diff --git a/test/runtests.py b/test/runtests.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..9e7f55b292d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Copyright (C) Microsoft. All rights reserved.
+# Licensed under the MIT license. See LICENSE.txt file in the project root for full license information.
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+import sys
+import os
+import subprocess as SP
+
+test_all = True
+test_root = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
+
+# ugly trick
+ch_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(test_root), "BuildLinux/ch")
+
+if not os.path.isfile(ch_path):
+    print "BuildLinux/ch not found. Did you run ./build.sh already?"
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+if len(sys.argv) > 1:
+    if sys.argv[1] in ['-?', '--help']:
+        print "ChakraCore *nix Test Script\n"
+
+        print "Usage:"
+        print "test.py <optional test path>\n"
+
+        print "-?, --help    : Show help\n"
+
+        print "Samples:"
+        print "test only Array:"
+        print "\t./test.py Array\n"
+        
+        print "test a single file:"
+        print "\t./test.py Basics/hello.js\n"
+
+        print "test all folders:"
+        print "\t./test.py"
+        sys.exit(0)
+    test_all = None
+
+test_dirs=['']
+if test_all:
+    test_dirs = os.listdir(test_root)
+else:
+    test_dirs[0] = sys.argv[1]
+
+def show_failed(filename, output, exit_code, expected_output):
+    print "\nFailed ->", filename
+    if expected_output == None:
+        print "\nOutput:"
+        print "----------------------------"
+        print output
+        print "----------------------------"
+    else:
+        lst_output = output.split('\n')
+        lst_expected = expected_output.split('\n')
+        ln = min(len(lst_output), len(lst_expected))
+        for i in range(0, ln):
+            if lst_output[i] != lst_expected[i]:
+                print "Output: (at line " + str(i) + ")" 
+                print "----------------------------"
+                print lst_output[i]
+                print "----------------------------"
+                print "Expected Output:"
+                print "----------------------------"
+                print lst_expected[i]
+                print "----------------------------"
+                break
+
+    print "exit code:", exit_code
+    print "\nFailed!"
+    sys.exit(exit_code)
+
+def test_path(folder, is_file):
+    files=['']
+    if is_file == False:
+        print "Testing ->", os.path.basename(folder)
+        files = os.listdir(folder)
+    else:
+        files[0] = folder
+    
+    for js_file in files:
+        if is_file or os.path.splitext(js_file)[1] == '.js':
+            js_file = os.path.join(folder, js_file)
+            js_output = ""
+
+            if not os.path.isfile(js_file):
+                print "Javascript file doesn't exist (" + js_file + ")"
+                sys.exit(1)
+
+            p = SP.Popen([ch_path, js_file], stdout=SP.PIPE, stderr=SP.STDOUT, close_fds=True)
+            js_output = p.communicate()[0].replace('\r','')
+            exit_code = p.wait()
+
+            if exit_code != 0:
+                show_failed(js_file, js_output, exit_code, None)
+            else: #compare outputs
+                baseline = os.path.splitext(js_file)[0] + '.baseline'
+                baseline = os.path.join(folder, baseline)
+                if os.path.isfile(baseline):
+                    expected_output = None
+                    with open(baseline, 'r') as bs_file:
+                        expected_output = bs_file.read().replace('\r', '')
+                    # todo: compare line by line and use/implement wild cards support
+                    # todo: by default we discard line endings (xplat), make this optional
+                    if expected_output.replace('\n', '') != js_output.replace('\n', ''):
+                        show_failed(js_file, js_output, exit_code, expected_output)
+
+            if not is_file:
+                print "\tPassed ->", os.path.basename(js_file)
+
+is_file = len(test_dirs) == 1 and os.path.splitext(test_dirs[0])[1] == '.js'
+
+for folder in test_dirs:
+    full_path = os.path.join(test_root, folder)
+    if os.path.isdir(full_path) or is_file:
+        test_path(full_path, is_file)
+
+print 'Success!'
diff --git a/test/runtests.sh b/test/runtests.sh
index 23c02539d25..08dcc9bb3fe 100755
--- a/test/runtests.sh
+++ b/test/runtests.sh
@@ -3,13 +3,10 @@
 # Licensed under the MIT license. See LICENSE.txt file in the project root for full license information.
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
-# Eventual test running harness on *nix for ChakraCore
-# Today, it's simply there to make sure hello.js doesn't regress
-#
+# todo-CI: REMOVE THIS AFTER ENABLING runtests.py on CI
 
 test_path=`dirname "$0"`
 ch_path="$test_path/../BuildLinux/ch"
-hello_path="$test_path/Basics/hello.js"
 
 if [ ! -f $ch_path ]; then
     echo 'ch not found- exiting'
@@ -17,12 +14,4 @@ if [ ! -f $ch_path ]; then
     exit 0
 fi
 
-output=`$ch_path $hello_path 2>&1 | tail -n 1`
-
-if [ ! $output == "PASS" ]; then
-    echo "Hello world failed"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-echo "Hello world passed"
-exit 0
+"$test_path/runtests.py" Basics/hello.js