diff --git a/src/all.bash b/src/all.bash
index 5d994d3d0dae9..196c8eb21dfbf 100755
--- a/src/all.bash
+++ b/src/all.bash
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ if [ ! -f make.bash ]; then
 fi
 OLDPATH="$PATH"
 . ./make.bash "$@" --no-banner
+if [ "$GO14TESTS" != "1" ]; then
+	echo "Build complete; skipping tests."
+	echo "To force tests, set GO14TESTS=1 and re-run, but expect some failures."
+	exit
+fi
 bash run.bash --no-rebuild
 PATH="$OLDPATH"
 $GOTOOLDIR/dist banner  # print build info
diff --git a/src/all.bat b/src/all.bat
index 0647a715ba246..16898db769b47 100644
--- a/src/all.bat
+++ b/src/all.bat
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ goto end
 set OLDPATH=%PATH%
 call make.bat --no-banner --no-local
 if %GOBUILDFAIL%==1 goto end
+if x%GO14TESTS%==x1 goto runtests
+echo Build complete; skipping tests.
+echo To force tests, set GO14TESTS=1 and re-run, but expect some failures.
+goto end
+:runtests
 call run.bat --no-rebuild --no-local
 if %GOBUILDFAIL%==1 goto end
 :: we must restore %PATH% before running "dist banner" so that the latter
diff --git a/src/all.rc b/src/all.rc
index 14e2f5565aeba..30237226b614e 100755
--- a/src/all.rc
+++ b/src/all.rc
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ if(! test -f make.rc){
 }
 
 . ./make.rc --no-banner
+if(~ $GO14TESTS ''){
+	echo 'Build complete; skipping tests.'
+	echo 'To force tests, set GO14TESTS = 1 and re-run, but expect some failures.'
+	exit
+}
 bind -b $GOROOT/bin /bin
 ./run.rc --no-rebuild
 $GOTOOLDIR/dist banner  # print build info