diff --git a/src/bin/sage-runtests b/src/bin/sage-runtests
index 21953ece292..24affd7cce3 100755
--- a/src/bin/sage-runtests
+++ b/src/bin/sage-runtests
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     parser.add_option("--randorder", type=int, metavar="SEED", help="randomize order of tests")
     parser.add_option("--global-iterations", "--global_iterations", type=int, default=0, help="repeat the whole testing process this many times")
     parser.add_option("--file-iterations", "--file_iterations", type=int, default=0, help="repeat each file this many times, stopping on the first failure")
-    parser.add_option("--environment", type=str, default=None, help="name of a module that provides the global environment for tests")
+    parser.add_option("--environment", type=str, default="sage.repl.ipython_kernel.all_jupyter", help="name of a module that provides the global environment for tests")
 
     parser.add_option("-i", "--initial", action="store_true", default=False, help="only show the first failure in each file")
     parser.add_option("--exitfirst", action="store_true", default=False, help="end the test run immediately after the first failure or unexpected exception")
diff --git a/src/sage/doctest/control.py b/src/sage/doctest/control.py
index f2dadaec131..1e8403f6057 100644
--- a/src/sage/doctest/control.py
+++ b/src/sage/doctest/control.py
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ def __init__(self, **kwds):
         self.randorder = None
         self.global_iterations = 1  # sage-runtests default is 0
         self.file_iterations = 1    # sage-runtests default is 0
+        self.environment = "sage.repl.ipython_kernel.all_jupyter"
         self.initial = False
         self.exitfirst = False
         self.force_lib = False
@@ -497,6 +498,25 @@ def _repr_(self):
         """
         return "DocTest Controller"
 
+    def load_environment(self):
+        """
+        Return the module that provides the global environment.
+
+        EXAMPLES::
+
+            sage: from sage.doctest.control import DocTestDefaults, DocTestController
+            sage: DC = DocTestController(DocTestDefaults(), [])
+            sage: 'BipartiteGraph' in DC.load_environment().__dict__
+            True
+            sage: DC = DocTestController(DocTestDefaults(environment='sage.doctest.all'), [])
+            sage: 'BipartiteGraph' in  DC.load_environment().__dict__
+            False
+            sage: 'run_doctests' in DC.load_environment().__dict__
+            True
+        """
+        from importlib import import_module
+        return import_module(self.options.environment)
+
     def load_stats(self, filename):
         """
         Load stats from the most recent run(s).
diff --git a/src/sage/doctest/forker.py b/src/sage/doctest/forker.py
index 10303a894de..e0fa90254f5 100644
--- a/src/sage/doctest/forker.py
+++ b/src/sage/doctest/forker.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
 
 
 
-def init_sage():
+def init_sage(environment=None):
     """
     Import the Sage library.
 
@@ -1630,7 +1630,7 @@ def __init__(self, controller):
             <sage.doctest.forker.DocTestDispatcher object at ...>
         """
         self.controller = controller
-        init_sage()
+        init_sage(controller.options.environment)
 
     def serial_dispatch(self):
         """
@@ -2510,7 +2510,8 @@ def _run(self, runner, options, results):
         """
         # Import Jupyter globals to doctest the Jupyter
         # implementation of widgets and interacts
-        import sage.repl.ipython_kernel.all_jupyter as sage_all
+        from importlib import import_module
+        sage_all = import_module(options.environment)
         dict_all = sage_all.__dict__
         # Remove '__package__' item from the globals since it is not
         # always in the globals in an actual Sage session.