Index: Lib/unittest.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/unittest.py	(revision 65016)
+++ Lib/unittest.py	(working copy)
@@ -786,7 +786,7 @@
 """
     def __init__(self, module='__main__', defaultTest=None,
                  argv=None, testRunner=TextTestRunner,
-                 testLoader=defaultTestLoader):
+                 testLoader=defaultTestLoader, exit=True):
         if type(module) == type(''):
             self.module = __import__(module)
             for part in module.split('.')[1:]:
@@ -799,6 +799,7 @@
         self.defaultTest = defaultTest
         self.testRunner = testRunner
         self.testLoader = testLoader
+        self.exit = exit
         self.progName = os.path.basename(argv[0])
         self.parseArgs(argv)
         self.runTests()
@@ -846,7 +847,8 @@
             # it is assumed to be a TestRunner instance
             testRunner = self.testRunner
         result = testRunner.run(self.test)
-        sys.exit(not result.wasSuccessful())
+        if self.exit:
+            sys.exit(not result.wasSuccessful())
 
 main = TestProgram
 
Index: Doc/library/unittest.rst
===================================================================
--- Doc/library/unittest.rst	(revision 65022)
+++ Doc/library/unittest.rst	(working copy)
@@ -485,7 +485,8 @@
    applications which run test suites should provide alternate implementations.
 
 
-.. function:: main([module[, defaultTest[, argv[, testRunner[, testLoader]]]]])
+.. function:: main([module[, defaultTest[, argv[, testRunner[, testLoader[,
+exit]]]]]])
 
    A command-line program that runs a set of tests; this is primarily for making
    test modules conveniently executable.  The simplest use for this function is to
@@ -497,6 +498,11 @@
    The *testRunner* argument can either be a test runner class or an already
    created instance of it.
 
+   If *exit* is set to False (it is true by default) then running the tests will
+   not automaticallt exit at the end, which is useful if you are running with an
+   interactive interpreter and intend to continue using and should have no efect
+   when running from the command line.
+
 In some cases, the existing tests may have been written using the :mod:`doctest`
 module.  If so, that module provides a  :class:`DocTestSuite` class that can
 automatically build :class:`unittest.TestSuite` instances from the existing
Index: Lib/unittest.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/unittest.py	(revision 65022)
+++ Lib/unittest.py	(working copy)
@@ -786,7 +786,7 @@
 """
     def __init__(self, module='__main__', defaultTest=None,
                  argv=None, testRunner=TextTestRunner,
-                 testLoader=defaultTestLoader):
+                 testLoader=defaultTestLoader, exit=True):
         if type(module) == type(''):
             self.module = __import__(module)
             for part in module.split('.')[1:]:
@@ -799,6 +799,7 @@
         self.defaultTest = defaultTest
         self.testRunner = testRunner
         self.testLoader = testLoader
+        self.exit = exit
         self.progName = os.path.basename(argv[0])
         self.parseArgs(argv)
         self.runTests()
@@ -846,7 +847,8 @@
             # it is assumed to be a TestRunner instance
             testRunner = self.testRunner
         result = testRunner.run(self.test)
-        sys.exit(not result.wasSuccessful())
+        if self.exit:
+            sys.exit(not result.wasSuccessful())
 
 main = TestProgram