diff --git a/default.nix b/default.nix
index feee501f625..c843d6a9560 100644
--- a/default.nix
+++ b/default.nix
@@ -114,11 +114,10 @@ rec {
       patchShebangs .
       asc --version
       make -C samples ASC=asc all
-      make -C test/run VERBOSE=1 ASC=asc all
-      make -C test/fail VERBOSE=1 ASC=asc all
+      make -C test VERBOSE=1 ASC=asc quick
     '' +
       (if test-dvm then ''
-      make -C test/run-dfinity VERBOSE=1 ASC=asc all
+      make --load-average -j8 -C test/run-dfinity VERBOSE=1 ASC=asc quick
       '' else "");
 
     installPhase = ''
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index fd811340b00..57286cf567e 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -21,10 +21,11 @@ OCAMLBUILD = ocamlbuild $(OCAML_FLAGS) \
  $(OPAM_PACKAGES:%=-pkg %) \
  -tags debug
 
-.PHONY: all quick clean test test-quick
+.PHONY: all parallel quick clean test test-parallel test-quick
 
 all: $(NAME) test
 
+parallel: $(NAME) test-parallel
 quick: $(NAME) test-quick
 
 $(NAME): $(MAIN).$(BUILD)
@@ -55,5 +56,8 @@ test: $(NAME)
 accept: $(NAME)
 	$(MAKE) -C ../test ASC=$(ASC) accept
 
+test-parallel: $(NAME)
+	$(MAKE) -C ../test ASC=$(ASC) parallel
+
 test-quick: $(NAME)
 	$(MAKE) -C ../test ASC=$(ASC) quick
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index 19b6c2eec37..3163c044c2f 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ all:
 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
+
+parallel: quick
+	$(MAKE) --no-print-directory --load-average -j -C run-dfinity quick
 
 coverage:
 	rm -rf _coverage
diff --git a/test/dvm.sh b/test/dvm.sh
index 5ced2e91b6f..3af0e0e5468 100755
--- a/test/dvm.sh
+++ b/test/dvm.sh
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@
 
 if [ -z "$1" ]
 then
-  echo "Usage: $0 foo.wasm"
+  echo "Usage: $0 <name>.wasm"
   exit 1
 fi
 
 name="$(basename $1 .wasm)_0"
+DVM_TMP=$(mktemp -d)
+trap 'rm -rf $DVM_TMP' EXIT
 
 export LANG=C
 function dvm_ () {
@@ -20,6 +22,6 @@ function dvm_ () {
 
 }
 
-dvm_ -q reset
-dvm_ -q new $1
-dvm_ -q run $name start
+dvm_ -q --db $DVM_TMP reset
+dvm_ -q --db $DVM_TMP new $1
+dvm_ -q --db $DVM_TMP run $name start
diff --git a/test/quick.mk b/test/quick.mk
index 274061b9433..73fc6def5a0 100644
--- a/test/quick.mk
+++ b/test/quick.mk
@@ -2,9 +2,14 @@
 
 TO-TEST = $(patsubst %.as,_out/%.done,$(wildcard *.as))
 
+.PHONY: quick
+
 quick: $(TO-TEST)
 
+_out:
+	@ mkdir -p $@
+
 # run single test, e.g. make _out/AST-56.done
-_out/%.done: %.as $(ASC) ../run.sh
-	@ mkdir -p _out
+.SECONDEXPANSION:
+_out/%.done: %.as $$(wildcard $(ASC)) ../run.sh  | _out
 	@ (../run.sh $(RUNFLAGS) $< > $@.tmp && mv $@.tmp $@) || (cat $@.tmp; rm -f $@.tmp; false)
diff --git a/test/run-dfinity/ok/flatten-awaitables.dvm-run.ok b/test/run-dfinity/ok/flatten-awaitables.dvm-run.ok
index b9d940dfe06..84cb71c9839 100644
--- a/test/run-dfinity/ok/flatten-awaitables.dvm-run.ok
+++ b/test/run-dfinity/ok/flatten-awaitables.dvm-run.ok
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@
 # Empty MaybeLocal.
 #
 
-dvm.sh: line 12: Illegal instruction dvm $@
+dvm.sh: line 14: Illegal instruction dvm $@
diff --git a/test/run.sh b/test/run.sh
index 45d22c0372f..dbd3fbd81ce 100755
--- a/test/run.sh
+++ b/test/run.sh
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@
 #
 #    -a: Update the files in ok/
 #    -d: Compile with --dfinity, use dvm to run
+#    -s: Be silent in sunny-day execution
 #
 
-realpath() {
+function realpath() {
     [[ $1 = /* ]] && echo "$1" || echo "$PWD/${1#./}"
 }