diff --git a/runtest b/runtest
index d8451df5..ade1bd09 100755
--- a/runtest
+++ b/runtest
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@ then
     echo "You need tcl 8.5 or newer in order to run the Redis test"
     exit 1
 fi
-$TCLSH tests/test_helper.tcl $*
+$TCLSH tests/test_helper.tcl "${@}"
diff --git a/src/debug.c b/src/debug.c
index 32be3c59..a66390db 100644
--- a/src/debug.c
+++ b/src/debug.c
@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ void debugCommand(client *c) {
 "CRASH-AND-RECOVER <milliseconds> -- Hard crash and restart after <milliseconds> delay.",
 "DIGEST -- Output a hex signature representing the current DB content.",
 "ERROR <string> -- Return a Redis protocol error with <string> as message. Useful for clients unit tests to simulate Redis errors.",
+"LOG <message> -- write message to the server log.",
 "HTSTATS <dbid> -- Return hash table statistics of the specified Redis database.",
 "HTSTATS-KEY <key> -- Like htstats but for the hash table stored as key's value.",
 "LOADAOF -- Flush the AOF buffers on disk and reload the AOF in memory.",
@@ -333,6 +334,9 @@ NULL
     } else if (!strcasecmp(c->argv[1]->ptr,"assert")) {
         if (c->argc >= 3) c->argv[2] = tryObjectEncoding(c->argv[2]);
         serverAssertWithInfo(c,c->argv[0],1 == 2);
+    } else if (!strcasecmp(c->argv[1]->ptr,"log") && c->argc == 3) {
+        serverLog(LL_WARNING, "DEBUG LOG: %s", (char*)c->argv[2]->ptr);
+        addReply(c,shared.ok);
     } else if (!strcasecmp(c->argv[1]->ptr,"reload")) {
         rdbSaveInfo rsi, *rsiptr;
         rsiptr = rdbPopulateSaveInfo(&rsi);
diff --git a/tests/support/test.tcl b/tests/support/test.tcl
index d60eb3c4..6f02f2f1 100644
--- a/tests/support/test.tcl
+++ b/tests/support/test.tcl
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 set ::num_tests 0
 set ::num_passed 0
 set ::num_failed 0
+set ::num_skipped 0
+set ::num_aborted 0
 set ::tests_failed {}
 
 proc fail {msg} {
@@ -68,10 +70,26 @@ proc test {name code {okpattern undefined}} {
     # abort if tagged with a tag to deny
     foreach tag $::denytags {
         if {[lsearch $::tags $tag] >= 0} {
+            incr ::num_aborted
+            send_data_packet $::test_server_fd ignore $name
             return
         }
     }
 
+    # abort if test name in skiptests
+    if {[lsearch $::skiptests $name] >= 0} {
+        incr ::num_skipped
+        send_data_packet $::test_server_fd skip $name
+        return
+    }
+
+    # abort if test name in skiptests
+    if {[llength $::only_tests] > 0 && [lsearch $::only_tests $name] < 0} {
+        incr ::num_skipped
+        send_data_packet $::test_server_fd skip $name
+        return
+    }
+
     # check if tagged with at least 1 tag to allow when there *is* a list
     # of tags to allow, because default policy is to run everything
     if {[llength $::allowtags] > 0} {
@@ -82,6 +100,8 @@ proc test {name code {okpattern undefined}} {
             }
         }
         if {$matched < 1} {
+            incr ::num_aborted
+            send_data_packet $::test_server_fd ignore $name
             return
         }
     }
diff --git a/tests/test_helper.tcl b/tests/test_helper.tcl
index 720a428a..ba3dce71 100644
--- a/tests/test_helper.tcl
+++ b/tests/test_helper.tcl
@@ -74,7 +74,11 @@ set ::stack_logging 0
 set ::verbose 0
 set ::quiet 0
 set ::denytags {}
+set ::skiptests {}
 set ::allowtags {}
+set ::only_tests {}
+set ::single_tests {}
+set ::skip_till ""
 set ::external 0; # If "1" this means, we are running against external instance
 set ::file ""; # If set, runs only the tests in this comma separated list
 set ::curfile ""; # Hold the filename of the current suite
@@ -255,6 +259,8 @@ proc accept_test_clients {fd addr port} {
 # testing: just used to signal that a given test started.
 # ok: a test was executed with success.
 # err: a test was executed with an error.
+# skip: a test was skipped by skipfile or individual test options.
+# ignore: a test was skipped by a group tag.
 # exception: there was a runtime exception while executing the test.
 # done: all the specified test file was processed, this test client is
 #       ready to accept a new task.
@@ -283,6 +289,14 @@ proc read_from_test_client fd {
             puts "\[[colorstr green $status]\]: $data"
         }
         set ::active_clients_task($fd) "(OK) $data"
+    } elseif {$status eq {skip}} {
+        if {!$::quiet} {
+            puts "\[[colorstr yellow $status]\]: $data"
+        }
+    } elseif {$status eq {ignore}} {
+        if {!$::quiet} {
+            puts "\[[colorstr cyan $status]\]: $data"
+        }
     } elseif {$status eq {err}} {
         set err "\[[colorstr red $status]\]: $data"
         puts $err
@@ -412,11 +426,15 @@ proc print_help_screen {} {
         "--stack-logging    Enable OSX leaks/malloc stack logging."
         "--accurate         Run slow randomized tests for more iterations."
         "--quiet            Don't show individual tests."
-        "--single <unit>    Just execute the specified unit (see next option)."
+        "--single <unit>    Just execute the specified unit (see next option). this option can be repeated."
         "--list-tests       List all the available test units."
+        "--only <test>      Just execute the specified test by test name. this option can be repeated."
+        "--skiptill <unit>  Skip all units until (and including) the specified one."
         "--clients <num>    Number of test clients (default 16)."
         "--timeout <sec>    Test timeout in seconds (default 10 min)."
         "--force-failure    Force the execution of a test that always fails."
+        "--config <k> <v>   extra config file argument"
+        "--skipfile <file>  name of a file containing test names that should be skipped (one per line)"
         "--dont-clean       don't delete redis log files after the run"
         "--wait-server      wait after server is started (so that you can attach a debugger)"
         "--help             Print this help screen."
@@ -436,6 +454,18 @@ for {set j 0} {$j < [llength $argv]} {incr j} {
             }
         }
         incr j
+    } elseif {$opt eq {--config}} {
+        set arg2 [lindex $argv [expr $j+2]]
+        lappend ::global_overrides $arg
+        lappend ::global_overrides $arg2
+        incr j
+        incr j
+    } elseif {$opt eq {--skipfile}} {
+        incr j
+        set fp [open $arg r]
+        set file_data [read $fp]
+        close $fp
+        set ::skiptests [split $file_data "\n"]
     } elseif {$opt eq {--valgrind}} {
         set ::valgrind 1
     } elseif {$opt eq {--stack-logging}} {
@@ -456,7 +486,13 @@ for {set j 0} {$j < [llength $argv]} {incr j} {
     } elseif {$opt eq {--force-failure}} {
         set ::force_failure 1
     } elseif {$opt eq {--single}} {
-        set ::all_tests $arg
+        lappend ::single_tests $arg
+        incr j
+    } elseif {$opt eq {--only}} {
+        lappend ::only_tests $arg
+        incr j
+    } elseif {$opt eq {--skiptill}} {
+        set ::skip_till $arg
         incr j
     } elseif {$opt eq {--list-tests}} {
         foreach t $::all_tests {
@@ -488,6 +524,26 @@ for {set j 0} {$j < [llength $argv]} {incr j} {
     }
 }
 
+if {$::skip_till != ""} {
+    set skipping 1
+    foreach t $::all_tests {
+        if {$skipping == 0} {
+            lappend ::single_tests $t
+        }
+        if {$t == $::skip_till} {
+            set skipping 0
+        }
+    }
+    if {$skipping} {
+        puts "test $::skip_till not found"
+        exit 0
+    }
+}
+
+if {[llength $::single_tests] > 0} {
+    set ::all_tests $::single_tests
+}
+
 proc attach_to_replication_stream {} {
     set s [socket [srv 0 "host"] [srv 0 "port"]]
     fconfigure $s -translation binary