diff --git a/.github/workflows/integration-test.yaml b/.github/workflows/integration-test.yaml
index 7bdd3cf2c1..af2225a761 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/integration-test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/integration-test.yaml
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
         with:
           dotnet-version: 8.x
-      - name: Restore vstest
-        run: dotnet restore --packages .vstest
-        working-directory: ${{ github.workspace }}/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/ToolHelpers/
       - name: Pack integration test package
         run: dotnet pack ${{ github.workspace }}/src/Stryker.CLI/Stryker.CLI/Stryker.CLI.csproj -p:PackageVersion=$VERSION --output ${{ github.workspace }}/publish
       - name: Publish integration test package
diff --git a/azure-pipelines.yml b/azure-pipelines.yml
index d76c6cff7a..4b1d2a768b 100644
--- a/azure-pipelines.yml
+++ b/azure-pipelines.yml
@@ -133,13 +133,6 @@ stages:
             displayName: 'Use dotnet'
             inputs:
               version: 8.x
-          - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
-            displayName: 'Restore vstest binaries'
-            inputs:
-              command: 'custom'
-              custom: 'restore'
-              arguments: '--packages ./.vstest/'
-              workingDirectory: 'src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/ToolHelpers/'
           - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
             displayName: 'Pack integrationtest packages'
             inputs:
@@ -287,13 +280,6 @@ stages:
       displayName: 'Use dotnet'
       inputs:
         version: 8.x
-    - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
-      displayName: 'Restore vstest binaries'
-      inputs:
-        command: 'custom'
-        custom: 'restore'
-        arguments: '--packages ./.vstest/'
-        workingDirectory: 'src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/ToolHelpers/'
     - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
       displayName: 'Pack Stryker.CLI'
       inputs:
diff --git a/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core.UnitTest/Helpers/VsTestHelperTests.cs b/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core.UnitTest/Helpers/VsTestHelperTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..567806bdb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core.UnitTest/Helpers/VsTestHelperTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+using System;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Linq;
+using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;
+using Shouldly;
+using Stryker.Core.Helpers;
+
+namespace Stryker.Core.UnitTest.Helpers;
+
+[TestClass]
+public class VsTestHelperTests : TestBase
+{
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void DeployEmbeddedVsTestBinaries()
+    {
+        var deployPath = new VsTestHelper().DeployEmbeddedVsTestBinaries();
+
+        var vsTestFiles = Directory.EnumerateFiles(deployPath, "*", SearchOption.AllDirectories).Select(Path.GetFileName).ToList();
+
+        try
+        {
+            vsTestFiles.ShouldContain("vstest.console.dll");
+            vsTestFiles.ShouldContain("vstest.console.exe");
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            Directory.Delete(deployPath, recursive: true);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/Helpers/VsTestHelper.cs b/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/Helpers/VsTestHelper.cs
index f6fd6f5d4e..11093cb346 100644
--- a/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/Helpers/VsTestHelper.cs
+++ b/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/Helpers/VsTestHelper.cs
@@ -184,19 +184,27 @@ static bool TryGetNonEmptyEnvironmentVariable(string variable, out string value)
         }
     }
 
-    private string DeployEmbeddedVsTestBinaries()
+    internal string DeployEmbeddedVsTestBinaries()
     {
-        var vsTestZip = typeof(VsTestHelper).Assembly
-            .GetManifestResourceNames()
-            .Single(r =>
-                r.Contains("Microsoft.TestPlatform.Portable", StringComparison.InvariantCultureIgnoreCase));
+        var assembly = typeof(VsTestHelper).Assembly;
+        var vsTestZips = assembly.GetManifestResourceNames().Where(r => r == "Microsoft.TestPlatform.Portable.nupkg").ToList();
 
