diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/tests/__init__.py b/openerp/addons/base/tests/__init__.py
index 4a586a8a971..d891bc06fda 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/tests/__init__.py
@@ -5,3 +5,11 @@ import test_ir_values
 import test_menu
 import test_search
 
+checks = [
+    test_base,
+    test_expression,
+    test_ir_attachment,
+    test_ir_values,
+    test_menu,
+    test_search,
+]
diff --git a/openerp/modules/module.py b/openerp/modules/module.py
index aefab86796e..bb4ff481fb9 100644
--- a/openerp/modules/module.py
+++ b/openerp/modules/module.py
@@ -456,9 +456,15 @@ def get_modules_with_version():
             continue
     return res
 
-def get_test_modules(module):
-    """ Return a list of module for the addons potentialy containing tests to
-    feed unittest2.TestLoader.loadTestsFromModule() """
+def get_test_modules(module, submodule, explode):
+    """
+    Return a list of submodules containing tests.
+    `submodule` can be:
+      - None
+      - the name of a submodule
+      - '__fast_suite__'
+      - '__sanity_checks__'
+    """
     # Turn command-line module, submodule into importable names.
     if module is None:
         pass
@@ -466,21 +472,74 @@ def get_test_modules(module):
         module = 'openerp.tests'
     else:
         module = 'openerp.addons.' + module + '.tests'
+
     # Try to import the module
     try:
         __import__(module)
     except Exception, e:
-        # If module has no `tests` sub-module, no problem.
-        if str(e) != 'No module named tests':
-            _logger.exception('Can not `import %s`.', module)
-        return []
+        if explode:
+            print 'Can not `import %s`.' % module
+            import logging
+            logging.exception('')
+            sys.exit(1)
+        else:
+            if str(e) == 'No module named tests':
+                # It seems the module has no `tests` sub-module, no problem.
+                pass
+            else:
+                _logger.exception('Can not `import %s`.', module)
+            return []
 
-    # include submodules too
-    result = []
-    for name in sys.modules:
-        if name.startswith(module):
-            result.append(sys.modules[name])
-    return result
+    # Discover available test sub-modules.
+    m = sys.modules[module]
+    submodule_names =  sorted([x for x in dir(m) \
+        if x.startswith('test_') and \
+        isinstance(getattr(m, x), types.ModuleType)])
+    submodules = [getattr(m, x) for x in submodule_names]
+
+    def show_submodules_and_exit():
+        if submodule_names:
+            print 'Available submodules are:'
+            for x in submodule_names:
+                print ' ', x
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    if submodule is None:
+        # Use auto-discovered sub-modules.
+        ms = submodules
+    elif submodule == '__fast_suite__':
+        # Obtain the explicit test sub-modules list.
+        ms = getattr(sys.modules[module], 'fast_suite', None)
+        # `suite` was used before the 6.1 release instead of `fast_suite`.
+        ms = ms if ms else getattr(sys.modules[module], 'suite', None)
+        if ms is None:
+            if explode:
+                print 'The module `%s` has no defined test suite.' % (module,)
+                show_submodules_and_exit()
+            else:
+                ms = []
+    elif submodule == '__sanity_checks__':
+        ms = getattr(sys.modules[module], 'checks', None)
+        if ms is None:
+            if explode:
+                print 'The module `%s` has no defined sanity checks.' % (module,)
+                show_submodules_and_exit()
+            else:
+                ms = []
+    else:
+        # Pick the command-line-specified test sub-module.
+        m = getattr(sys.modules[module], submodule, None)
+        ms = [m]
+
+        if m is None:
+            if explode:
+                print 'The module `%s` has no submodule named `%s`.' % \
+                    (module, submodule)
+                show_submodules_and_exit()
+            else:
+                ms = []
+
+    return ms
 
 def run_unit_tests(module_name):
     """
@@ -488,9 +547,14 @@ def run_unit_tests(module_name):
     Return None if no test was found.
     """
     import unittest2
-    ms = get_test_modules(module_name)
+    ms = get_test_modules(module_name, '__fast_suite__', explode=False)
+    # TODO: No need to try again if the above call failed because of e.g. a syntax error.
+    ms.extend(get_test_modules(module_name, '__sanity_checks__', explode=False))
+    suite = unittest2.TestSuite()
+    for m in ms:
+        suite.addTests(unittest2.TestLoader().loadTestsFromModule(m))
     if ms:
-        _logger.log(logging.TEST, 'module %s: running test.', module_name)
+        _logger.log(logging.TEST, 'module %s: executing %s `fast_suite` and/or `checks` sub-modules', module_name, len(ms))
         # Use a custom stream object to log the test executions.
         class MyStream(object):
             def __init__(self):
@@ -506,9 +570,6 @@ def run_unit_tests(module_name):
                         c = '` ' + c
                     first = False
                     _logger.log(logging.TEST, c)
-        suite = unittest2.TestSuite()
-        for m in ms:
-            suite.addTests(unittest2.TestLoader().loadTestsFromModule(m))
         result = unittest2.TextTestRunner(verbosity=2, stream=MyStream()).run(suite)
         if result.wasSuccessful():
             return True
diff --git a/openerp/tests/__init__.py b/openerp/tests/__init__.py
index 327b8715125..07232bff5dc 100644
--- a/openerp/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/openerp/tests/__init__.py
@@ -22,4 +22,22 @@ import test_translate
 import test_uninstall
 import test_view_validation
 
+fast_suite = [
+    test_ir_sequence,
+    test_ir_filters
+]
+
+checks = [
+    test_expression,
+    test_mail,
+    test_db_cursor,
+    test_orm,
+    test_fields,
+    test_basecase,
+    test_view_validation,
+    test_misc,
+    test_osv,
+    test_translate,
+]
+ 
 # vim:expandtab:smartindent:tabstop=4:softtabstop=4:shiftwidth=4: