diff --git a/src/ui/public/chrome/appSwitcher/__tests__/appSwitcher.js b/src/ui/public/chrome/appSwitcher/__tests__/appSwitcher.js
index 3135f6bcb519..35c33c7ef1f4 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/chrome/appSwitcher/__tests__/appSwitcher.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/chrome/appSwitcher/__tests__/appSwitcher.js
@@ -11,22 +11,6 @@ require('ui/chrome');
 require('ui/chrome/appSwitcher');
 var DomLocationProvider = require('ui/domLocation');
 
-function findTestSubject() {
-  var subjectSelectors = [].slice.apply(arguments);
-  var $context = subjectSelectors.shift();
-  var $els = $();
-
-  subjectSelectors.forEach(function (subjects) {
-    var selector = subjects.split(/\s+/).map(function (subject) {
-      return '[data-test-subj~="' + subject + '"]';
-    }).join(' ');
-
-    $els = $els.add($context.find(selector));
-  });
-
-  return $els;
-}
-
 describe('appSwitcher directive', function () {
   var env;
 
@@ -79,13 +63,13 @@ describe('appSwitcher directive', function () {
     beforeEach(setup('http://localhost:5555/app/myApp/', [myLink, notMyLink]));
 
     it('links to the inactive apps base url', function () {
-      var $myLink = findTestSubject(env.$el, 'appLink').eq(0);
+      var $myLink = env.$el.findTestSubject('appLink').eq(0);
       expect($myLink.prop('href')).to.be(myLink.url);
       expect($myLink.prop('href')).to.not.be(myLink.lastSubUrl);
     });
 
     it('links to the inactive apps last sub url', function () {
-      var $notMyLink = findTestSubject(env.$el, 'appLink').eq(1);
+      var $notMyLink = env.$el.findTestSubject('appLink').eq(1);
       expect($notMyLink.prop('href')).to.be(notMyLink.lastSubUrl);
       expect($notMyLink.prop('href')).to.not.be(notMyLink.url);
     });
@@ -109,7 +93,7 @@ describe('appSwitcher directive', function () {
     beforeEach(setup('http://localhost:5555/app/myApp/', [myLink, notMyLink]));
 
     it('links to the lastSubUrl for each', function () {
-      var $links = findTestSubject(env.$el, 'appLink');
+      var $links = env.$el.findTestSubject('appLink');
       var $myLink = $links.eq(0);
       var $notMyLink = $links.eq(1);
 
@@ -134,7 +118,7 @@ describe('appSwitcher directive', function () {
       expect(event.isDefaultPrevented()).to.be(false);
       expect(event.isPropagationStopped()).to.be(false);
 
-      var $link = findTestSubject(env.$el, 'appLink');
+      var $link = env.$el.findTestSubject('appLink');
       expect($link.prop('href')).to.be(url);
       $link.trigger(event);
 
@@ -157,7 +141,7 @@ describe('appSwitcher directive', function () {
       expect(event.isDefaultPrevented()).to.be(false);
       expect(event.isPropagationStopped()).to.be(false);
 
-      var $link = findTestSubject(env.$el, 'appLink');
+      var $link = env.$el.findTestSubject('appLink');
       expect($link.prop('href')).to.be(env.currentHref);
       $link.trigger(event);
 
@@ -182,7 +166,7 @@ describe('appSwitcher directive', function () {
       expect(event.isDefaultPrevented()).to.be(false);
       expect(event.isPropagationStopped()).to.be(false);
 
-      var $link = findTestSubject(env.$el, 'appLink');
+      var $link = env.$el.findTestSubject('appLink');
       expect($link.prop('href')).to.be(url);
       $link.trigger(event);
 
@@ -206,7 +190,7 @@ describe('appSwitcher directive', function () {
       expect(env.location.reload.callCount).to.be(0);
       expect(event.isPropagationStopped()).to.be(false);
 
-      findTestSubject(env.$el, 'appLink').trigger(event);
+      env.$el.findTestSubject('appLink').trigger(event);
 
       expect(env.location.reload.callCount).to.be(0);
       expect(event.isPropagationStopped()).to.be(false);
@@ -227,7 +211,7 @@ describe('appSwitcher directive', function () {
       expect(env.location.reload.callCount).to.be(0);
       expect(event.isPropagationStopped()).to.be(false);
 
-      findTestSubject(env.$el, 'appLink').trigger(event);
+      env.$el.findTestSubject('appLink').trigger(event);
 
