diff --git a/Lib/test/regrtest.py b/Lib/test/regrtest.py
--- a/Lib/test/regrtest.py
+++ b/Lib/test/regrtest.py
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@
 import platform
 import sysconfig
 import logging
+from subprocess import Popen, PIPE
 
 
 # Some times __path__ and __file__ are not absolute (e.g. while running from
@@ -490,6 +491,51 @@
     support.use_resources = use_resources
     save_modules = sys.modules.keys()
 
+    opt_args = 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, debug, huntrleaks, use_resources,
+                       rerun_failed):
+        return (
+            (test, verbose, quiet),
+            dict(debug=debug, huntrleaks=huntrleaks,
+                 use_resources=use_resources, rerun_failed=rerun_failed)
+        )
+
+    def _runtest(test, verbose, quiet, huntrleaks=False, debug=False,
+                 use_resources=None, rerun_failed=False):
+        if test in ("test_pydoc",):
+            args_tuple = get_args_tuple(test, verbose, quiet, debug, huntrleaks,
+                                        use_resources, rerun_failed)
+            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(stderr, file=sys.stderr)
+            if result[0] == INTERRUPTED:
+                assert result[1] == 'KeyboardInterrupt'
+                raise KeyboardInterrupt
+            if result[0] == FAILED and rerun_failed:
+                sys.stdout.flush()
+                sys.stderr.flush()
+                print("Re-running test {} in verbose mode".format(test))
+                _runtest(test, verbose, quiet, huntrleaks, debug, use_resources)
+            return result
+        else:
+            return runtest(test, verbose, quiet, huntrleaks=huntrleaks,
+                           debug=debug, use_resources=use_resources,
+                           rerun_failed=rerun_failed)
+
     def accumulate_result(test, result):
         ok, test_time = result
         test_times.append((test_time, test))
@@ -528,20 +574,14 @@
             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,
-                         debug=debug, rerun_failed=verbose3)
-                )
+                args_tuple = get_args_tuple(test, verbose, quiet, debug,
+                                            huntrleaks, use_resources,
+                                            rerun_failed=verbose3)
                 yield (test, args_tuple)
         pending = tests_and_args()
-        opt_args = support.args_from_interpreter_flags()
-        base_cmd = [sys.executable] + opt_args + ['-m', 'test.regrtest']
         def work():
             # A worker thread.
             try:
@@ -609,12 +649,12 @@
             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, debug,
-                                     rerun_failed=verbose3)
+                    result = _runtest(test, verbose, quiet, huntrleaks, debug,
+                                      rerun_failed=verbose3)
                     accumulate_result(test, result)
                 except KeyboardInterrupt:
                     interrupted = True
@@ -685,7 +725,7 @@
             sys.stdout.flush()
             try:
                 verbose = True
-                ok = runtest(test, True, quiet, huntrleaks, debug)
+                ok = _runtest(test, True, quiet, huntrleaks, debug)
             except KeyboardInterrupt:
                 # print a newline separate from the ^C
                 print()