diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 8974a8fd25..b20ee716a4 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
     <property name="test.conf" value="${test.dir}/conf"/>
     <property name="test.data" value="${test.dir}/data"/>
     <property name="test.name" value="*Test"/>
+    <property name="test.classlistfile" value="testlist.txt"/>
     <property name="benchmark.name" value=""/>
     <property name="test.methods" value=""/>
     <property name="test.runners" value="1"/>
@@ -1687,6 +1688,17 @@
     <testparallel testdelegate="testlist"/>
   </target>
 
+  <!-- run a list of tests as provided in -Dtest.classlistfile (or default of 'testnames.txt')
+  The class list file should be one test class per line, with the path starting after test/unit
+  e.g. org/apache/cassandra/hints/HintMessageTest.java -->
+  <target name="testclasslist" depends="build-test" description="Parallel-run tests given in file -Dtest.classlistfile (one-class-per-line, e.g. org/apache/cassandra/db/SomeTest.java)">
+    <path id="all-test-classes-path">
+      <fileset dir="${test.unit.src}" includesfile="${test.classlistfile}"/>
+    </path>
+    <property name="all-test-classes" refid="all-test-classes-path"/>
+    <testparallel testdelegate="testlist"/>
+  </target>
+
   <!-- run microbenchmarks suite -->
   <target name="microbench" depends="build-test">
       <java classname="org.openjdk.jmh.Main"