diff --git a/.dir-locals.el b/.dir-locals.el
index 21bd0aa64..90a4125fe 100644
--- a/.dir-locals.el
+++ b/.dir-locals.el
@@ -6,4 +6,14 @@
  (c++-mode . ((c-default-style . "gnu")
 	      (indent-tab-mode . t)
 	      (tab-width . 8)
-	      (fill-column . 70))))
+	      (fill-column . 70)))
+ ("tests" . ((nil . ((eval . (defun spot/execute-test ()
+                               "execute the current file through ../run"
+                               (interactive)
+                               (shell-command (concat "cd ..; ./run "
+                                                      (buffer-file-name)
+                                                      " &"))))))
+             (sh-mode . ((eval . (local-set-key
+                                  (kbd "C-c C-c") #'spot/execute-test))))
+             (python-mode . ((eval . (local-set-key (kbd "C-c C-c")
+                                                    #'spot/execute-test)))))))
diff --git a/HACKING b/HACKING
index 047aa5da8..d160585fd 100644
--- a/HACKING
+++ b/HACKING
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ another "magic touch":
 
   touch doc/org-stamp
 
+
 Silent Building with automake
 -----------------------------
 
@@ -120,6 +121,30 @@ annoying. To reduce this verbosity, just run:
 
   make V=0
 
+
+Executing a single test
+-----------------------
+
+All tests in subdirectories of tests/ are executed through the
+tests/run script.  That run script defines PATH and other environment
+variables necessary so that Shell and Python scripts will use the
+version of Spot under development.  For instance to execute
+tests/core/acc.test, do:
+
+   % cd tests
+   % ./run core/acc.test
+
+A test run this way automatically executes in verbose mode.  Any
+temporary file generated by the script can be found in
+tests/core/acc.dir/.
+
+Alternatively, if you use emacs, the .dir-locals.el configuration at
+the top of the project redefines the C-c C-c key for all shell and
+python scripts under the tests/ directory.  So if you are working on
+tests/core/acc.test under emacs, hitting C-c C-c should be all you
+need to execute it.
+
+
 Debugging Libtool executables
 -----------------------------