diff --git a/ci.nix b/ci.nix
index 41bed40d752..7453ecd04e5 100644
--- a/ci.nix
+++ b/ci.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# We need to set test-dvm to false becaue hydra has
+# We need to set test-dvm to false because hydra has
 # no access to the `dev` repo. This can go away once we join
 # the monorepo.
 import ./default.nix { test-dvm = false; }
diff --git a/default.nix b/default.nix
index 3fb207375b8..0a4f8b7e7cf 100644
--- a/default.nix
+++ b/default.nix
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ rec {
     src = sourceByRegex ./. [
       "test/"
       "test/.*Makefile.*"
+      "test/quick.mk"
       "test/(run.*|fail)/"
       "test/(run.*|fail)/.*.as"
       "test/(run.*|fail)/ok/.*"
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ rec {
     src = sourceByRegex ./. [
       "test/"
       "test/.*Makefile.*"
+      "test/quick.mk"
       "test/(run.*|fail)/"
       "test/(run.*|fail)/.*.as"
       "test/(run.*|fail)/ok/.*"
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index c25cdf5b346..fd811340b00 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@ OCAMLBUILD = ocamlbuild $(OCAML_FLAGS) \
  $(OPAM_PACKAGES:%=-pkg %) \
  -tags debug
 
-.PHONY: all clean test
+.PHONY: all quick clean test test-quick
 
 all: $(NAME) test
 
+quick: $(NAME) test-quick
+
 $(NAME): $(MAIN).$(BUILD)
 	mv $< $@
 
@@ -52,3 +54,6 @@ test: $(NAME)
 
 accept: $(NAME)
 	$(MAKE) -C ../test ASC=$(ASC) accept
+
+test-quick: $(NAME)
+	$(MAKE) -C ../test ASC=$(ASC) quick
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index f5e5031d430..19b6c2eec37 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 all:
 	$(MAKE) -C fail
 	$(MAKE) -C run
-	$(MAKE) -C run-dfinity all
+	$(MAKE) -C run-dfinity
+
+quick:
+	$(MAKE) --no-print-directory --load-average -j -C fail quick
+	$(MAKE) --no-print-directory --load-average -j -C run quick
+	$(MAKE) --no-print-directory --load-average -j -C run-dfinity _out/chatpp.done
 
 coverage:
 	rm -rf _coverage
diff --git a/test/fail/Makefile b/test/fail/Makefile
index 5a3247c47d8..ca32260888f 100644
--- a/test/fail/Makefile
+++ b/test/fail/Makefile
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
+RUNFLAGS =
+
 all:
-	../run.sh *.as
+	../run.sh $(RUNFLAGS) *.as
 
 accept:
-	../run.sh -a *.as
+	../run.sh $(RUNFLAGS) -a *.as
 
 clean:
 	rm -rf _out
+
+include ../*.mk
diff --git a/test/quick.mk b/test/quick.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..274061b9433
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/quick.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Note: this rule collection is included for one level deeper
+
+TO-TEST = $(patsubst %.as,_out/%.done,$(wildcard *.as))
+
+quick: $(TO-TEST)
+
+# run single test, e.g. make _out/AST-56.done
+_out/%.done: %.as $(ASC) ../run.sh
+	@ mkdir -p _out
+	@ (../run.sh $(RUNFLAGS) $< > $@.tmp && mv $@.tmp $@) || (cat $@.tmp; rm -f $@.tmp; false)
diff --git a/test/run-dfinity/Makefile b/test/run-dfinity/Makefile
index d49057c8a2a..356eab76f18 100644
--- a/test/run-dfinity/Makefile
+++ b/test/run-dfinity/Makefile
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
+RUNFLAGS = -d
+
 all:
-	../run.sh -d *.as
+	../run.sh $(RUNFLAGS) *.as
 
 accept:
-	../run.sh -d -a *.as
+	../run.sh $(RUNFLAGS) -a *.as
 
 clean:
 	rm -rf _out
+
+include ../*.mk
diff --git a/test/run.sh b/test/run.sh
index 0e7587c4071..8a0367fabf1 100755
--- a/test/run.sh
+++ b/test/run.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #
 # Options:
 #
-#    -a:  Update the files in ok/
+#    -a: Update the files in ok/
 #    -d: Compile with --dfinity, use dvm to run
 #
 
