diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index b768040b..415dd83f 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -153,8 +153,8 @@ python_tests:
 	@echo
 	@echo ---- Running python_tests ----
 	@echo
-	@echo bash -c 'cd ../tests; export VERBOSE=1; python3 runner.py --verbose'
-	@bash -c 'cd ../tests; export VERBOSE=1; python3 runner.py --verbose'
+	@echo bash -c 'cd ../tests; python3 runner.py --verbose'
+	@bash      -c 'cd ../tests; python3 runner.py --verbose'
 
 mostlyclean clean:
 	rm -rf $(top_srcdir)/test/tmp/*
diff --git a/tests/runner.py b/tests/runner.py
index c53bf1ca..941d7700 100644
--- a/tests/runner.py
+++ b/tests/runner.py
@@ -62,9 +62,10 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         nargs='?'
     )
 
-    args = parser.parse_args()
-    conf_file = args.config_file[0]
-    DEFAULT_ROOT = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(conf_file))
+    args          = parser.parse_args()
+    args.verbose |=  "VERBOSE" in os.environ
+    conf_file     = args.config_file[0]
+    DEFAULT_ROOT  = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(conf_file))
     system_tests.set_debug_mode(args.debug)
     system_tests.configure_suite(conf_file)