..manager import start_new_async_kernel
-from ..manager import start_new_kernel
+from jupyter_client.manager import _ShutdownStatus
+from jupyter_client.manager import start_new_async_kernel
+from jupyter_client.manager import start_new_kernel
 from .utils import AsyncKMSubclass
 from .utils import SyncKMSubclass
 from jupyter_client import AsyncKernelManager
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def _install_kernel(name="signaltest", extra_env=None):
                     "argv": [
                         sys.executable,
                         "-m",
-                        "jupyter_client.tests.signalkernel",
+                        "tests.signalkernel",
                         "-f",
                         "{connection_file}",
                     ],
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_kernelspec.py b/tests/test_kernelspec.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_kernelspec.py
rename to tests/test_kernelspec.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_localinterfaces.py b/tests/test_localinterfaces.py
similarity index 92%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_localinterfaces.py
rename to tests/test_localinterfaces.py
index 7b6c4a9ad..b371d2f21 100644
--- a/jupyter_client/tests/test_localinterfaces.py
+++ b/tests/test_localinterfaces.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
 #  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-from .. import localinterfaces
+from jupyter_client import localinterfaces
 
 
 def test_load_ips():
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_manager.py b/tests/test_manager.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_manager.py
rename to tests/test_manager.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_multikernelmanager.py b/tests/test_multikernelmanager.py
similarity index 99%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_multikernelmanager.py
rename to tests/test_multikernelmanager.py
index 0437e5349..1fad3755b 100644
--- a/jupyter_client/tests/test_multikernelmanager.py
+++ b/tests/test_multikernelmanager.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 from tornado.testing import gen_test
 from traitlets.config.loader import Config
 
-from ..localinterfaces import localhost
+from jupyter_client.localinterfaces import localhost
 from .utils import AsyncKMSubclass
 from .utils import AsyncMKMSubclass
 from .utils import install_kernel
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_provisioning.py b/tests/test_provisioning.py
similarity index 94%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_provisioning.py
rename to tests/test_provisioning.py
index de15ea011..d74be112a 100644
--- a/jupyter_client/tests/test_provisioning.py
+++ b/tests/test_provisioning.py
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@
 from traitlets import Int
 from traitlets import Unicode
 
-from ..connect import KernelConnectionInfo
-from ..kernelspec import KernelSpecManager
-from ..kernelspec import NoSuchKernel
-from ..launcher import launch_kernel
-from ..manager import AsyncKernelManager
-from ..provisioning import KernelProvisionerBase
-from ..provisioning import KernelProvisionerFactory
-from ..provisioning import LocalProvisioner
+from jupyter_client.connect import KernelConnectionInfo
+from jupyter_client.kernelspec import KernelSpecManager
+from jupyter_client.kernelspec import NoSuchKernel
+from jupyter_client.launcher import launch_kernel
+from jupyter_client.manager import AsyncKernelManager
+from jupyter_client.provisioning import KernelProvisionerBase
+from jupyter_client.provisioning import KernelProvisionerFactory
+from jupyter_client.provisioning import LocalProvisioner
 
 pjoin = os.path.join
 
@@ -201,10 +201,10 @@ def akm(request, all_provisioners):
 initial_provisioner_map = {
     'local-provisioner': ('jupyter_client.provisioning', 'LocalProvisioner'),
     'subclassed-test-provisioner': (
-        'jupyter_client.tests.test_provisioning',
+        'tests.test_provisioning',
         'SubclassedTestProvisioner',
     ),
-    'custom-test-provisioner': ('jupyter_client.tests.test_provisioning', 'CustomTestProvisioner'),
+    'custom-test-provisioner': ('tests.test_provisioning', 'CustomTestProvisioner'),
 }
 
 
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ def mock_get_all_provisioners() -> List[EntryPoint]:
 def mock_get_provisioner(factory, name) -> EntryPoint:
     if name == 'new-test-provisioner':
         return EntryPoint(
-            'new-test-provisioner', 'jupyter_client.tests.test_provisioning', 'NewTestProvisioner'
+            'new-test-provisioner', 'tests.test_provisioning', 'NewTestProvisioner'
         )
 
     if name in initial_provisioner_map:
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_public_api.py b/tests/test_public_api.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_public_api.py
rename to tests/test_public_api.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_restarter.py b/tests/test_restarter.py
similarity index 99%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_restarter.py
rename to tests/test_restarter.py
index 54d8283cd..5e9343130 100644
--- a/jupyter_client/tests/test_restarter.py
+++ b/tests/test_restarter.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def _install_kernel(name="problemtest", extra_env=None):
                     "argv": [
                         sys.executable,
                         "-m",
-                        "jupyter_client.tests.problemkernel",
+                        "tests.problemkernel",
                         "-f",
                         "{connection_file}",
                     ],
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_session.py b/tests/test_session.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_session.py
rename to tests/test_session.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/test_ssh.py b/tests/test_ssh.py
similarity index 100%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/test_ssh.py
rename to tests/test_ssh.py
diff --git a/jupyter_client/tests/utils.py b/tests/utils.py
similarity index 97%
rename from jupyter_client/tests/utils.py
rename to tests/utils.py
index ffaba2e9a..10f54954d 100644
--- a/jupyter_client/tests/utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils.py
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ class AsyncKMSubclass(KMSubclass, AsyncKernelManager):
 
 class MKMSubclass(RecordCallMixin):
     def _kernel_manager_class_default(self):
-        return "jupyter_client.tests.utils.SyncKMSubclass"
+        return "tests.utils.SyncKMSubclass"
 
     @subclass_recorder
     def get_kernel(self, kernel_id):
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ class SyncMKMSubclass(MKMSubclass, MultiKernelManager):
     _superclass = MultiKernelManager
 
     def _kernel_manager_class_default(self):
-        return "jupyter_client.tests.utils.SyncKMSubclass"
+        return "tests.utils.SyncKMSubclass"
 
 
 class AsyncMKMSubclass(MKMSubclass, AsyncMultiKernelManager):
@@ -253,4 +253,4 @@ class AsyncMKMSubclass(MKMSubclass, AsyncMultiKernelManager):
     _superclass = AsyncMultiKernelManager
 
     def _kernel_manager_class_default(self):
-        return "jupyter_client.tests.utils.AsyncKMSubclass"
+        return "tests.utils.AsyncKMSubclass"