       expect(env.location.reload.callCount).to.be(0);
       expect(event.isPropagationStopped()).to.be(false);
diff --git a/src/ui/public/jquery/__tests__/findTestSubject.js b/src/ui/public/jquery/__tests__/findTestSubject.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..891dbdd81a95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/public/jquery/__tests__/findTestSubject.js
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+var $ = require('jquery');
+var expect = require('expect.js');
+
+function $make(subject) {
+  return $('<div>').attr('data-test-subj', subject);
+}
+
+describe('jQuery.findTestSubject', function () {
+  it('finds all of the element with a subject', function () {
+    var $container = $('<div>');
+    var $match = $make('subject').appendTo($container);
+    var $noMatch = $make('notSubject').appendTo($container);
+
+    var $found = $container.findTestSubject('subject');
+    expect($found.is($match)).to.be(true);
+    expect($found.is($noMatch)).to.be(false);
+  });
+
+  it('finds multiple elements with a subject', function () {
+    var $container = $('<div>');
+    var $match = $make('subject').appendTo($container);
+    var $otherMatch = $make('subject').appendTo($container);
+
+    var $found = $container.findTestSubject('subject');
+    expect($found.filter($match).size()).to.be(1);
+    expect($found.filter($otherMatch).size()).to.be(1);
+  });
+
+  it('finds all of the elements with either subject', function () {
+    var $container = $('<div>');
+    var $match1 = $make('subject').appendTo($container);
+    var $match2 = $make('alsoSubject').appendTo($container);
+    var $noMatch = $make('notSubject').appendTo($container);
+
+    var $found = $container.findTestSubject('subject', 'alsoSubject');
+    expect($found.filter($match1).size()).to.be(1);
+    expect($found.filter($match2).size()).to.be(1);
+    expect($found.filter($noMatch).size()).to.be(0);
+  });
+
+  it('finds all of the elements with a decendant selector', function () {
+    var $container = $('<div>');
+    var $parent = $make('foo name').appendTo($container);
+    var $bar = $make('bar othername').appendTo($parent);
+    var $baz = $make('baz third name').appendTo($parent);
+
+    expect($container.findTestSubject('foo bar').is($bar)).to.be(true);
+    expect($container.findTestSubject('foo bar').is($baz)).to.be(false);
+
+    expect($container.findTestSubject('foo baz').is($bar)).to.be(false);
+    expect($container.findTestSubject('foo baz').is($baz)).to.be(true);
+  });
+
+  it('finds elements with compound subjects', function () {
+    var $container = $('<div>');
+    var $bar = $make('button bar').appendTo($container);
+    var $baz = $make('button baz').appendTo($container);
+
+    expect($container.findTestSubject('button&bar').is($bar)).to.be(true);
+    expect($container.findTestSubject('button& bar').is($bar)).to.be(true);
+    expect($container.findTestSubject('button & bar').is($bar)).to.be(true);
+    expect($container.findTestSubject('button &bar').is($bar)).to.be(true);
+
+    expect($container.findTestSubject('button&baz').is($baz)).to.be(true);
+    expect($container.findTestSubject('button& baz').is($baz)).to.be(true);
+    expect($container.findTestSubject('button & baz').is($baz)).to.be(true);
+    expect($container.findTestSubject('button &baz').is($baz)).to.be(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/ui/public/jquery/findTestSubject.js b/src/ui/public/jquery/findTestSubject.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6ffb01789a9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/public/jquery/findTestSubject.js
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+module.exports = function bindToJquery($) {
+
+  /**
+   * Find elements with the `data-test-subj` attribute by the terms in that attribute.
+   *
+   * ```js
+   * // this
+   * var $button = $('[data-test-subj~="saveButton"]');
+   *
+   * // becomes this
+   * var $button = $.findTestSubject('saveButton');
+   * ```
+   *
+   * Supports multiple subjects
+   * ```js
+   * // find any saveButton or cancelButton
+   * var $buttons = $.findTestSubject('saveButton', 'cancelButton');
+   * ```
+   *
+   * Supports subject "selectors"
+   * ```js
+   * // find any saveButton inside a savedObjectForm
+   * var $button = $.findTestSubject('savedObjectForm saveButton');
+   * ```
+   *
+   * Supports selecting compound subjects
+   * ```js
+   * // find any smallButton that is also a saveButton inside a savedObjectForm
+   * var $input = $.findTestSubject('savedObjectForm smallButton&saveButton');
+   * ```
+   *
+   * @return {jQueryCollection}
+   */
+  $.findTestSubject = function () {
+    return findTestSubject.apply($(document.body), arguments);
+  };
+
+  /**
+   * Just like $.findTestSubject, except only finds elements within another element.
+   * @return {jQueryCollection}
+   */
+  $.fn.findTestSubject = findTestSubject;
+
+  function findTestSubject(/* ...subjectSelectors */) {
+    var subjectSelectors = [].slice.apply(arguments);
+    var $els = $();
+    var $context = this;
+
+    subjectSelectors.forEach(function (subjectSelector) {
+      var cssSelectors = [];
+      var terms = subjectSelector
+        .replace(/\s*&\s*/g, '&') // remove all whitespace around joins
+        .split(/\s+/);
+
+      function termToCssSelector(term) {
+        return term ? '[data-test-subj~="' + term + '"]' : '';
+      }
+
+      while (terms.length) {
+        var term = terms.shift();
+        // split each term by joins/& and map to css selectors
+        cssSelectors.push(term.split('&').map(termToCssSelector).join(''));
+      }
+
+      $els = $els.add($context.find(cssSelectors.join(' ')));
+    });
+
+    return $els;
+  };
+
+};
diff --git a/webpackShims/jquery.js b/webpackShims/jquery.js
index 4cef6e2479f3..e9ac7b7cbfda 100644
--- a/webpackShims/jquery.js
+++ b/webpackShims/jquery.js
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-window.jQuery = window.$ = module.exports = require('node_modules/jquery/dist/jquery');
+var $ = window.jQuery = window.$ = module.exports = require('node_modules/jquery/dist/jquery');
+require('ui/jquery/findTestSubject')($);