diff --git a/README.txt b/README.txt
index 2451a2af..7b1e6e68 100644
--- a/README.txt
+++ b/README.txt
@@ -174,6 +174,58 @@ Output is tab-delimited to make it easy to paste into a spreadsheet.
     end
   end
 
+=== Customizable Test Runner Types:
+
+MiniTest::Unit.runner=(runner) provides an easy way of creating custom
+test runners for specialized needs. Justin Weiss provides the
+following real-world example to create an alternative to regular
+fixture loading:
+
+  class MiniTestWithHooks::Unit < MiniTest::Unit
+    def before_suites
+    end
+
+    def after_suites
+    end
+
+    def _run_suites(suites, type)
+      begin
+        before_suites
+        super(suites, type)
+      ensure
+        after_suites
+      end
+    end
+
+    def _run_suite(suite, type)
+      begin
+        suite.before_suite
+        super(suite, type)
+      ensure
+        suite.after_suite
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  module MiniTestWithTransactions
+    class Unit < MiniTestWithHooks::Unit
+      include TestSetupHelper
+
+      def before_suites
+        super
+        setup_nested_transactions
+        # load any data we want available for all tests
+      end
+
+      def after_suites
+        teardown_nested_transactions
+        super
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  MiniTest::Unit.runner = MiniTestWithTransactions::Unit.new
+
 == REQUIREMENTS:
 
 * Ruby 1.8, maybe even 1.6 or lower. No magic is involved.
diff --git a/lib/minitest/unit.rb b/lib/minitest/unit.rb
index b4220bd8..06176ed3 100644
--- a/lib/minitest/unit.rb
+++ b/lib/minitest/unit.rb
@@ -586,6 +586,23 @@ def self.output= stream
       @@out = stream
     end
 
+    ##
+    # Tells MiniTest::Unit to delegate to +runner+, an instance of a
+    # MiniTest::Unit subclass, when MiniTest::Unit#run is called.
+
+    def self.runner= runner
+      @@runner = runner
+    end
+
+    ##
+    # Returns the MiniTest::Unit subclass instance that will be used
+    # to run the tests. A MiniTest::Unit instance is the default
+    # runner.
+
+    def self.runner
+      @@runner ||= self.new
+    end
+
     ##
     # Return all plugins' run methods (methods that start with "run_").
 
@@ -755,9 +772,16 @@ def process_args args = []
     end
 
     ##
-    # Top level driver, controls all output and filtering.
-
+    # Begins the full test run. Delegates to +runner+'s #_run method.
+    
     def run args = []
+      self.class.runner._run(args)
+    end
+    
+    ##
+    # Top level driver, controls all output and filtering. 
+
+    def _run args = []
       self.options = process_args args
 
       puts "Run options: #{help}"
diff --git a/test/test_minitest_spec.rb b/test/test_minitest_spec.rb
index c3e4f462..c95a4d4c 100755
--- a/test/test_minitest_spec.rb
+++ b/test/test_minitest_spec.rb
@@ -197,6 +197,11 @@
 end
 
 class TestMeta < MiniTest::Unit::TestCase
+  def test_setup
+    srand 42
+    MiniTest::Unit::TestCase.reset
+  end
+
   def util_structure
     x = y = z = nil
     before_list = []
@@ -245,9 +250,9 @@ def test_structure
   def test_setup_teardown_behavior
     x, y, z, before_list, after_list = util_structure
 
-    capture_io do
-      z.new(nil).run(MiniTest::Unit.new)
-    end
+    tc = z.new(nil)
+    tc.setup
+    tc.teardown
 
     assert_equal [1, 2, 3], before_list
     assert_equal [3, 2, 1], after_list
diff --git a/test/test_minitest_unit.rb b/test/test_minitest_unit.rb
index 2e5fe42f..729e8297 100755
--- a/test/test_minitest_unit.rb
+++ b/test/test_minitest_unit.rb
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ def setup
 
   def teardown
     MiniTest::Unit.output = $stdout
+    MiniTest::Unit.runner = nil
     Object.send :remove_const, :ATestCase if defined? ATestCase
   end
 
@@ -248,7 +249,7 @@ def teardown
     assert_report expected
   end
 
-  def test_run_failing # TODO: add error test
+  def test_run_failing
     tc = Class.new(MiniTest::Unit::TestCase) do
       def test_something
         assert true
@@ -354,6 +355,57 @@ def test_skip
     assert_report expected
   end
 
+  def test_default_runner_is_minitest_unit
+    assert_instance_of MiniTest::Unit, MiniTest::Unit.runner
+  end
+
+  def test_run_with_other_runner
+
+    runner = Class.new(MiniTest::Unit) do
+      # Run once before each suite
+      def _run_suite(suite, type)
+        begin
+          suite.before_suite
+          super(suite, type)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    tc = Class.new(MiniTest::Unit::TestCase) do
+
+      def self.before_suite
+        MiniTest::Unit.output.puts "Running #{self.name} tests"
+        @@foo = 1
+      end
+
+      def test_something
+        assert_equal 1, @@foo
+      end
+
+      def test_something_else
+        assert_equal 1, @@foo
+      end
+    end
+
+    Object.const_set(:ATestCase, tc)
+    MiniTest::Unit.runner = runner.new
+    @tu.run %w[--seed 42]
+
+    # We should only see 'running ATestCase tests' once
+    expected = "Run options: --seed 42
+
+# Running tests:
+
+Running ATestCase tests
+..
+
+Finished tests in 0.00
+
+2 tests, 2 assertions, 0 failures, 0 errors, 0 skips
+"
+    assert_report expected
+  end
+
   def util_expand_bt bt
     if RUBY_VERSION =~ /^1\.9/ then
       bt.map { |f| (f =~ /^\./) ? File.expand_path(f) : f }