diff --git a/buildscripts/smoke.py b/buildscripts/smoke.py
index 59319b63272..c42aa397d9f 100755
--- a/buildscripts/smoke.py
+++ b/buildscripts/smoke.py
@@ -521,6 +521,10 @@ def runTest(test, result):
             if smoke_db_prefix:
                 dir_name = smoke_db_prefix + '/unittests'
                 argv.extend(["--dbpath", dir_name] )
+
+            if storage_engine:
+                argv.extend(["--storageEngine", storage_engine])
+
         # more blech
         elif os.path.basename(path) in ['mongos', 'mongos.exe']:
             argv = [path, "--test"]
diff --git a/src/mongo/dbtests/framework_options.cpp b/src/mongo/dbtests/framework_options.cpp
index ef3300c8aa2..84f8ba12255 100644
--- a/src/mongo/dbtests/framework_options.cpp
+++ b/src/mongo/dbtests/framework_options.cpp
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ namespace mongo {
         options->addOptionChaining("perfHist", "perfHist", moe::Unsigned,
                 "number of back runs of perf stats to display");
 
+        options->addOptionChaining("storage.engine", "storageEngine", moe::String,
+                                   "what storage engine to use")
+               .setDefault(moe::Value(std::string("mmapv1")));
 
         options->addOptionChaining("suites", "suites", moe::StringVector, "test suites to run")
                                   .hidden()
@@ -206,6 +209,8 @@ namespace mongo {
             }
         }
 
+        storageGlobalParams.engine = params["storage.engine"].as<string>();
+
         if (params.count("suites")) {
             frameworkGlobalParams.suites = params["suites"].as< vector<string> >();
         }