diff --git a/phpbb-test-board/README.md b/phpbb-test-board/README.md
index ec1de5f..5fd92f9 100644
--- a/phpbb-test-board/README.md
+++ b/phpbb-test-board/README.md
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ phpbb-test-board/run-unit-tests.sh path/to/extension [-b 3.3.x|master] [-f PATTE
 Runs the extension's `phpunit.xml.dist` the way [phpbb-extensions/test-framework](https://github.com/phpbb-extensions/test-framework) does in CI: inside a phpBB checkout, with phpBB's own PHPUnit and `tests/bootstrap.php`. It needs no board.
 - **The checkout** is set up on first use in `~/.cache/phpbb-release-tools/phpbb-BRANCH` (or `--env DIR`, or `PHPBB_UNIT_ENV`): a shallow clone of phpBB, its Composer dependencies, and on PHP 8 with phpBB 3.3.x the switch to PHPUnit 9 that phpBB's own CI makes, since 3.3.x ships PHPUnit 7.5. `--update` pulls it and reinstalls.
 - **The extension** is copied in afresh on every run (`rsync --delete`, without `.git`), into `phpBB/ext/` under its `composer.json` name, so a test never runs against an old copy.
+- **A `tests/functional` folder** must exist, even an empty one (`tests/functional/.gitkeep`). The test framework runs with phpBB's own configuration, which lists it, and its PostgreSQL, MySQL, MSSQL and Windows jobs stop without it; the script refuses to run without it so that shows up before CI.
 - `-f PATTERN` runs only the matching tests; anything after `--` goes to PHPUnit, for example `-- --testdox` or, on `master`, `-- --display-skipped`.
 
 Exit status: PHPUnit's, 1 for a setup failure, 2 for bad arguments. Needs `git`, `php`, `composer`, `rsync` and `jq`.
diff --git a/phpbb-test-board/run-unit-tests.sh b/phpbb-test-board/run-unit-tests.sh
index 694a79f..0b14780 100755
--- a/phpbb-test-board/run-unit-tests.sh
+++ b/phpbb-test-board/run-unit-tests.sh
@@ -30,8 +30,9 @@ phpbb-extensions test framework does in CI. The checkout is set up on first
 use; the extension is copied in afresh on every run.
 
 Arguments:
-  EXT_DIR                the extension's checkout (with composer.json and
-                         phpunit.xml.dist)
+  EXT_DIR                the extension's checkout (with composer.json,
+                         phpunit.xml.dist and a tests/functional folder,
+                         which may be empty)
   PHPUNIT_ARGS           anything after -- is passed to PHPUnit
 
 Options:
@@ -128,6 +129,11 @@ esac
 ext_dir="$(cd -- "$ext_dir" && pwd)"
 [ -f "$ext_dir/composer.json" ] || usage_error "$ext_dir has no composer.json"
 [ -f "$ext_dir/phpunit.xml.dist" ] || usage_error "$ext_dir has no phpunit.xml.dist"
+# The test framework's CI runs with phpBB's own configuration, which lists the
+# extension's tests/functional folder; its PostgreSQL, MySQL, MSSQL and Windows
+# jobs stop when the folder is missing, even with functional tests turned off
+[ -d "$ext_dir/tests/functional" ] ||
+  usage_error "$ext_dir has no tests/functional folder, which the test framework's CI jobs need even when empty: mkdir -p tests/functional && touch tests/functional/.gitkeep"
 
 for tool in git php composer rsync jq; do
   need "$tool"
diff --git a/tests/test-phpbb-test-board.sh b/tests/test-phpbb-test-board.sh
index f077707..0a9a510 100755
--- a/tests/test-phpbb-test-board.sh
+++ b/tests/test-phpbb-test-board.sh
@@ -128,6 +128,9 @@ mkdir -p "$tmp/ext-no-phpunit" "$tmp/ext-bad-name"
 echo '{"name": "vendor/ext"}' >"$tmp/ext-no-phpunit/composer.json"
 echo '{"name": "Not A Name"}' >"$tmp/ext-bad-name/composer.json"
 touch "$tmp/ext-bad-name/phpunit.xml.dist"
+mkdir -p "$tmp/ext-bad-name/tests/functional" "$tmp/ext-no-functional"
+echo '{"name": "vendor/ext"}' >"$tmp/ext-no-functional/composer.json"
+touch "$tmp/ext-no-functional/phpunit.xml.dist"
 check "run-unit-tests.sh without arguments shows help and exits 0" \
   exits_with 0 "$tools/run-unit-tests.sh"
 check "run-unit-tests.sh --help shows usage" output_has "Usage: run-unit-tests.sh" "$tools/run-unit-tests.sh" --help
@@ -137,6 +140,10 @@ check "run-unit-tests.sh with an unknown branch exits 2" \
 check "run-unit-tests.sh with a missing directory exits 2" exits_with 2 "$tools/run-unit-tests.sh" "$tmp/no-such-dir"
 check "run-unit-tests.sh without phpunit.xml.dist exits 2" \
   exits_with 2 "$tools/run-unit-tests.sh" "$tmp/ext-no-phpunit"
+check "run-unit-tests.sh without tests/functional exits 2" \
+  exits_with 2 "$tools/run-unit-tests.sh" "$tmp/ext-no-functional"
+check "run-unit-tests.sh says how to add tests/functional" \
+  output_has "mkdir -p tests/functional" "$tools/run-unit-tests.sh" "$tmp/ext-no-functional"
 check "run-unit-tests.sh with two directories exits 2" \
   exits_with 2 "$tools/run-unit-tests.sh" "$tmp/ext-no-phpunit" "$tmp/ext-bad-name"
 check "run-unit-tests.sh rejects a composer name that is not vendor/name" \