diff --git a/Lib/test/regrtest.py b/Lib/test/regrtest.py
--- a/Lib/test/regrtest.py
+++ b/Lib/test/regrtest.py
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@
 import imp
 import platform
 import sysconfig
+from subprocess import Popen, PIPE
 
 
 # Some times __path__ and __file__ are not absolute (e.g. while running from
@@ -450,6 +451,43 @@
     test_support.use_resources = use_resources
     save_modules = sys.modules.keys()
 
+    opt_args = test_support.args_from_interpreter_flags()
+    base_cmd = [sys.executable] + opt_args + ['-m', 'test.regrtest']
+    debug_output_pat = re.compile(r"\[\d+ refs\]$")
+
+    def get_args_tuple(test, verbose, quiet, huntrleaks, use_resources):
+        return (
+            (test, verbose, quiet),
+            dict(huntrleaks=huntrleaks, use_resources=use_resources)
+        )
+
+    def _runtest(test, verbose, quiet, huntrleaks=False,
+                 use_resources=None):
+        if test in ():
+            args_tuple = get_args_tuple(test, verbose, quiet, huntrleaks,
+                                        use_resources)
+            popen = Popen(base_cmd + ['--slaveargs', json.dumps(args_tuple)],
+                          stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE,
+                          universal_newlines=True,
+                          close_fds=(os.name != 'nt'))
+            stdout, stderr = popen.communicate()
+            # Strip last refcount output line if it exists, since it
+            # comes from the shutdown of the interpreter in the subcommand.
+            stderr = debug_output_pat.sub("", stderr)
+            stdout, _, result = stdout.strip().rpartition("\n")
+            result = json.loads(result)
+            if stdout:
+                print stdout
+            if stderr:
+                print >>sys.stderr, stderr
+            if result[0] == INTERRUPTED:
+                assert result[1] == 'KeyboardInterrupt'
+                raise KeyboardInterrupt
+            return result
+        else:
+            return runtest(test, verbose, quiet, huntrleaks=False,
+                           use_resources=None)
+
     def accumulate_result(test, result):
         ok, test_time = result
         test_times.append((test_time, test))
@@ -484,19 +522,13 @@
             print "Multiprocess option requires thread support"
             sys.exit(2)
         from Queue import Queue
-        from subprocess import Popen, PIPE
-        debug_output_pat = re.compile(r"\[\d+ refs\]$")
         output = Queue()
         def tests_and_args():
             for test in tests:
-                args_tuple = (
-                    (test, verbose, quiet),
-                    dict(huntrleaks=huntrleaks, use_resources=use_resources)
-                )
+                args_tuple = get_args_tuple(test, verbose, quiet, huntrleaks,
+                                            use_resources)
                 yield (test, args_tuple)
         pending = tests_and_args()
-        opt_args = test_support.args_from_interpreter_flags()
-        base_cmd = [sys.executable] + opt_args + ['-m', 'test.regrtest']
         def work():
             # A worker thread.
             try:
@@ -557,15 +589,15 @@
             if trace:
                 # If we're tracing code coverage, then we don't exit with status
                 # if on a false return value from main.
-                tracer.runctx('runtest(test, verbose, quiet)',
+                tracer.runctx('_runtest(test, verbose, quiet)',
                               globals=globals(), locals=vars())
             else:
                 try:
-                    result = runtest(test, verbose, quiet, huntrleaks)
+                    result = _runtest(test, verbose, quiet, huntrleaks)
                     accumulate_result(test, result)
                     if verbose3 and result[0] == FAILED:
                         print "Re-running test %r in verbose mode" % test
-                        runtest(test, True, quiet, huntrleaks)
+                        _runtest(test, True, quiet, huntrleaks)
                 except KeyboardInterrupt:
                     interrupted = True
                     break
@@ -635,7 +667,7 @@
             sys.stdout.flush()
             try:
                 test_support.verbose = True
-                ok = runtest(test, True, quiet, huntrleaks)
+                ok = _runtest(test, True, quiet, huntrleaks)
             except KeyboardInterrupt:
                 # print a newline separate from the ^C
                 print