diff --git a/tests/SConscript b/tests/SConscript
index 9bf9e3aeb..bfdc9a566 100644
--- a/tests/SConscript
+++ b/tests/SConscript
@@ -150,6 +150,9 @@ def run_test(target, source, env):
                 # Hand the return status to scons and let scons decide what
                 # to do about it (typically terminate unless run with -k).
                 return status
+        elif status == 2:
+            # The test was skipped
+            pass
         else:
             print 'M5 exited with non-zero status', status
         # complete but failed execution (call to exit() with non-zero
@@ -159,6 +162,8 @@ def run_test(target, source, env):
     # Generate status file contents based on exit status of m5 or diff-out
     if status == 0:
         status_str = "passed."
+    elif status == 2:
+        status_str = "skipped."
     else:
         status_str = "FAILED!"
     f = file(str(target[0]), 'w')
@@ -188,6 +193,8 @@ def print_test(target, source, env):
         status = termcap.Red + status[:-1] + termcap.Normal + status[-1]
     elif status == "passed.":
         status = termcap.Green + status[:-1] + termcap.Normal + status[-1]
+    elif status == "skipped.":
+        status = termcap.Yellow + status[:-1] + termcap.Normal + status[-1]
 
     # put it back in the list and join with space
     words[-1] = status
diff --git a/tests/quick/se/20.eio-short/test.py b/tests/quick/se/20.eio-short/test.py
index 210f21b14..67d8a582c 100644
--- a/tests/quick/se/20.eio-short/test.py
+++ b/tests/quick/se/20.eio-short/test.py
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 #
 # Authors: Steve Reinhardt
 
+require_sim_object("EioProcess")
+
 root.system.cpu.workload = EioProcess(file = binpath('anagram',
                                                      'anagram-vshort.eio.gz'))
 root.system.cpu.max_insts_any_thread = 500000
diff --git a/tests/quick/se/30.eio-mp/test.py b/tests/quick/se/30.eio-mp/test.py
index 3dbb7614a..dcf6fb007 100644
--- a/tests/quick/se/30.eio-mp/test.py
+++ b/tests/quick/se/30.eio-mp/test.py
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 #
 # Authors: Lisa Hsu
 
+require_sim_object("EioProcess")
+
 process = EioProcess(file = binpath('anagram', 'anagram-vshort.eio.gz'))
 
 for i in xrange(nb_cores):
diff --git a/tests/run.py b/tests/run.py
index 1671d1714..e4474ac5c 100644
--- a/tests/run.py
+++ b/tests/run.py
@@ -1,3 +1,15 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2012 ARM Limited
+# All rights reserved
+#
+# The license below extends only to copyright in the software and shall
+# not be construed as granting a license to any other intellectual
+# property including but not limited to intellectual property relating
+# to a hardware implementation of the functionality of the software
+# licensed hereunder.  You may use the software subject to the license
+# terms below provided that you ensure that this notice is replicated
+# unmodified and in its entirety in all distributions of the software,
+# modified or unmodified, in source code or in binary form.
+#
 # Copyright (c) 2006-2007 The Regents of The University of Michigan
 # All rights reserved.
 #
@@ -35,6 +47,52 @@ from os.path import join as joinpath
 
 import m5
 
+def skip_test(reason=""):
+    """Signal that a test should be skipped and optionally print why.
+
+    Keyword arguments:
+      reason -- Reason why the test failed. Output is omitted if empty.
+    """
+
+    if reason:
+        print "Skipping test: %s" % reason
+    sys.exit(2)
+
+def has_sim_object(name):
+    """Test if a SimObject exists in the simulator.
+
+    Arguments:
+      name -- Name of SimObject (string)
+
+    Returns: True if the object exists, False otherwise.
+    """
+
+    try:
+        cls = getattr(m5.objects, name)
+        return issubclass(cls, m5.objects.SimObject)
+    except AttributeError:
+        return False
+
+def require_sim_object(name, fatal=False):
+    """Test if a SimObject exists and abort/skip test if not.
+
+    Arguments:
+      name -- Name of SimObject (string)
+
+    Keyword arguments:
+      fatal -- Set to True to indicate that the test should fail
+               instead of being skipped.
+    """
+
+    if has_sim_object(name):
+        return
+    else:
+        msg = "Test requires the '%s' SimObject." % name
+        if fatal:
+            m5.fatal(msg)
+        else:
+            skip_test(msg)
+
 # Since we're in batch mode, dont allow tcp socket connections
 m5.disableAllListeners()