diff --git a/dbtests/dbtests.cpp b/dbtests/dbtests.cpp
index 29260dde5ce..9a859baf46d 100644
--- a/dbtests/dbtests.cpp
+++ b/dbtests/dbtests.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 
 #include "stdafx.h"
 
+#include <boost/program_options.hpp>
+
 #include "../db/instance.h"
 #include "../util/file_allocator.h"
 
@@ -29,62 +31,71 @@
 #include "dbtests.h"
 
 using namespace std;
+namespace po = boost::program_options;
 
 namespace mongo {
     extern string dbpath;
 }
 
-string dbpathSpec = "/tmp/unittest/";
-
-void usage() {
-    string instructions =
-        "dbtests usage:\n"
-        "  -help           show this message\n"
-        "  -dbpath <path>  configure db data path for this test run\n"
-        "                  (default is /tmp/unittest/)\n"
-        "  -debug          run tests with verbose output\n"
-        "  -list           list available test suites\n"
-        "  -seed <seed>    random number seed\n"
-        "  <suite>         run the specified test suite only";
-    out() << instructions << endl;
+void show_help_text(const char* name, po::options_description options) {
+    cout << "usage: " << name << " [options] [suite]..." << endl
+         << options << "suite: run the specified test suite(s) only" << endl;
 }
 
 int main( int argc, char** argv ) {
-
     unsigned long long seed = time( 0 );
-    
-    int offset = 0;
-    for ( int i = 1; i < argc; ++i ) {
-        if ( argv[ i ] == string( "-dbpath" ) ) {
-            if ( i == argc - 1 ) {
-                usage();
-                dbexit( EXIT_BADOPTIONS );
-            }
-            dbpathSpec = argv[ ++i ];
-            offset += 2;
-        } else if ( argv[ i ] == string( "-seed" ) ) {
-            if ( i == argc - 1 ) {
-                usage();
-                dbexit( EXIT_BADOPTIONS );
-            }
-            // Don't bother checking for conversion error
-            seed = strtoll( argv[ ++i ], 0, 10 );
-            offset += 2;
-        } else if ( argv[ i ] == string( "-help" ) ) {
-            usage();
-            dbexit( EXIT_CLEAN );
-        } else if ( offset ) {
-            argv[ i - offset ] = argv[ i ];
-        }
+    string dbpathSpec;
+
+    po::options_description shell_options("options");
+    po::options_description hidden_options("Hidden options");
+    po::options_description cmdline_options("Command line options");
+    po::positional_options_description positional_options;
+
+    shell_options.add_options()
+        ("help,h", "show this usage information")
+        ("dbpath", po::value<string>(&dbpathSpec)->default_value("/tmp/unittest/"),
+         "db data path for this test run")
+        ("debug", "run tests with verbose output")
+        ("list,l", "list available test suites")
+        ("seed", po::value<unsigned long long>(&seed), "random number seed")
+        ;
+
+    hidden_options.add_options()
+        ("suites", po::value< vector<string> >(), "test suites to run")
+        ;
+
+    positional_options.add("suites", -1);
+
+    cmdline_options.add(shell_options).add(hidden_options);
+
+    po::variables_map params;
+    int command_line_style = (((po::command_line_style::unix_style ^
+                                po::command_line_style::allow_guessing) |
+                               po::command_line_style::allow_long_disguise) ^
+                              po::command_line_style::allow_sticky);
+
+    try {
+        po::store(po::command_line_parser(argc, argv).options(cmdline_options).
+                  positional(positional_options).
+                  style(command_line_style).run(), params);
+        po::notify(params);
+    } catch (po::error &e) {
+        cout << "ERROR: " << e.what() << endl << endl;
+        show_help_text(argv[0], shell_options);
+        return EXIT_BADOPTIONS;
+    }
+
+    if (params.count("help")) {
+        show_help_text(argv[0], shell_options);
+        return EXIT_CLEAN;
     }
-    argc -= offset;
 
     if ( dbpathSpec[ dbpathSpec.length() - 1 ] != '/' )
         dbpathSpec += "/";
     dbpath = dbpathSpec.c_str();
 
     acquirePathLock();
-    
+
     srand( seed );
     printGitVersion();
     printSysInfo();
@@ -92,13 +103,18 @@ int main( int argc, char** argv ) {
 
     theFileAllocator().start();
 
-    
+    vector<string> suites;
+    if (params.count("suites")) {
+        suites = params["suites"].as< vector<string> >();
+    }
+
+    int ret = mongo::regression::Suite::run(params.count("debug"),
+                                            params.count("list"),
+                                            suites);
 
-    int ret = mongo::regression::Suite::run( argc, argv );
-    
 #if !defined(_WIN32) && !defined(__sunos__)
     flock( lockFile, LOCK_UN );
-#endif    
+#endif
 
     dbexit( (ExitCode)ret ); // so everything shuts down cleanly
     return ret;
diff --git a/dbtests/framework.cpp b/dbtests/framework.cpp
index 24666f8a983..70eab1744f7 100644
--- a/dbtests/framework.cpp
+++ b/dbtests/framework.cpp
@@ -90,31 +90,24 @@ namespace mongo {
             return r;
         }
 
-        int Suite::run( int argc , char ** argv ){
-            list<string> torun;
-
-            for ( int i=1; i<argc; i++ ){
-
-                string s = argv[i];
-
-                if ( s == "-list" ){
-                    for ( map<string,Suite*>::iterator i=_suites->begin() ; i!=_suites->end(); i++ )
-                        cout << i->first << endl;
-                    return 0;
-                }
-
-                if ( s == "-debug" ){
-                    logLevel = 1;
-                    continue;
-                }
-
-                torun.push_back( s );
-                if ( _suites->find( s ) == _suites->end() ){
-                    cout << "invalid test [" << s << "]  use -list to see valid names" << endl;
+        int Suite::run( bool debug , bool list_suites, vector<string> suites ){
+            if ( list_suites ) {
+                for ( map<string,Suite*>::iterator i = _suites->begin() ; i != _suites->end(); i++ )
+                    cout << i->first << endl;
+                return 0;
+            }
+            if ( debug ) {
+                logLevel = 1;
+            }
+            for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < suites.size(); i++ ) {
+                if ( _suites->find( suites[i] ) == _suites->end() ) {
+                    cout << "invalid test [" << suites[i] << "], use --list to see valid names" << endl;
                     return -1;
                 }
             }
 
+            list<string> torun(suites.begin(), suites.end());
+
             if ( torun.size() == 0 )
                 for ( map<string,Suite*>::iterator i=_suites->begin() ; i!=_suites->end(); i++ )
                     torun.push_back( i->first );
diff --git a/dbtests/framework.h b/dbtests/framework.h
index 5e119b92bc7..6e7afbd8d08 100644
--- a/dbtests/framework.h
+++ b/dbtests/framework.h
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ namespace mongo {
 
             Result * run();
 
+            static int run( bool debug , bool list, vector<string> suites );
             static int run( int argc , char ** argv );