--- a/tests/run.py
+++ b/tests/run.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import optparse
 import os
 import sys
 import unittest
@@ -36,11 +37,23 @@ def comprehensive(mod):
     return dir == 'comprehensive'
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
+    description = ("This script runs the hgsubversion tests. If no tests are "
+                   "specified, all known tests are implied.")
+    parser = optparse.OptionParser(usage="%prog [options] [TESTS ...]",
+                                   description=description)
+    parser.add_option("-A", "--all",
+                      dest="comprehensive", action="store_true", default=False,
+                      help="include slow, but comprehensive tests")
+    parser.add_option("-v", "--verbose",
+                      dest="verbose", action="store_true", default=False,
+                      help="enable verbose output")
 
-    kwargs = {'descriptions': 2}
-    if '-v' in sys.argv:
-        kwargs['descriptions'] = 3
-        kwargs['verbosity'] = 2
+    (options, args) = parser.parse_args()
+
+    if options.verbose:
+        testargs = { 'descriptions': 3, 'verbosity': 2 }
+    else:
+        testargs = {'descriptions': 2}
 
     # silence output when running outside nose
     sys.stdout = os.tmpfile()
@@ -49,22 +62,23 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     all = dict((k, v) for (k, v) in all.iteritems() if k.startswith('test_'))
     del all['test_util']
 
-    args = [i for i in sys.argv[1:] if i.startswith('test')]
     args = [i.split('.py')[0].replace('-', '_') for i in args]
 
     if not args:
-        check = lambda x: '-A' in sys.argv or not comprehensive(x)
+        check = lambda x: options.comprehensive or not comprehensive(x)
         mods = [m for (n, m) in sorted(all.iteritems()) if check(m)]
         suite = [m.suite() for m in mods]
     else:
         suite = []
         for arg in args:
-            if arg not in all:
+            if arg == 'test_util':
+                continue
+            elif arg not in all:
                 print >> sys.stderr, 'test module %s not available' % arg
             else:
                 suite.append(all[arg].suite())
 
-    runner = unittest.TextTestRunner(**kwargs)
+    runner = unittest.TextTestRunner(**testargs)
     result = runner.run(unittest.TestSuite(suite))
     if not result.wasSuccessful():
         sys.exit(1)