@@ -21,8 +21,9 @@ EXTRA_ASC_FLAGS=
 ASC=${ASC:-$(realpath $(dirname $0)/../src/asc)}
 WASM=${WASM:-wasm}
 DVM_WRAPPER=$(realpath $(dirname $0)/dvm.sh)
+ECHO=echo
 
-while getopts "ad" o; do
+while getopts "ads" o; do
     case "${o}" in
         a)
             ACCEPT=yes
@@ -31,6 +32,9 @@ while getopts "ad" o; do
             DFINITY=yes
             EXTRA_ASC_FLAGS=--dfinity
             ;;
+        s)
+            ECHO=true
+            ;;
     esac
 done
 
@@ -55,7 +59,7 @@ do
   out=_out
   ok=ok
 
-  echo -n "$base:"
+  $ECHO -n "$base:"
   [ -d $out ] || mkdir $out
   [ -d $ok ] || mkdir $ok
 
@@ -64,8 +68,8 @@ do
   # First run all the steps, and remember what to diff
   diff_files=
 
-  # Typeckeck
-  echo -n " [tc]"
+  # Typecheck
+  $ECHO -n " [tc]"
   $ASC $ASC_FLAGS --check $base.as > $out/$base.tc 2>&1
   tc_succeeded=$?
   diff_files="$diff_files $base.tc"
@@ -75,12 +79,12 @@ do
     if [ "$SKIP_RUNNING" != yes ]
     then
       # Interpret
-      echo -n " [run]"
+      $ECHO -n " [run]"
       $ASC $ASC_FLAGS -r $base.as > $out/$base.run 2>&1
       diff_files="$diff_files $base.run"
 
       # Interpret with lowering
-      echo -n " [run-low]"
+      $ECHO -n " [run-low]"
       $ASC $ASC_FLAGS -r -a -A $base.as > $out/$base.run-low 2>&1
       diff_files="$diff_files $base.run-low"
 
@@ -89,7 +93,7 @@ do
       diff_files="$diff_files $base.diff-low"
 
       # Interpret IR
-      echo -n " [run-ir]"
+      $ECHO -n " [run-ir]"
       $ASC $ASC_FLAGS -r -iR $base.as > $out/$base.run-ir 2>&1
       diff_files="$diff_files $base.run-ir"
 
@@ -99,7 +103,7 @@ do
     fi
 
     # Compile
-    echo -n " [wasm]"
+    $ECHO -n " [wasm]"
     if [ $DFINITY = 'yes' ]
     then
       $ASC $ASC_FLAGS $EXTRA_ASC_FLAGS --map -c $base.as <(echo 'print("Top-level code done.\n")') -o $out/$base.wasm 2> $out/$base.wasm.stderr
@@ -113,11 +117,11 @@ do
       then
         if [ $DFINITY = 'yes' ]
         then
-          echo -n " [dvm]"
+          $ECHO -n " [dvm]"
           $DVM_WRAPPER $out/$base.wasm > $out/$base.dvm-run 2>&1
           diff_files="$diff_files $base.dvm-run"
         else
-          echo -n " [wasm-run]"
+          $ECHO -n " [wasm-run]"
           $WASM _out/$base.wasm  > $out/$base.wasm-run 2>&1
           sed 's/wasm:0x[a-f0-9]*:/wasm:0x___:/g' $out/$base.wasm-run >$out/$base.wasm-run.temp
           mv -f $out/$base.wasm-run.temp $out/$base.wasm-run
@@ -126,7 +130,7 @@ do
       fi
     fi
   fi
-  echo ""
+  $ECHO ""
 
   # normalize files
   for file in $diff_files
@@ -167,8 +171,5 @@ then
   echo "Some tests failed."
   exit 1
 else
-  echo "All tests passed."
+  $ECHO "All tests passed."
 fi
-
-
-
diff --git a/test/run/Makefile b/test/run/Makefile
index 5a3247c47d8..ca32260888f 100644
--- a/test/run/Makefile
+++ b/test/run/Makefile
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
+RUNFLAGS =
+
 all:
-	../run.sh *.as
+	../run.sh $(RUNFLAGS) *.as
 
 accept:
-	../run.sh -a *.as
+	../run.sh $(RUNFLAGS) -a *.as
 
 clean:
 	rm -rf _out
+
+include ../*.mk