diff --git a/reframe/frontend/executors/__init__.py b/reframe/frontend/executors/__init__.py
index 1bd8bb295e..5a19f8a9e3 100644
--- a/reframe/frontend/executors/__init__.py
+++ b/reframe/frontend/executors/__init__.py
@@ -342,6 +342,9 @@ def run_check(self, c, p, e):
         if self.strict_check:
             c.strict_check = True
 
+        if self.force_local:
+            c.local = True
+
     @abc.abstractmethod
     def getstats(self):
         """Return test case statistics of the run."""
diff --git a/unittests/test_policies.py b/unittests/test_policies.py
index bc8c2e3b20..d8d89d0363 100644
--- a/unittests/test_policies.py
+++ b/unittests/test_policies.py
@@ -120,6 +120,14 @@ def test_strict_performance_check(self):
         self.assertEqual(1, self._num_failures_stage('sanity'))
         self.assertEqual(2, self._num_failures_stage('performance'))
 
+    def test_force_local_execution(self):
+        self.runner.policy.force_local = True
+        self.runner.runall([HelloTest(system=self.system, resources=self.resources)],
+                           self.system)
+        stats = self.runner.stats
+        for t in stats.get_tasks():
+            self.assertTrue(t.check.local)
+
     def test_kbd_interrupt_within_test(self):
         check = KeyboardInterruptCheck(system=self.system,
                                        resources=self.resources)