diff --git a/tests/test.sh b/tests/test.sh
index ed8d6a35b..571e8572a 100755
--- a/tests/test.sh
+++ b/tests/test.sh
@@ -188,20 +188,29 @@ function PLANNED()
 
 function RUNTESTS()
 {
-    for i in $srcdir/*.tests; do
-        source $i
-    done
-    echo
-    if [ $FAILCNT = 0 ]; then
-        echo " ... PASSED $(($TESTCNT - $SKIPCNT)) TESTS, $SKIPCNT SKIPPED"
-        #rm ,testlog
-    else
-        echo " ... SUCCEDED $(($TESTCNT - $FAILCNT - $SKIPCNT)) TESTS"
-        echo " ... FAILED $FAILCNT TESTS"
-        echo " ... SKIPPED $SKIPCNT TESTS"
-        echo " see ',testlog' for details"
-        exit 1
+    if test "$TESTSUITES" != ''; then
+        if test ! "${TESTSUITES/* */}"; then
+            TESTSUITES={${TESTSUITES/ /,}}
+        fi
     fi
+    for t in $(eval echo *$TESTSUITES*.tests); do
+        echo "$t"
+    done | sort | uniq | {
+        while read i; do
+            source $i
+        done
+        echo
+        if [ $FAILCNT = 0 ]; then
+            echo " ... PASSED $(($TESTCNT - $SKIPCNT)) TESTS, $SKIPCNT SKIPPED"
+            #rm ,testlog
+        else
+            echo " ... SUCCEDED $(($TESTCNT - $FAILCNT - $SKIPCNT)) TESTS"
+            echo " ... FAILED $FAILCNT TESTS"
+            echo " ... SKIPPED $SKIPCNT TESTS"
+            echo " see ',testlog' for details"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+    }
 }
 
 function TESTING()
@@ -211,4 +220,6 @@ function TESTING()
     TESTBIN=$2
 }
 
+TESTSUITES="${TESTSUITES:+$TESTSUITES }$@"
+
 RUNTESTS
diff --git a/wiki/index.html b/wiki/index.html
index 7a5c333ce..b41cbfcc9 100755
--- a/wiki/index.html
+++ b/wiki/index.html
@@ -3505,11 +3505,13 @@ One may define {{{TESTMODE}}} containing any one of the following strings:
 * {{{FAST}}} only run tests which failed recently
 * {{{FIRSTFAIL}}} abort the tests at the first failure
 
+The variable {{{TESTSUITES}}} may contain a list of string which are used to select which tests are run. If not given, all available tests are run.
+
 putting this together a very fast check (when using automake) while hacking on the source would look like:
 {{{
 VALGRINDFLAGS=DISABLE TESTMODE=FAST+FIRSTFAIL make check
 }}}
-This doesnt catch all errors, notably not regressions, but is useful to do coarse checks.
+This doesn't catch all errors, notably not regressions, but is useful to do coarse checks.
 
 Running the testsuite with everything enabled is just:
 {{{