diff --git a/lib/testing/generator/component_generator_base.php b/lib/testing/generator/component_generator_base.php
index cd3f2194f03..4828f0ea4ea 100644
--- a/lib/testing/generator/component_generator_base.php
+++ b/lib/testing/generator/component_generator_base.php
@@ -86,4 +86,95 @@ abstract class component_generator_base {
 
         \core\session\manager::set_user($user);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Update the instance record, inserting any files that are referenced.
+     *
+     * @param stdClass $instance The instance record of the already-created record
+     * @param stdClass $record The data passed in to create the instance
+     * @param string $table The table that the data exists in
+     * @param context $context The context of the instance
+     * @param string $component The component of the owning plugin
+     * @param string $filearea The name of the file area
+     * @param int $targetitemid The itemid to use when saving the files
+     * @return stdClass The updated instance record
+     */
+    protected function insert_files(
+        stdClass $instance,
+        stdClass $record,
+        string $table,
+        context $context,
+        string $component,
+        string $filearea,
+        int $targetitemid
+    ): stdClass {
+        global $CFG, $DB, $USER;
+
+        $fieldname = "[[files::{$filearea}]]";
+        if (!isset($record->$fieldname)) {
+            return $instance;
+        }
+
+        preg_match('/\[\[files::(.*)\]\]/', $fieldname, $matches);
+        if (empty($matches[1])) {
+            throw new coding_exception('Invalid file field name: ' . $fieldname);
+        }
+
+        $referencedfieldname = trim($matches[1]);
+        if (!isset($record->$referencedfieldname)) {
+            throw new coding_exception("File field '{$fieldname}' references non-existent field '{$referencedfieldname}'");
+        }
+
+        $fs = get_file_storage();
+        $itemid = file_get_unused_draft_itemid();
+        $itemidfieldname = "{$referencedfieldname}[itemid]";
+        $record->$itemidfieldname = $itemid;
+
+        $filenames = explode(',', $record->$fieldname);
+        foreach ($filenames as $filename) {
+            $filename = trim($filename);
+            if (!$filename) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            $explodedfilename = explode('::', $filename, 3);
+            if (count($explodedfilename) === 2) {
+                [$sourcefile, $targetfile] = $explodedfilename;
+                $user = $USER;
+            } else {
+                [$sourcefile, $targetfile, $username] = $explodedfilename;
+                $user = \core_user::get_user_by_username($username);
+            }
+            $filepath = "{$CFG->dirroot}/{$sourcefile}";
+            if (!file_exists($filepath)) {
+                throw new coding_exception("File '{$filepath}' does not exist");
+            }
+            $filerecord = [
+                'userid' => $user->id,
+                'contextid' => context_user::instance($user->id)->id,
+                'component' => 'user',
+                'filearea' => 'draft',
+                'itemid' => $itemid,
+                'filepath' => '/' . dirname($targetfile),
+                'filename' => basename($targetfile),
+            ];
+            $fs->create_file_from_pathname($filerecord, $filepath);
+        }
+
+        $olduser = $USER;
+        $this->set_user($user);
+        $instance->$referencedfieldname = file_save_draft_area_files(
+            $itemid,
+            $context->id,
+            $component,
+            $referencedfieldname,
+            $targetitemid,
+            null,
+            $instance->$referencedfieldname
+        );
+        $this->set_user($olduser);
+
+        $DB->update_record($table, $instance);
+        return $instance;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/testing/generator/module_generator.php b/lib/testing/generator/module_generator.php
index bb4ef49f11b..2752cffd0bd 100644
--- a/lib/testing/generator/module_generator.php
+++ b/lib/testing/generator/module_generator.php
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ abstract class testing_module_generator extends component_generator_base {
             'conditionfieldgroup' => array(),
             'conditioncompletiongroup' => array()
         );
+
         foreach ($defaults as $key => $value) {
             if (!isset($moduleinfo->$key)) {
                 $moduleinfo->$key = $value;
@@ -277,9 +278,21 @@ abstract class testing_module_generator extends component_generator_base {
         $moduleinfo = add_moduleinfo($record, $course);
 
         // Prepare object to return with additional field cmid.
-        $instance = $DB->get_record($this->get_modulename(), array('id' => $moduleinfo->instance), '*', MUST_EXIST);
+        $modulename = $this->get_modulename();
+        $instance = $DB->get_record($modulename, ['id' => $moduleinfo->instance], '*', MUST_EXIST);
         $instance->cmid = $moduleinfo->coursemodule;
 
+        // Insert files for the 'intro' file area.
+        $instance = $this->insert_files(
+            $instance,
+            $record,
+            $modulename,
+            \context_module::instance($instance->cmid),
+            "mod_{$modulename}",
+            'intro',
+            0
+        );
+
         // If the theme was initialised while creating the module instance, something somewhere called an output
         // function. Rather than leaving this as a hard-to-debug situation, let's make it fail with a clear error.
         $outputstartedafter = $PAGE->get_where_theme_was_initialised();