diff --git a/test/catch.hpp b/test/catch.hpp
index 3b759681e..b7ac69633 100644
--- a/test/catch.hpp
+++ b/test/catch.hpp
@@ -6143,7 +6143,7 @@ namespace Catch {
             }
         }
 
-        Clara::CommandLine<ConfigData> const& cli() const {
+        Clara::CommandLine<ConfigData> & cli() {
             return m_cli;
         }
         std::vector<Clara::Parser::Token> const& unusedTokens() const {
diff --git a/test/unit/run.cpp b/test/unit/run.cpp
index 8ae4ddc73..caaab46dc 100644
--- a/test/unit/run.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/run.cpp
@@ -1,17 +1,73 @@
 #define CATCH_CONFIG_RUNNER
 #include "catch.hpp"
 
+#include <string>
+#include <mapnik/util/fs.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/datasource_cache.hpp>
+#include <boost/filesystem/convenience.hpp>
 
 #include "cleanup.hpp" // run_cleanup()
 
+std::string plugin_path;
+
+inline void set_plugin_path(Catch::ConfigData&, std::string const& _plugin_path ) {
+    plugin_path = _plugin_path;
+}
+
+std::string working_dir;
+
+inline void set_working_dir(Catch::ConfigData&, std::string const& _working_dir ) {
+    working_dir = _working_dir;
+}
+
+
 int main (int argc, char* const argv[])
 {
-    mapnik::datasource_cache::instance().register_datasources("plugins/input/");
+    Catch::Session session;
 
-    int result = Catch::Session().run( argc, argv );
+    auto & cli = session.cli();
+
+    cli["-p"]["--plugins"]
+        .describe("path to mapnik plugins")
+        .bind(&set_plugin_path, "plugins");
+
+    cli["-C"]["--working-directory"]
+        .describe("change working directory")
+        .bind(&set_working_dir, "working directory");
+
+    int result = session.applyCommandLine(argc, argv);
+
+    if (!plugin_path.empty())
+    {
+        if (!mapnik::util::exists(plugin_path))
+        {
+            std::clog << "Could not find " << plugin_path << "\n";
+            return -1;
+        }
+        mapnik::datasource_cache::instance().register_datasources(plugin_path);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        mapnik::datasource_cache::instance().register_datasources("plugins/input/");
+    }
+
+    if (!working_dir.empty())
+    {
+        if (!mapnik::util::exists(working_dir))
+        {
+            std::clog << "Could not find " << working_dir << "\n";
+            return -1;
+        }
+        boost::filesystem::current_path(working_dir);
+    }
+
+    if (result == 0)
+    {
+        result = session.run();
+    }
 
     testing::run_cleanup();
 
     return result;
+
 }