diff --git a/src/Make.pkg b/src/Make.pkg
index d8d034dfa3a..8eadb111cac 100644
--- a/src/Make.pkg
+++ b/src/Make.pkg
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ CLEANFILES+=*.so _obj _test _testmain.go *.exe _cgo* *.cgo[12].*
 test:
 	gotest
 
+testshort:
+	gotest -test.short
+
 bench:
 	gotest -test.bench=. -test.run="Do not run tests"
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/gofix/Makefile b/src/cmd/gofix/Makefile
index 9383f5ac641..4143e0cbe11 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gofix/Makefile
+++ b/src/cmd/gofix/Makefile
@@ -15,3 +15,6 @@ include ../../Make.cmd
 
 test:
 	gotest
+
+testshort:
+	gotest -test.short
diff --git a/src/cmd/goinstall/Makefile b/src/cmd/goinstall/Makefile
index 6900bcb61d2..aaf202ee794 100644
--- a/src/cmd/goinstall/Makefile
+++ b/src/cmd/goinstall/Makefile
@@ -24,3 +24,6 @@ syslist.go:
 
 test:
 	gotest
+
+testshort:
+	gotest -test.short
diff --git a/src/cmd/gotest/doc.go b/src/cmd/gotest/doc.go
index 04e426bab39..015622c8171 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gotest/doc.go
+++ b/src/cmd/gotest/doc.go
@@ -66,5 +66,9 @@ the environment variable GOGC=off to disable the garbage collector,
 provided the test can run in the available memory without garbage
 collection.
 
+The -test.short package tells long-running tests to shorten their
+run time. It is off by default but set by all.bash so installations
+of the Go tree can do a sanity check but not spend time running the
+full test suite.
 */
 package documentation
diff --git a/src/cmd/gotype/Makefile b/src/cmd/gotype/Makefile
index 929fc52de1e..18171945dfe 100644
--- a/src/cmd/gotype/Makefile
+++ b/src/cmd/gotype/Makefile
@@ -12,3 +12,6 @@ include ../../Make.cmd
 
 test:
 	gotest
+
+testshort:
+	gotest -test.short
diff --git a/src/pkg/Makefile b/src/pkg/Makefile
index 3a2a479f5e1..51300c0880a 100644
--- a/src/pkg/Makefile
+++ b/src/pkg/Makefile
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ clean.dirs: $(addsuffix .clean, $(DIRS))
 install.dirs: $(addsuffix .install, $(DIRS))
 nuke.dirs: $(addsuffix .nuke, $(DIRS))
 test.dirs: $(addsuffix .test, $(TEST))
+testshort.dirs: $(addsuffix .testshort, $(TEST))
 bench.dirs: $(addsuffix .bench, $(BENCH))
 
 %.clean:
@@ -236,6 +237,9 @@ bench.dirs: $(addsuffix .bench, $(BENCH))
 %.test:
 	+$(MAKE) -C $* test
 
+%.testshort:
+	+$(MAKE) -C $* testshort
+
 %.bench:
 	+$(MAKE) -C $* bench	
 
@@ -245,6 +249,8 @@ install: install.dirs
 
 test:	test.dirs
 
+testshort: testshort.dirs
+
 bench:	bench.dirs ../../test/garbage.bench
 
 nuke: nuke.dirs
diff --git a/src/pkg/crypto/ecdsa/ecdsa_test.go b/src/pkg/crypto/ecdsa/ecdsa_test.go
index cc22b7a52f1..24c1d735bdd 100644
--- a/src/pkg/crypto/ecdsa/ecdsa_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/crypto/ecdsa/ecdsa_test.go
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ func testKeyGeneration(t *testing.T, c *elliptic.Curve, tag string) {
 
 func TestKeyGeneration(t *testing.T) {
 	testKeyGeneration(t, elliptic.P224(), "p224")
+	if testing.Short() {
+		return
+	}
 	testKeyGeneration(t, elliptic.P256(), "p256")
 	testKeyGeneration(t, elliptic.P384(), "p384")
 	testKeyGeneration(t, elliptic.P521(), "p521")
@@ -53,6 +56,9 @@ func testSignAndVerify(t *testing.T, c *elliptic.Curve, tag string) {
 
 func TestSignAndVerify(t *testing.T) {
 	testSignAndVerify(t, elliptic.P224(), "p224")
+	if testing.Short() {
+		return
+	}
 	testSignAndVerify(t, elliptic.P256(), "p256")
 	testSignAndVerify(t, elliptic.P384(), "p384")
 	testSignAndVerify(t, elliptic.P521(), "p521")
@@ -214,5 +220,8 @@ func TestVectors(t *testing.T) {
 		if Verify(&pub, hashed, r, s) != test.ok {
 			t.Errorf("%d: bad result", i)
 		}
+		if testing.Short() {
+			break
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/pkg/testing/testing.go b/src/pkg/testing/testing.go
index ab8cf999a25..cdc98262902 100644
--- a/src/pkg/testing/testing.go
+++ b/src/pkg/testing/testing.go
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
+	// The short flag requests that tests run more quickly, but its functionality
+	// is provided by test writers themselves.  The testing package is just its
+	// home.  The all.bash installation script sets it to make installation more
+	// efficient, but by default the flag is off so a plain "gotest" will do a
+	// full test of the package.
+	short = flag.Bool("test.short", false, "run smaller test suite to save time")
+
 	// Report as tests are run; default is silent for success.
 	chatty         = flag.Bool("test.v", false, "verbose: print additional output")
 	match          = flag.String("test.run", "", "regular expression to select tests to run")
@@ -56,6 +63,11 @@ var (
 	cpuProfile     = flag.String("test.cpuprofile", "", "write a cpu profile to the named file during execution")
 )
 
+// Short reports whether the -test.short flag is set.
+func Short() bool {
+	return *short
+}
+
 
 // Insert final newline if needed and tabs after internal newlines.
 func tabify(s string) string {
diff --git a/src/run.bash b/src/run.bash
index be90af0da68..dd80d3ab643 100755
--- a/src/run.bash
+++ b/src/run.bash
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ if $rebuild; then
 fi
 
 (xcd pkg
-gomake test
+gomake testshort
 ) || exit $?
 
 (xcd pkg/sync;
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ if $rebuild; then
 	gomake clean;
 	time gomake
 fi
-GOMAXPROCS=10 gomake test
+GOMAXPROCS=10 gomake testshort
 ) || exit $?
 
 [ "$GOARCH" == arm ] ||