diff --git a/test/SConscript b/test/SConscript
index fe318d9..074db11 100644
--- a/test/SConscript
+++ b/test/SConscript
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ tests = test_env.Glob('test_*.c')
 test_executable = 'test_runner'
 #run test_runner --xml to produce an xml result file
 if test_xml:
-    test_executable += ' --xml'
+    test_executable += ' -x'
 
 prog = test_env.Program('test_runner', tests)
 cmd  = test_env.Command(target='test_phony' , 
diff --git a/test/test_runner.c b/test/test_runner.c
index c485f6f..a797d5f 100644
--- a/test/test_runner.c
+++ b/test/test_runner.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <check.h>
+#include <getopt.h>
 
 
 typedef Suite *(*suite_func)(void);
@@ -53,7 +54,24 @@ static suite_func suites[] = {
 int
 main (int argc, char *argv[])
 {
-    int xml_output = argc > 1 && strcmp(argv[1], "--xml") == 0;
+    int xml_output = 0;
+    int c;
+    const char *test_case = NULL;
+
+    while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "xk:")) != -1) {
+        switch (c) {
+            case 'x':
+                xml_output = 1;
+                break;
+            case 'k':
+                test_case = optarg;
+                break;
+            default:
+                printf("Ignoring unknown option %c\n", c);
+                break;
+        }
+    }
+
 
     int number_failed = 0;
     size_t i;
@@ -69,7 +87,12 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
         srunner_add_suite(sr, suites[i]());
     }
 
-    srunner_run_all (sr, CK_VERBOSE);
+    if (test_case == NULL) {
+        srunner_run_all (sr, CK_VERBOSE);
+    } else {
+        printf("Running %s only\n", test_case);
+        srunner_run(sr, NULL, test_case, CK_VERBOSE);
+    }
     number_failed = srunner_ntests_failed (sr);
     srunner_free (sr);