diff --git a/packages/nextjs/test/integration_test_utils.sh b/packages/nextjs/test/integration_test_utils.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..48d76685f234
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nextjs/test/integration_test_utils.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+function link_package() {
+  local package_abs_path=$1
+  local package_name=$2
+
+  echo "Setting up @sentry/${package_name} for linking"
+  pushd $package_abs_path
+  yarn link
+  popd
+
+  echo "Linking @sentry/$package_name"
+  yarn link "@sentry/$package_name"
+
+}
+
+# Note: LINKED_CLI_REPO and LINKED_PLUGIN_REPO in the functions below should be set to the absolute path of each local repo
+
+function linkcli() {
+  if [[ ! $LINKED_CLI_REPO ]]; then
+    return
+  fi
+
+  # check to make sure the repo directory exists
+  if [[ -d $LINKED_CLI_REPO ]]; then
+    link_package $LINKED_CLI_REPO "cli"
+  else
+    # the $1 lets us insert a string in that spot if one is passed to `linkcli` (useful for when we're calling this from
+    # within another linking function)
+    echo "ERROR: Can't link @sentry/cli $1because directory $LINKED_CLI_REPO does not exist."
+  fi
+}
+
+function linkplugin() {
+  if [[ ! $LINKED_PLUGIN_REPO ]]; then
+    return
+  fi
+
+  # check to make sure the repo directory exists
+  if [[ -d $LINKED_PLUGIN_REPO ]]; then
+    link_package $LINKED_PLUGIN_REPO "webpack-plugin"
+
+    # the webpack plugin depends on `@sentry/cli`, so if we're also using a linked version of the cli package, the
+    # plugin needs to link to it, too
+    if [[ $LINKED_CLI_REPO ]]; then
+      pushd $LINKED_PLUGIN_REPO
+      link_cli "in webpack plugin repo "
+      popd
+    fi
+  else
+    echo "ERROR: Can't link @sentry/wepack-plugin because $LINKED_PLUGIN_REPO does not exist."
+  fi
+}
diff --git a/packages/nextjs/test/run-integration-tests.sh b/packages/nextjs/test/run-integration-tests.sh
index e98e2602201e..b44a617e1ed6 100755
--- a/packages/nextjs/test/run-integration-tests.sh
+++ b/packages/nextjs/test/run-integration-tests.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
+source test/integration_test_utils.sh
+
 set -e
 
 START_TIME=$(date -R)
@@ -55,6 +57,9 @@ for NEXTJS_VERSION in 10 11; do
     sed -i /"next.*latest"/s/latest/"${NEXTJS_VERSION}.x"/ package.json
   fi
   yarn --no-lockfile --silent >/dev/null 2>&1
+  # if applicable, use local versions of `@sentry/cli` and/or `@sentry/webpack-plugin` (these commands no-op unless
+  # LINKED_CLI_REPO and/or LINKED_PLUGIN_REPO is set)
+  linkcli && linkplugin
   mv -f package.json.bak package.json 2>/dev/null || true
 
   for RUN_WEBPACK_5 in false true; do
@@ -72,9 +77,10 @@ for NEXTJS_VERSION in 10 11; do
     echo "[nextjs@$NEXTJS_VERSION | webpack@$WEBPACK_VERSION] Building..."
     yarn build | grep "Using webpack"
 
+    # if the user hasn't passed any args, use the default one, which restricts each test to only outputting success and
+    # failure messages
     args=$*
     if [[ ! $args ]]; then
-      # restrict each test to only output success and failure messages
       args="--silent"
     fi