-        var tempDir = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), Path.GetRandomFileName(), ".vstest");
+        var vsTestZip = vsTestZips.Count switch
+        {
+            0 => throw new InvalidOperationException($"The Microsoft.TestPlatform.Portable.nupkg embedded resource was not found in {assembly.GetName().Name}. " +
+                                                     "Please report this issue at https://github.com/stryker-mutator/stryker-net/issues"),
+            1 => vsTestZips[0],
+            _ => throw new InvalidOperationException($"Multiple Microsoft.TestPlatform.Portable.nupkg embedded resources were found in {assembly.GetName().Name}. " +
+                                                     "Please report this issue at https://github.com/stryker-mutator/stryker-net/issues"),
+        };
 
-        using var stream = typeof(VsTestHelper).Assembly
-            .GetManifestResourceStream(vsTestZip);
+        using var stream = assembly.GetManifestResourceStream(vsTestZip)
+                           ?? throw new InvalidOperationException($"Failed to get the resource stream of {vsTestZip} in {assembly.GetName().Name}. " +
+                                                                  "Please report this issue at https://github.com/stryker-mutator/stryker-net/issues");
+
+        var tempDir = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), Path.GetRandomFileName(), ".vstest");
         var zipPath = Path.Combine(tempDir, "vstest.zip");
-        _fileSystem.Directory.CreateDirectory(Path.GetDirectoryName(zipPath));
+        _fileSystem.Directory.CreateDirectory(tempDir);
 
         using (var file = _fileSystem.FileStream.New(zipPath, FileMode.Create))
         {
diff --git a/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core.csproj b/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core.csproj
index ca1492e878..c5d793a7d6 100644
--- a/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core.csproj
+++ b/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core.csproj
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
     <EmbeddedResource Include="InjectedHelpers\Coverage\MutantContext.cs" />
     <EmbeddedResource Include="Reporters\Html\Files\dist\mutation-test-elements.js" />
     <EmbeddedResource Include="Reporters\Html\Files\mutation-report.html" />
+    <EmbeddedResource Include="$(PkgMicrosoft_TestPlatform_Portable)\*.nupkg" LogicalName="Microsoft.TestPlatform.Portable.nupkg" Visible="false" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Logging" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.TestPlatform" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.TestPlatform.ObjectModel" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.TestPlatform.Portable" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.TestPlatform.Portable" GeneratePathProperty="true" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.TestPlatform.TranslationLayer" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Web.LibraryManager.Build" />
     <PackageReference Include="Mono.Cecil" />
diff --git a/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/ToolHelpers/packages.lock.json b/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/ToolHelpers/packages.lock.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 3637f108fa..0000000000
--- a/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/ToolHelpers/packages.lock.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "version": 2,
-  "dependencies": {
-    "net8.0": {
-      "DotNet.ReproducibleBuilds": {
-        "type": "Direct",
-        "requested": "[1.2.25, )",
-        "resolved": "1.2.25",
-        "contentHash": "xCXiw7BCxHJ8pF6wPepRUddlh2dlQlbr81gXA72hdk4FLHkKXas7EH/n+fk5UCA/YfMqG1Z6XaPiUjDbUNBUzg=="
-      },
-      "Microsoft.TestPlatform.Portable": {
-        "type": "Direct",
-        "requested": "[17.11.1, )",
-        "resolved": "17.11.1",
-        "contentHash": "oUfqSuMe/NnDJj20+pcg3JdygS/kPOZmtLh8FKzqVvnrTeIKrYrn5PxcOn3HxBs0RgptnBqHCLIbz2RQky6T+A=="
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/ToolHelpers/vstest.fakeproject.csproj b/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/ToolHelpers/vstest.fakeproject.csproj
deleted file mode 100644
index fc1b62bd52..0000000000
--- a/src/Stryker.Core/Stryker.Core/ToolHelpers/vstest.fakeproject.csproj
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
-  <PropertyGroup>
-    <GenerateAssemblyInfo>false</GenerateAssemblyInfo>
-    <GenerateTargetFrameworkAttribute>false</GenerateTargetFrameworkAttribute>
-  </PropertyGroup>
-
-  <ItemGroup>
-    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.TestPlatform.Portable" />
-  </ItemGroup>
-</Project>