diff --git a/cake/console/shells/testsuite.php b/cake/console/shells/testsuite.php
index b0c31831f..5a9202454 100644
--- a/cake/console/shells/testsuite.php
+++ b/cake/console/shells/testsuite.php
@@ -143,6 +143,8 @@ class TestSuiteShell extends Shell {
 		))->addOption('directive', array(
 			'help' => __('key[=value] Sets a php.ini value.'),
 			'default' => false
+		))->addOption('fixture', array(
+			'help' => __('Choose a custom fixture manager.'),
 		));
 
 		return $parser;
diff --git a/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_runner.php b/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_runner.php
index 2cd81897c..99c228332 100644
--- a/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_runner.php
+++ b/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_runner.php
@@ -27,16 +27,39 @@ PHP_CodeCoverage_Filter::getInstance()->addFileToBlacklist(__FILE__, 'DEFAULT');
  */
 class CakeTestRunner extends PHPUnit_TextUI_TestRunner {
 
+/**
+ * Actually run a suite of tests.  Cake initializes fixtures here using the chosen fixture manager
+ *
+ * @param PHPUnit_Framework_Test $suite 
+ * @param array $arguments 
+ * @return void
+ */
 	public function doRun(PHPUnit_Framework_Test $suite, array $arguments = array()) {
-		$fixture = new CakeFixtureManager;
+		$fixture = $this->_getFixtureManager($arguments);
 		foreach ($suite->getIterator() as $test) {
 			if ($test instanceof CakeTestCase) {
 				$fixture->fixturize($test);
 				$test->fixtureManager = $fixture;
 			}
 		}
-		$r = parent::doRun($suite, $arguments);
+		$return = parent::doRun($suite, $arguments);
 		$fixture->shutdown();
-		return $r;
+		return $return;
+	}
+
+/**
+ * Get the fixture manager class specified or use the default one.
+ *
+ * @return instance of a fixture manager.
+ */
+	protected function _getFixtureManager($arguments) {
+		if (!isset($arguments['fixtureManager'])) {
+			return new CakeFixtureManager();
+		}
+		App::import('Lib', 'test_suite/' . Inflector::underscore($arguments['fixtureManagerΩ']));
+		if (class_exists($arguments['fixtureManager'])) {
+			return new $arguments['fixtureManager'];
+		}
+		throw new Exception('No fixture manager found.');
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_suite_command.php b/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_suite_command.php
index ab786d74f..a86a38d31 100644
--- a/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_suite_command.php
+++ b/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_suite_command.php
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ class CakeTestSuiteCommand extends PHPUnit_TextUI_Command {
 		$this->arguments['test'] = $params['case'];
 		$this->arguments['testFile'] = $params;
 		$this->_params = $params;
+
+		$this->longOptions['fixture='] = 'handleFixture';
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -127,4 +129,13 @@ class CakeTestSuiteCommand extends PHPUnit_TextUI_Command {
         }
     }
 
+/**
+ * Handler for customizing the FixtureManager class/
+ *
+ * @param string $class Name of the class that will be the fixture manager
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function handleFixture($class) {
+		$this->arguments['fixtureManager'] = $class;
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file