diff --git a/tests/vg_regtest.in b/tests/vg_regtest.in
index 3471322b0..ef7ef166f 100755
--- a/tests/vg_regtest.in
+++ b/tests/vg_regtest.in
@@ -163,7 +163,12 @@ my $stderrB_filter_args;# arguments passed to stderr_filterB
 my $stdinB;             # Input file for progB
 my $prereq;             # prerequisite test to satisfy before running test
 my $post;               # check command after running test
+my $post_ignore;        # ignore previous variable
 my $cleanup;            # cleanup command to run
+my $cleanup_ignore;     # ignore previous variable
+my $force_tool;         # replace the tool detection
+my $stderr_ignore;      # ignore stderr
+my $toolopt_ignore;     # ignore vgopt
 my @env = ();           # environment variable to set prior calling $prog
 my @envB = ();          # environment variable to set prior calling $progB
 
@@ -252,6 +257,16 @@ sub process_command_line()
                 $keepunfiltered = 1;
             } elsif ($arg =~ /^--loop-till-fail$/) {
                 $looptillfail = 1;
+	    } elsif ($arg =~ /^--force-tool=(.*)$/) {
+		$force_tool = $1;
+            } elsif ($arg =~ /^--stderr-ignore$/){
+		$stderr_ignore = 1;
+	    } elsif ($arg =~ /^--post-ignore$/){
+		$post_ignore = 1;
+	    } elsif ($arg =~ /^--cleanup-ignore$/){
+		$cleanup_ignore = 1;
+	    } elsif ($arg =~ /^--toolopt-ignore$/) {
+		$toolopt_ignore = 1;
             } else {
                 die $usage;
             }
@@ -407,6 +422,9 @@ sub filtered_rename($$$)
 # from a directory name like "/foo/cachesim/tests/" determine the tool name
 sub determine_tool()
 {
+    if( defined($force_tool)){
+	return $force_tool
+    }
     my $dir = `pwd`;
     $dir =~ /.*\/([^\/]+)\/tests.*/;   # foo/tool_name/tests/foo
     return $1;
@@ -532,7 +550,12 @@ sub do_one_test($$)
 
     # Pass the appropriate --tool option for the directory (can be overridden
     # by an "args:" line, though).
-    my $tool=determine_tool();
+    my $tool = determine_tool();
+    my $tool_opts = "$extraopts $vgopts " ;
+    if ( defined $toolopt_ignore ) {
+        $tool_opts=" ";
+    }
+
     if (defined $outer_valgrind ) {
         # in an outer-inner setup, only set VALGRIND_LIB_INNER
         mysystem(*VGTESTLOG,
@@ -543,7 +566,7 @@ sub do_one_test($$)
                   . "$run_outer_args "
                   . "$valgrind --command-line-only=yes --memcheck:leak-check=no "
                   . "--sim-hints=no-inner-prefix "
-                  . "--tool=$tool $extraopts $vgopts "
+                  . "--tool=$tool $tool_opts "
                   . "$prog $args > $name.stdout.out 2> $name.stderr.out");
     } else {
         # Set both VALGRIND_LIB and VALGRIND_LIB_INNER in case this Valgrind
@@ -551,7 +574,7 @@ sub do_one_test($$)
         mysystem(*VGTESTLOG,
                     "$envvars VALGRIND_LIB=$valgrind_lib VALGRIND_LIB_INNER=$valgrind_lib "
                   . "$valgrind --command-line-only=yes --memcheck:leak-check=no "
-                  . "--tool=$tool $extraopts $vgopts "
+                  . "--tool=$tool $tool_opts "
                   . "$prog $args > $name.stdout.out 2> $name.stderr.out");
     }
 
@@ -578,6 +601,7 @@ sub do_one_test($$)
     my $diffrc = do_diffs($fullname, $name, "stdout", *VGTESTLOG, \@stdout_exps);
     if (defined $diffrc) { $rc = $diffrc; }
 
+    if (! $stderr_ignore){
     # Filter stderr
     $stderr_filter_args = $name if (! defined $stderr_filter_args);
     mysystem(*VGTESTLOG,
@@ -588,7 +612,7 @@ sub do_one_test($$)
     (0 != scalar @stderr_exps) or die "Could not find `$name.stderr.exp*'\n";
     $diffrc = do_diffs($fullname, $name, "stderr", *VGTESTLOG, \@stderr_exps);
     if (defined $diffrc) { $rc = $diffrc; }
-
+    }
     if (defined $progB) {
         # wait for the child to be finished
         # tried things such as:
@@ -639,6 +663,7 @@ sub do_one_test($$)
     }
 
     # Maybe do post-test check
+    if( !defined $post_ignore){
     if (defined $post) {
 	my $postrc = mysystem(*VGTESTLOG, "$post > $name.post.out");
         # Transcribe stdout
@@ -657,11 +682,13 @@ sub do_one_test($$)
 	    do_diffs($fullname, $name, "post", *VGTESTLOG, \@post_exps);
 	}
     }
-
+    }
+    if( !defined $cleanup_ignore){
     if (defined $cleanup) {
         (mysystem(*VGTESTLOG, "$cleanup") == 0) or
             print("(cleanup operation failed: $cleanup)\n");
     }
+    }
 
     close(VGTESTLOG);
     $num_tests_done++;