diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/TestDirective.kt b/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/TestDirective.kt
index e8f80fed..31052002 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/TestDirective.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/TestDirective.kt
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ class TestConfig(val project: Project) {
     fun args(vararg arg: String) {
         project.testArgs.addAll(arg)
     }
+
+    fun jvmArgs(vararg arg: String) {
+        project.testJvmArgs.addAll(arg)
+    }
 }
 
 @Directive
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Project.kt b/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Project.kt
index 7a9b80a3..f82e6dc3 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Project.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Project.kt
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ open public class Project(
 
     override var buildConfig: BuildConfig? = null
 
-    var testArgs: ArrayList<String> = arrayListOf()
+    val testArgs = arrayListOf<String>()
+    val testJvmArgs = arrayListOf<String>()
 
     val projectProperties = ProjectProperties()
 
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/GenericRunner.kt b/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/GenericRunner.kt
index 60b5fdfa..d4cc447b 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/GenericRunner.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/GenericRunner.kt
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ abstract class GenericTestRunner(open val project: Project, open val classpath:
     abstract val args: List<String>
 
     protected fun findTestClasses(): List<String> {
-        val path = KFiles.joinDir(project.directory, project.buildDirectory!!, KFiles.TEST_CLASSES_DIR)
+        val path = KFiles.joinDir(project.directory, project.buildDirectory, KFiles.TEST_CLASSES_DIR)
         val result = KFiles.findRecursively(File(path), arrayListOf(File(".")), {
             file -> file.endsWith(".class")
         }).map {
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ abstract class GenericTestRunner(open val project: Project, open val classpath:
         if (args.size > 0) {
             val allArgs = arrayListOf<String>().apply {
                 add(java!!.absolutePath)
+                addAll(project.testJvmArgs)
                 add("-classpath")
                 add(classpath.map { it.jarFile.get().absolutePath }.joinToString(File.pathSeparator))
                 add(mainClass)