diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index ce87a2a44c..eaf35b5bb4 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.methods" value=""/>
     <property name="test.unit.src" value="${test.dir}/unit"/>
     <property name="test.long.src" value="${test.dir}/long"/>
     <property name="dist.dir" value="${build.dir}/dist"/>
@@ -1118,6 +1119,17 @@
       <jvmarg value="-Dcassandra.tolerate_sstable_size=true"/>
     </testmacro>
   </target>
+
+  <target name="testsome" depends="build-test" description="Execute specific unit tests" >
+    <testmacro suitename="unit" inputdir="${test.unit.src}" exclude="**/pig/*.java" timeout="${test.timeout}">
+      <test name="${test.name}" methods="${test.methods}"/>
+      <jvmarg value="-Dlegacy-sstable-root=${test.data}/legacy-sstables"/>
+      <jvmarg value="-Dcorrupt-sstable-root=${test.data}/corrupt-sstables"/>
+      <jvmarg value="-Dmigration-sstable-root=${test.data}/migration-sstables"/>
+      <jvmarg value="-Dcassandra.ring_delay_ms=1000"/>
+      <jvmarg value="-Dcassandra.tolerate_sstable_size=true"/>
+    </testmacro>
+  </target>
     
   <target name="test-compression" depends="build-test" description="Execute unit tests with sstable compression enabled">
       <testmacro suitename="unit" inputdir="${test.unit.src}" exclude="**/pig/*.java" timeout="${test.timeout}">