diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 61305091c2a..d6887ef8762 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -46,8 +46,15 @@ matrix:
       env: SCALA_VER="2.11" SPARK_VER="2.0.2" HADOOP_VER="2.6" PROFILE="-Prat" BUILD_FLAG="clean" TEST_FLAG="org.apache.rat:apache-rat-plugin:check" TEST_PROJECTS=""
 
     # Test core modules
+    #
+    # Several tests were excluded from this configuration due to the following issues:
+    # HeliumBundleFactoryTest      - https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/ZEPPELIN-2469
+    # HeliumApplicationFactoryTest - https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/ZEPPELIN-2470
+    # NotebookTest                 - https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/ZEPPELIN-2471
+    # ZeppelinRestApiTest          - https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/ZEPPELIN-2473
+    # After issues are fixed these tests need to be included back by removing them from the "-Dtests.to.exclude" property
     - jdk: "oraclejdk7"
-      env: SCALA_VER="2.11" SPARK_VER="2.1.0" HADOOP_VER="2.6" PROFILE="-Pweb-ci -Pscalding -Phelium-dev -Pexamples -Pscala-2.11" BUILD_FLAG="package -Pbuild-distr -DskipRat" TEST_FLAG="verify -Pusing-packaged-distr -DskipRat" MODULES="-pl ${INTERPRETERS}" TEST_PROJECTS="-Dtest='!ZeppelinSparkClusterTest,!org.apache.zeppelin.spark.*' -DfailIfNoTests=false"
+      env: SCALA_VER="2.11" SPARK_VER="2.1.0" HADOOP_VER="2.6" PROFILE="-Pweb-ci -Pscalding -Phelium-dev -Pexamples -Pscala-2.11" BUILD_FLAG="package -Pbuild-distr -DskipRat" TEST_FLAG="verify -Pusing-packaged-distr -DskipRat" MODULES="-pl ${INTERPRETERS}" TEST_PROJECTS="-Dtests.to.exclude=**/ZeppelinSparkClusterTest.java,**/org.apache.zeppelin.spark.*,**/HeliumBundleFactoryTest.java,**/HeliumApplicationFactoryTest.java,**/NotebookTest.java,**/ZeppelinRestApiTest.java -DfailIfNoTests=false"
 
     # Test selenium with spark module for 1.6.3
     - jdk: "oraclejdk7"
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 3bede629380..87af32376c7 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -134,6 +134,9 @@
 
     <PermGen>64m</PermGen>
     <MaxPermGen>512m</MaxPermGen>
+
+    <!-- to be able to exclude some tests using command line -->
+    <tests.to.exclude/>
   </properties>
 
   <dependencyManagement>
@@ -555,6 +558,9 @@
           <version>${plugin.surefire.version}</version>
           <configuration combine.children="append">
             <argLine>-Xmx2g -Xms1g -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8</argLine>
+            <excludes>
+              <exclude>${tests.to.exclude}</exclude>
+            </excludes>
           </configuration>
           <!-- <excludes> <exclude>**/itest/**</exclude> </excludes> <executions>
             <execution> <id>surefire-itest</id> <phase>integration-test</phase> <goals>